Automatic Due Date Reminders in Google Sheets
Get automatic email reminders before due dates, deadlines and other important dates - directly from the Google Sheets you already use.
Free to start · Set up in minutes · No Apps Script required
Can Google Sheets Send Reminders Based on a Date?
Yes - dates stored in Google Sheets can be used as the basis for automated reminder workflows.
For example, your spreadsheet might contain:
Instead of manually opening the sheet every day to check what's due, a reminder workflow can use the date and recipient information already stored in the spreadsheet.
Date & Email Reminders for Google Sheets provides a no-code way to configure email reminders around those dates. Native Google Sheets does not automatically send emails on its own - an automation layer is required.
Turn a Due Date Column Into an Automatic Reminder
| Task / Item | Due Date | Owner | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Submit Monthly Report | [Date] | Alex | alex@example.com | Upcoming |
| Client Follow-up | [Date] | Jamie | jamie@example.com | Due Soon |
| Review Contract | [Date] | Taylor | taylor@example.com | Upcoming |
| Renew Business License | [Date] | Jordan | jordan@example.com | Due Soon |
The spreadsheet remains your source of truth. The reminder layer simply helps make sure approaching dates get noticed.
How to Set a Due Date Reminder in Google Sheets
1. Add your due dates
Keep the dates you want to monitor in a consistent Google Sheets column. For example: Due Date, Deadline, Renewal Date, Expiration Date or Follow-up Date.
2. Add the reminder recipient
Store the email address of the person who should receive the reminder.
3. Configure Date & Email Reminders
Use the add-on to connect your spreadsheet date and recipient information to a reminder configuration.
4. Let the reminder run automatically
Once configured, reminder emails can be sent according to the reminder settings supported by the product.
What Can You Use Google Sheets Due Date Reminders For?
Task deadlines
Remind owners when important tasks are approaching their due dates.
Project deadlines
Track project milestones and important delivery dates.
Client follow-ups
Schedule reminders around follow-up dates stored in your spreadsheet.
Payment dates
Track internal payment or billing dates that require attention.
Reporting deadlines
Keep recurring business reporting dates visible.
Contract dates
Monitor review, renewal or expiration dates.
License renewals
Track upcoming license and permit dates.
Certificate expirations
Monitor certifications and certificate renewal dates.
Insurance renewals
Track insurance expiration and review dates.
Vehicle dates
Monitor registration, insurance, inspection or other vehicle dates.
Other important dates
Use the same workflow for any spreadsheet row containing a date that someone needs to remember.
Stop Checking Your Spreadsheet Just to See What's Due
Google Sheets is great for storing dates. The problem starts when the spreadsheet becomes something you have to remember to check.
Without reminder automation
- Open spreadsheet
- Scan due-date column
- Identify approaching dates
- Find responsible person
- Send reminder
- Repeat
With automatic reminders
- Maintain spreadsheet
- Due date approaches
- Configured email reminder is sent
- Responsible person can take action
Your spreadsheet should remember the date. You shouldn't have to remember to check the spreadsheet.
Google Sheets Due Date Reminders Without Apps Script
Google Apps Script can be used to build custom date-based email automation. That approach can make sense when you need a highly customized workflow and are comfortable writing and maintaining code.
But if your goal is simply: "Send an email reminder when a date in my spreadsheet approaches" - you may not need to build the automation yourself.
Custom Apps Script
Requires:
- writing code
- setting triggers
- maintaining the script
- troubleshooting changes
Useful for:
- highly customized workflows
- developers
- complex business logic
Date & Email Reminders
Requires:
- dates in Google Sheets
- reminder recipient
- reminder configuration
Useful for:
- straightforward date reminders
- business users
- no-code workflows
Send Email Reminders Before Due Dates
A common reminder spreadsheet structure is simple:
When the relevant date approaches, the configured reminder workflow can notify the recipient. This can be useful when different rows belong to different people.
The reminder can go to the person who needs to know rather than relying on one person to manually monitor the entire spreadsheet, using recipient information configured in the spreadsheet and supported by the product.
Due Dates, Deadlines, Renewals and Expirations
The label on the date can change, but the reminder workflow is often similar.
Due date
An item should be completed or reviewed by a certain date.
Deadline
A task or action has a defined final date.
Renewal date
A contract, license, policy or other record needs review or renewal.
Expiration date
A document, certification, agreement or other record reaches the end of its current validity or term.
If your spreadsheet contains the important date and the person who should know about it, the same reminder concept can be applied across many workflows.
Google Sheets Due Date Reminder Template Structure
You don't need a complicated spreadsheet. Start with:
| Item | Due Date | Owner | Reminder Email | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly Report | [Date] | Finance | finance@example.com | Upcoming |
| Client Follow-up | [Date] | Sales | sales@example.com | Due Soon |
| Contract Review | [Date] | Operations | operations@example.com | Upcoming |
| License Renewal | [Date] | Admin | admin@example.com | Due Soon |
Minimum useful columns:
Optional columns:
Start simple. Add fields only when they help someone understand or act on the reminder.
Want to Learn More About Email Reminders in Google Sheets?
If your main question is how date-based email reminders work in Google Sheets, see our complete guide:
How to Send Automatic Email Reminders from Google Sheets
That guide covers the broader email-reminder workflow, including the difference between custom Apps Script automation and using a no-code reminder add-on.
Google Sheets Due Date Reminder FAQs
Dates stored in Google Sheets can be used with automation to trigger reminder workflows. Date & Email Reminders provides a no-code way to configure email reminders using dates and recipient information from your spreadsheet.
Keep the date you want to monitor in a spreadsheet column, add the appropriate reminder recipient, and configure Date & Email Reminders to use those fields for the reminder workflow.
Yes. Date-based reminder automation can be used to send email notifications before important dates according to the reminder settings supported by the product.
Yes, with an automation layer. If your spreadsheet contains the deadline and recipient information, those fields can be used to automate email reminders.
Recipient information stored in the spreadsheet can be used to direct configured reminders to the appropriate email address, according to the product's available reminder settings.
Yes. Apps Script is one way to build custom automation, but a no-code add-on such as Date & Email Reminders can be used for straightforward date-based email reminder workflows.
The same basic structure can be used for due dates, deadlines, follow-ups, renewals, expiration dates and other business dates that require attention.
No. Date & Email Reminders helps notify people about dates stored in Google Sheets. The actual follow-up, renewal or task remains part of your workflow.
Your Due Dates Are Already in Google Sheets
Now make sure the right people know when those dates are approaching. Add automatic email reminders to the spreadsheet your team already uses.
Free to start · Set up in minutes · No Apps Script required