Schedule a meeting or event in Outlook

Schedule a meeting

1. Create a meeting request in one of the following ways:

   • From the Inbox, select New Items > Meeting or use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Shift + Q.

   • From the calendar, select New Meeting or use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Shift + Q.

   • From an email message in the Inbox, select the Reply with Meeting button.

     

2. Add attendees in one of two ways:

   • Add your attendees to the To line of the meeting request and skip to step 4.

   • If you're using a Microsoft 365 or an Exchange account, use the Scheduling Assistant to see attendee schedules.

3. In the Scheduling Assistant, either click the box under your name and type an attendee's name or email address or click the Add Attendees button to bring up your address book.

   Select the icon next to the attendee's name in the Scheduling Assistant to mark a specific attendee as a Required Attendee, Optional Attendee, or a Resource. When you start typing a attendee's name, Outlook will provide suggestions for you based on the people you've met with or emailed recently. Choose a name from the list to add as an attendee.

4. Add a meeting subject, start time and end time, and location.

   In Outlook 2016 (or newer) and Outlook for Microsoft 365, you can start typing a location's name, for example, Fourth Coffee Shop or Conference Room 23, and Outlook will look for location matches. Select one of the suggestions to choose that location, or continue typing to enter another location.

   : If you use a Microsoft Exchange account or Microsoft 365 email account, click Scheduling Assistant, then click Room Finder to check availability and reserve rooms. For more information, see Use the Scheduling Assistant and Room Finder for meetings in Outlook.

5. To attach a file to a meeting request, on the Insert menu, select Attach File, then choose the file you want to add.

6. If you don't want to make this a recurring meeting, select Send. Otherwise, see Make a meeting recurring.

Make a meeting recurring

1. Select Meeting > Recurrence.

   : Use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+G to schedule the meeting to repeat regularly.

2. Choose the options for the recurrence pattern you want, and then select OK.

   : When you add a recurrence pattern to a meeting request, the Meeting tab changes to Meeting Series.

3. To send the meeting request, select Send.

Add a person to an existing meeting

You can add another attendee to an existing meeting.

If you're the meeting owner:

1. Double-click to open the meeting, then use the Required or Optional line or the Scheduling Assistant to add one or more people to the meeting.

2. Select Send Update and one of the following options:

   • Send updates only to added or deleted attendees.

   • Send updates to all attendees.

If you're not the meeting owner:

1. Open the meeting request. In the Respond group on the ribbon, select Respond, then Forward. Add one or more recipients to the meeting request.

2. Select Send. The meeting owner will receive notification that you've forwarded the meeting request to another person. For more information, see Forward a meeting.

End meetings early

If you're using Outlook for Microsoft 365, you can have Outlook end your meetings a few minutes early. This can help you build in travel time between meetings. You can choose a different duration for meetings under one hour and meetings over one hour.

1. Select File > Options > Calendar > Calendar options

2. Check the Shorten appointments and meetings checkbox, then either End early or Start late.

3. Use the drop-downs to select the number of minutes for meetings less than one hour and one hour or longer, then select OK.

Schedule a meeting or event

1. 1. From the  calendar, select New Event > Event.

   2. Add a title for your meeting or event.

   3. Select  Invite attendees, then enter names of individuals to invite to the meeting or event.

      If you're using a work or school account in Outlook with Microsoft 365 or Exchange, use the Scheduling Assistant tab to see attendee schedules. 

   4. In the Scheduling Assistant, select Add required attendee or Add optional attendee, and start typing an attendee's name or email address. When you start typing a attendee's name, Outlook will provide suggestions for you based on the people you've met with or emailed recently. Choose a name from the list to add as an attendee.

   5. Select a suggested time slot, or manually enter a date and start and end times on the Event tab.

   6. Enter a meeting location, and slide the Teams meeting toggle left or right as appropriate.

      : Depending on your account, you might have the option to select Add a room or Search for a room or location for your meeting.

   7. If you don't want to make this a recurring meeting, select Send to deliver the invitation. Otherwise, see the next section Schedule a recurring meeting.

   Schedule a recurring meeting

   1. Follow steps 1-6 in the previous section, Schedule a meeting and add attendees.

   2. Select  Make recurring, and in the Repeat window choose the recurrence interval you want for the event. Select Save.

   3. Select Send to deliver the invitation.

Schedule a meeting and invite attendees

1. From the Outlook.com  calendar, select New Event.

2. Add a title for your meeting or event.

3. Select  Invite attendees and enter names of individuals to invite to the meeting or event. When you start typing an attendee's name, Outlook will provide suggestions for you based on the people you've met with or emailed recently. Choose a name from the list to add as an attendee.

4. Select a suggested time slot, or manually enter a date and start and end times.

5. Enter a meeting location, and slide the Skype meeting (or Teams meeting) toggle left or right as appropriate:

   

6. Select Send to deliver the invitation.

Schedule a recurring meeting or event

1. From the  calendar, select New Event, and add a title for your meeting or event.

2. If you need to invite others to this event or meeting, select  Invite attendees, then enter names of individuals to invite to the meeting.

3. Select a suggested time slot for the meeting, or manually enter a date and start and end times.

4. Select  Don't repeat dropdown, then choose the recurrence interval you want for the event.

5. Enter a meeting location, and slide the Skype meeting (or Teams meeting) toggle left or right as appropriate:

   

6. Select Send to deliver the invitation.