How to Share Your Calendar in Outlook
Sharing your calendar saves endless "When are you free?" emails. Colleagues can see when you're busy, an assistant can book meetings for you, and your family can see when you're travelling. You decide exactly how much each person sees.
New Outlook and Outlook on the web
1. Open Calendar (the calendar icon on the left).
2. Click Share on the toolbar at the top. (Or right-click your calendar in the left list and choose Sharing and permissions.)
3. Choose which calendar to share, if asked.
4. Type the person's name or email address.
5. Choose what they can see (see the table below).
6. Click Share.
2. Click Share on the toolbar at the top. (Or right-click your calendar in the left list and choose Sharing and permissions.)
3. Choose which calendar to share, if asked.
4. Type the person's name or email address.
5. Choose what they can see (see the table below).
6. Click Share.
They'll receive an email invitation. Once they accept, your calendar appears in their Outlook.
Classic Outlook for Windows
1. Open Calendar.
2. On the Home tab, click Share Calendar (choose which calendar if there's more than one).
3. In the Permissions window, click Add…, choose the person and click OK.
4. Select them in the list and choose a permission level on the right.
5. Click OK.
2. On the Home tab, click Share Calendar (choose which calendar if there's more than one).
3. In the Permissions window, click Add…, choose the person and click OK.
4. Select them in the list and choose a permission level on the right.
5. Click OK.
Permission levels
| Permission | They can see… |
|---|---|
| Can view when I'm busy | Just the times you're busy — no details |
| Can view titles and locations | Times, meeting titles and where |
| Can view all details | Everything, including notes (except private items) |
| Can edit | Everything, and add or change events |
| Delegate | Can edit, and receive and reply to meeting invites for you |
Tip: For most colleagues, Can view when I'm busy is plenty. Save Can edit and Delegate for an assistant or partner.
Keep individual appointments private
Even when you share details, you can hide specific appointments. Open the event and click Private (the padlock). Others see only "Busy" for that time.
Share with someone outside your organisation
In new Outlook and Outlook on the web you can type any email address — including Gmail. The person gets a link to view or subscribe to your calendar.
Alternatively, publish your calendar:
1. In Outlook on the web or new Outlook, go to Settings > Calendar > Shared calendars.
2. Under Publish a calendar, choose a calendar and a permission level.
3. Click Publish.
4. Copy the ICS link and send it to whoever needs it. They can add it to Google Calendar, Apple Calendar and so on.
2. Under Publish a calendar, choose a calendar and a permission level.
3. Click Publish.
4. Copy the ICS link and send it to whoever needs it. They can add it to Google Calendar, Apple Calendar and so on.
Anyone with that link can see the calendar, so only share it with people you trust.
Open a calendar someone has shared with you
• Accept the invitation email — the calendar appears under People's calendars or Shared calendars.
• Or in Calendar, click Add calendar > Add from directory (new Outlook) or Home > Open Calendar > From Address Book (classic), and pick the person.
• Or in Calendar, click Add calendar > Add from directory (new Outlook) or Home > Open Calendar > From Address Book (classic), and pick the person.
Tick the calendar in the left list to show it side by side with yours.
Stop sharing
Open Share (or Sharing and permissions) again, find the person and click Remove (the bin icon), or change them to Not shared. In classic Outlook, select them in the Permissions list and click Remove.
To stop a published link, go back to Settings > Calendar > Shared calendars and click Unpublish.
Wrapping up
In Calendar, click Share, add the person, and pick a permission — Can view when I'm busy for most people. Mark sensitive appointments as Private, and remove access whenever you need to.
