Share calendar in Outlook with others

How do I share my calendar with others in Outlook?

Learn quickly how to share calendars in Outlook

How do I share my calendar with others in Outlook?

In Microsoft Outlook, calendars can be shared to inform colleagues, teams or external partners about appointments and availability. Calendar sharing allows other people to view and edit appointments or make bookings on behalf of the user, depending on the permissions granted.

This article shows you how to share calendar in Outlook with others, what settings are available and how to manage sharing.

1.Share calendars in Outlook

Calendar sharing for colleagues within the organisation

Open Outlook and switch to the calendar view.
Click on “Share Calendar” in the top menu bar.
Select the calendar you want to share.
Enter the email address or name of the person who should have access.
Select the desired permission level (show availability only or grant editing rights).
Confirm by clicking ‘Send’ – the person will receive an invitation to share the calendar.

Sharing calendars with external users (outside the organisation)

If you want to share the calendar with external partners or customers:

Go to File > Account Settings > Access for Delegates.
Select ‘Allow sharing with external users’ if this option is available.
Click ‘Share Calendar’ and enter the external email address.

Outlook will send an email with a link to the shared calendar.

Note: Sharing with external users may be restricted depending on your company settings.

2. Manage permissions for shared calendars

When sharing a calendar, you can specify which rights the recipient has:

Show availability only: The person can see whether appointments are booked or free, but no details.
Show limited details: The title and time of the appointments are visible, but no further content.
Show all details: The person can see the complete appointment with description and participants.
Editing rights: The calendar can be edited, but new appointments cannot be created or deleted.
Delegate: The person can create, edit and delete appointments on behalf of the calendar owner.

To change permissions, go to ‘Calendar permissions’, select the person concerned and adjust the settings.

3. View a shared calendar in Outlook

If a calendar has been shared with you, you can integrate it into your Outlook view:

Open Outlook and go to the calendar section.
Click on “Add Calendar” > “From Address Book”.
Select the person whose calendar you want to view.
The calendar will now be displayed in the overview.

Alternatively, you can accept a shared calendar directly from a calendar sharing invitation.

4. Remove calendar sharing

If you no longer wish to share the calendar:

Open Outlook and right-click on the shared calendar.
Select ‘Share Settings’ and remove the relevant people.
Changes will be applied automatically and access will be revoked.

5. Common problems and solutions

Shared calendar is not displayed

Ensure that the calendar sharing invitation has been accepted.
If the calendar is not synchronising, restarting Outlook or reloading the calendar view may help.

External users cannot open the calendar

Some organisations do not allow external calendar sharing. Check your company’s IT policies.
If a web link was used, ensure that the link is still valid.

Permissions have been changed but not applied

Outlook may occasionally experience delays in applying permission changes. Restarting Outlook may help.
Check whether the calendar has been shared via Microsoft Exchange, as permissions may be restricted in local environments.

6. Why booking software is useful for shared calendars

Outlook allows calendars to be shared, but in many companies, managing meeting rooms, catering or technical services requires a more advanced solution.

Centralised management of shared resources

Although appointments can be shared in Outlook, it is often unclear which rooms, services or additional equipment are required. Booking software such as arbooMEET ensures that all resources are directly linked to the appointment schedule.

Automatic synchronisation with room and service bookings

If a calendar is changed, room bookings and associated services should also be updated automatically. Meeting room software ensures that there are no double bookings or forgotten changes.

Better control over permissions and calendar access

While Outlook offers limited sharing options, booking solutions can define more flexible roles and permissions for teams, assistants and service departments.

Targeted use of calendar sharing in Outlook

Sharing calendars in Outlook facilitates collaboration and provides a better overview of appointments. Individual permissions allow you to control information in a targeted manner without losing control over your personal appointments.

For companies that need to coordinate meeting rooms, resources and services in addition to calendar sharing, software such as arbooMEET offers a comprehensive solution.

Would you like to learn how you can make your appointment management even more effective with booking systems? Contact us for a live demo of arbooMEET and experience how easy meeting and room planning can be.