Scheduling Appointments in Outlook

Step by step instructions on how to schedule a meeting in Outlook. Instructions included for PC, Mac, and Outlook online users.

Overview/Introduction

Outlook allows users to schedule appointments with others and see when potential invitees are free.

Details

Scheduling on PC

1. Open the Outlook app on your computer and click the Calendar icon 

2. Click on New Appointment in the top left-hand corner. 

3. Give your appointment a title in the Subject line and set a location if applicable. Set the Start time and End time. If this meeting is reoccurring, click Recurrence and set the frequency of the meeting (daily, weekly, biweekly, etc). You can also tag your meeting with a color by clicking Tags > Categorize and choose a color. 
4. To invite others to this meeting, click Invite Attendees, then select the To... button that appears. Type the person's last name and double-click their name when it appears. Make sure their name appears in the Required field at the bottom. Select OK. This will add this person's email address to the To: field.
5. To check if your invitees are free during this time, click on Scheduling Assistant. 
6. If this person is busy, they will have a blue or purple block in that time slot (blue diagonal lines in a block indicate a tentative appointment). Look for an alternative time with no color if necessary. Select the block that accommodates both/all schedules (there should be no color in the block) and click on Appointment at the top. 
7. Confirm that the appointment information is correct, then click Send.

Scheduling on Mac

1. After opening your Outlook app, locate and click on the Calendar icon.
2. Click on the New Event button.
3. Make sure the account you want to send the invite from is selected at the top of the invitation.
4. Give your event a title/subject.
5. Type the names of those you want to invite to your meeting.
6. In the Location box, you can indicate where the meeting is taking place.
7. Click the Scheduling Assistant button to see when your invitees are available.
8. At this point, you can Send your meeting to your invitees.

For more information, consult these instructions.

Scheduling Online

1. After logging onto Microsoft 365 at office.com, select the Outlook icon from the list of apps. 
2. Click the Calendar icon in the lefthand menu and select New Event.
3. Give your appointment a name in the Title box, and a Location if necessary. Set the date, Start time and End time. If your meeting is recurring, click Repeat and fill out the form according to how often you would like the meeting to recur. You can also color-coordinate your event by clicking Categorize and choosing the color you would like to assign.
4. Next, invite people to the meeting by typing their name or email address on the attendees line.
5. To coordinate schedules—and to see if the person(s) you are inviting is free during your meeting time—click the Scheduling Assistant button.
6. At this point, you will see the calendar of everyone you have invited side by side with yours. It will indicate if everyone is free or not. Select a time that is free for everyone by dragging the appointment slot on the calendar pane or manually changing the start and end time.
7. Return to the main Event page. Confirm the details of your appointment and click Send.

See Also

• Outlook instructions
• Creating and Managing your Sign-Ups (recorded training session)

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