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How to share an Outlook calendar with internal and external users
Create a new calendar in Outlook and share it with coworkers or people outside your organization, with view or edit permission, from the Outlook desktop app or Outlook on the web.
By Nur Islam- 3:51 video
- 6 steps
- 7.5K views
Jump to a step (6)
Teams often keep schedules in one person's calendar and answer "are you free?" questions by email. Sharing a dedicated calendar lets the right people see or add events themselves. Sharing with people outside your company needs one setting in the Microsoft 365 admin center first.
You can share your main calendar or create a separate calendar just for sharing, which keeps private events apart from team events. People in your organization can get view or edit access. External users get more limited access, and only if calendar sharing is turned on in the Microsoft 365 admin center.
The video shows the classic Outlook desktop app first, then the same process in Outlook on the web.
What you need
- Microsoft 365 Business Basic or Standard
- Outlook desktop app or Outlook on the web
- Microsoft 365 admin access, if you need to enable external calendar sharing
Step by step
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01
Create a new calendar in Outlook desktop
Open the calendar view. Right-click any calendar under My Calendars and choose New Calendar, or click Add Calendar and select Create New Blank Calendar. Type a name, make sure it is placed under Calendar, and click OK. The new calendar appears under My Calendars.
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02
Open the sharing permissions
Right-click the calendar and select Sharing Permissions. In the properties window, click Add. You will see the people in your organization.
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03
Enable external sharing in the admin center (if needed)
To share with someone outside your organization, a Microsoft 365 admin must allow it. In the Microsoft 365 admin center, click Show all, then Settings > Org settings. On the Services list, select Calendar. Turn on external sharing, choose the permission level for external users, and save.
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04
Add people and set their permission
Back in Sharing Permissions, select a user and click Add, or type their email addresses. Separate multiple addresses with semicolons and click OK. Choose whether each person can only view the calendar or can also edit it. Click OK to share.
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05
Accept the shared calendar
Each person gets an email invitation and clicks Accept. The shared calendar then appears in their calendar list. With edit permission, they can create events on it: when creating an event, they select the shared calendar and save.
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06
Create and share a calendar in Outlook on the web
In Outlook on the web, open Calendar and select Add calendar > Create blank calendar. Enter a name, pick a color and icon, and click Save.
To share it, click the three dots next to the calendar and choose Sharing and permissions. Enter the person's email, choose a permission such as Can edit, and click Share. They click Accept in the email, and the calendar appears under Shared calendars.
Tips and common problems
- Create a separate calendar for team or client events if you want to keep your personal calendar private. You can still share your primary calendar if that suits you.
- Sharing with people outside your organization only works if external calendar sharing is enabled in the Microsoft 365 admin center, and external users get more limited access.
- You can add several people at once by separating their email addresses with semicolons.
- Give edit permission only to people who need to add or change events. Everyone else can have view access.
Related videos
Questions
How do I share my Outlook calendar with someone outside my organization?
First, an admin must turn on external sharing in the Microsoft 365 admin center under Settings, Org settings, Services, Calendar. Then open the calendar's sharing permissions in Outlook, add the external email address and choose a permission level.
Can people I share my Outlook calendar with add events?
Yes, if you give them edit permission. When they create an event, they choose the shared calendar and the event is saved there.
How do I create a shared calendar in Outlook on the web?
Go to Calendar, select Add calendar, then Create blank calendar. Name it and save. Then click the three dots next to it, choose Sharing and permissions, add people and pick their permission.
What is the difference between sharing a calendar and delegate access?
Sharing gives people view or edit access to a calendar. Delegate access lets someone manage your calendar and mailbox on your behalf, which is set up separately.
