One-Time Reminders

One-time reminders are single-use notifications scheduled for a specific date and time. They’re perfect for tasks, events, or deadlines that occur once and don’t repeat.

What is a One-Time Reminder?

A one-time reminder is a notification that:

  • Fires once at a specified date and time
  • Gets delivered to you or your team via Teams or web
  • Automatically completes after notification is sent
  • Can include a task description and optional details

Unlike recurring reminders, one-time reminders are designed for unique events that don’t need to repeat on a schedule.

Where Reminders Can Be Created

You can create one-time reminders from multiple locations:

Microsoft Teams Chat

Open a chat with the Smart Reminders bot and type your reminder command in natural language.

Microsoft Teams Channel

Mention the Smart Reminders bot in any channel to create team reminders that notify all channel members.

Personal App Dashboard

Use the web dashboard or Teams personal app to create reminders through a visual interface with form fields.

Channel Tab

If Smart Reminders is added as a tab to a channel, use the tab interface to create and manage channel-specific reminders.

Web Application

Access the full web interface at reminders.udyamo.com to create reminders with advanced options.

Natural Language Format

Smart Reminders uses natural language processing (NLP) to understand your reminder commands. You don’t need to memorize complex syntax—just type as you would naturally speak.

Basic Format

The basic structure for creating a reminder is:

remind [who] [what] [when]

Components:

  • [who]: me, us, @username, or the team
  • [what]: Description of the task or reminder
  • [when]: Date and time specification

Format Variations

Smart Reminders is flexible and understands multiple phrasings:

  • remind me to [task] [time]
  • set a reminder to [task] [time]
  • create reminder [task] [time]
  • alert me to [task] [time]
  • notify me to [task] [time]

All these variations work the same way.

Creating a one-time reminder using natural language

Real-World Examples

Here are practical examples showing the flexibility of one-time reminders:

Example 1: Simple Time-Based Reminder

Command:

remind me to call the client in 2 hours

What happens:

  • Reminder created for 2 hours from now
  • You receive a notification at that time
  • Message: “call the client”

Use case: Quick follow-ups and time-based tasks during your workday.


Example 2: Specific Date and Time

Command:

remind me to submit quarterly report on March 15 at 9am

What happens:

  • Reminder scheduled for March 15 at 9:00 AM
  • Delivered in your timezone
  • Task: “submit quarterly report”

Use case: Important deadlines and scheduled obligations.


Example 3: Tomorrow Reminder

Command:

remind me to prepare presentation slides tomorrow at 10am

What happens:

  • Reminder set for 10:00 AM the next day
  • Clear task description
  • Single notification

Use case: Planning next-day tasks and morning preparation.


Example 4: Team Channel Reminder

Command:

@Smart Reminders remind us to review sprint backlog tomorrow at 2pm

What happens:

  • Reminder posted to the channel
  • All channel members notified
  • Scheduled for next day at 2:00 PM

Use case: Team meetings, group reviews, collaborative tasks.


Example 5: Assigned Team Reminder

Command:

remind @John to update the database schema by Friday 5pm

What happens:

  • Reminder assigned specifically to John
  • He receives notification on Friday at 5:00 PM
  • Task clearly specified

Use case: Delegating tasks to specific team members.


Example 6: Relative Time Reminder

Command:

remind me to check the build status in 30 minutes

What happens:

  • Reminder created for 30 minutes from current time
  • Quick turnaround notification
  • Ideal for short-term tasks

Use case: Monitoring tasks, quick checks, time-limited activities.


Example 7: End of Day Reminder

Command:

remind me to backup files today at 6pm

What happens:

  • Reminder set for 6:00 PM today
  • Ensures task is done before leaving
  • Same-day notification

Use case: End-of-day routines and daily task completion.


Example 8: Next Week Reminder

Command:

remind me to review contract next Monday at 11am

What happens:

  • Reminder scheduled for the following Monday
  • Specific time: 11:00 AM
  • Future planning

Use case: Weekly planning and scheduled reviews.

Time Specification Options

Smart Reminders understands various time formats:

Relative Time

  • in 10 minutes
  • in 2 hours
  • in 3 days

Specific Times

  • at 3pm
  • at 14:30
  • at 9:00 AM

Date References

  • tomorrow
  • next Monday
  • on January 15
  • next week

Combined Formats

  • tomorrow at 9am
  • on Friday at 2:30pm
  • next Tuesday at 10am
  • in 3 days at 5pm

Task Description Best Practices

For clearer reminders, follow these tips:

Be Specific

Good: remind me to call John Smith about Q1 budget review
Less Specific: remind me to make a call

Include Context

Add relevant details that help you remember why the task is important.

Example: remind me to submit expense report with receipts by end of day

Use Action Verbs

Start task descriptions with clear action verbs:

  • Review, Submit, Call, Send, Update, Complete, Prepare

Keep It Concise

While being specific, avoid overly long descriptions. Aim for one clear sentence.

Good: remind me to email proposal to client
Too Long: remind me to make sure I email the updated proposal document with all revisions to the client before the meeting

Confirmation and Editing

Confirmation Messages

After creating a reminder, Smart Reminders sends a confirmation:

✓ Reminder created
Task: Submit quarterly report
When: March 15, 2026 at 9:00 AM

Immediate Editing

If you notice an error, you can immediately:

  • Delete the reminder using the delete command
  • Create a new corrected version

For editing existing reminders, see the Manage Reminders guide.

Timezone Handling

One-time reminders respect your configured timezone:

  • Times are interpreted in your local timezone
  • Notifications arrive at the correct local time
  • Team reminders use the creator’s timezone
  • Each recipient sees reminders in their own timezone

Example: If you’re in New York and create a reminder for “3pm”, it fires at 3pm Eastern Time, regardless of server location.

Limitations

Free Plan Limits

Free accounts have limits on active one-time reminders. See Subscription & Limits for details.

Past Dates

You cannot create reminders for dates or times in the past. If detected, Smart Reminders will ask you to specify a future time.

Maximum Future Date

Reminders can be scheduled up to 2 years in the future.

Next Steps

Now that you understand one-time reminders:

  1. Learn about Recurring Reminders for repeating tasks
  2. Discover how to Manage Reminders
  3. Explore advanced App Features

Start creating one-time reminders today to stay on top of your important tasks!

Last updated: 2/3/2026 Edit this page