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How to share a calendar in Outlook

You can send a sharing invitation to colleagues and people outside the University using Outlook. By doing this they can view your calendar in their Calendar list.

While sharing, you can grant people permission to change the events and appointments in the calendar.

Calendar sharing is not limited to the default Calendar folder automatically created in all Outlook profiles. You can create extra calendar folders (for a specific project, for example) and choose which of those folders to share. 

 

Sharing your calendar

From the Desktop client

Windows users

1. From the Home menu, click on the Calendar icon

Calendar icon between email and contacts icons
 
2. Select Share Calendar
 
3. Choose the calendar you want to share from the drop-down menu

4. In the Calendar Properties dialog box, click Add

Dialog box displaying calendar properties
 
5. You can search for people from your address book or type in their email addresses in the Add box. When you're done adding names in the Add Users dialog box, click OK.

Dialog box showing the list of users
 
6. Back in the Calendar Properties dialog box, select the person's name or email address, then choose the level of details that you want to share with the person, then click OK.

Dialog box showing the calendar permission'sproperties
 
7. The person you've shared your calendar with will receive a sharing invitation by email. Once they click on Accept, they'll see your shared calendar in their calendar list.

 

macOS users

1. From the Home menu, click on the Calendar icon

2. Select the calendar you want to share.

3. On the Organize tab, choose Calendar Permissions

Calendar permissions icon
 
Note: If the Open Shared Calendar or Calendar Permissions buttons are unavailable, jump at the section "What to do if the Open Shared Calendar or Calendar Permissions buttons are unavailable".

4. In the Calendar Properties box, choose Add User

Permission tab within the calendar properties
 
5. In the Search box, enter the name of the person you want to share your calendar with.

When you see their name appear in the list, select it and then choose Add.

Example of a profile displayed under the Search box. On the bottom right the Add button
 
6. In the Calendar Properties box, select the Permission Level down arrow, and choose the permission level to assign to the person you added.

Check the boxes that apply in the Read, Write, Delete, and Other sections. Their settings change based on the permission level you choose.


 
7. Select OK to close

What to do if the Open Shared Calendar or Calendar Permissions buttons are unavailable

It may happen that the ‘Open shared calendar’ or ‘Calendar permissions’ are not available. You can change your settings from the make the visible, or you can:

1. Go to the Home menu and click on the Calendar icon

2. Select the calendar you want to share.

3. Move the cursor of the mouse on the calendar and click on the dots () near it

My calendar drop-down menu

4. Click on Sharing permissions

5. Click on the Permissions tab

6. Click on the plus (+) icon

7. Enter the name or the email of the person you want to add

8. Select the level of permissions you want:

  1. Can view all details
  2. Can view titles and locations
  3. Can view when I’m busy

9. Click on the Add button

10. The recipient will receive an invitation email from Microsoft with the object “You’re invited to share this calendar”. Ask them to accept to view your calendar.

 

From the browser version

1. Click on Settings (three dots aligned)

Settings icon
 
2. Click on View all Outlook settings

3. Click on Calendar and Shared calendars

Dialog box displaying shared calendars settings
 
4. Go to the section Share a calendar and choose the calendar you want to share

5. Enter an email address or type a contact name

6. Select the permissions

Dialog box showing Sharing permissions options
 
7. Click Share to send your shared calendar to the recipient. They will receive you invitation.

8. Once they recipient will accept your invitation, you will see their name within the Shares calendar list

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Issues sharing your calendar

"This calendar can't be shared" error

If you see a message saying "This calendar can't be shared", there are three possible reasons:

  1. The email address is invalid
  2. The email address is a Group
  3. The email belongs to an external user who isn't part of your organization

To fix these problems, try:

  1. Checking if the email address is correct
  2. You can enable calendar sharing for all users in your organization in the Microsoft 365 admin centre. To do that, follow the article "Share calendars with external users - Microsoft 365 admin".

If you are still facing problems, get in touch with ServiceLine.

 

Policy issues

You may receive an error message as follow: “Policy does not allow the granting of permissions at this level to one or more of the recipient(s). Please select another permissions level and send the sharing invite again or You do not have granting permission”.

This error can be caused adding the wrong recipient from the auto-complete list. Auto complete list appears when manually entering the address in the email To field. To fix this, please:

  1. click on the To field
  2. add the recipient from the outlook address book

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Manage your permissions

You can choose from several different permission levels when sharing your calendar.

Can view all details

This setting allows people to see all details of your appointments.

Can view titles and locations

This setting allows people to see your availability, the subject of your meetings and their location:

Example of a calendar with events
 

Can view when I’m busy

This permission level allows people to only see which time you are available:

Example of a calendar with events

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How to stop sharing your calendar

You can stop sharing your calendar whenever you want. It may take a while for Microsoft and your recipient’s Outlook to sync and remove the view to your calendar.

From the desktop client 

Windows users

1. Click on the Calendar icon

Calendar icon between email and contacts icons
 
2. Select Share Calendar

Share calendar icon
 
3. Choose the calendar you want to update

4. In the Calendar Properties dialog box, go to Permissions

5. Select the person you want to stop sharing

6.  Click on Remove

7. Click on OK and close the window

 

macOS users

1. Click on the Calendar icon 

2. Go to My Calendars 

3. Click on the dots icon ()

My calendar drop-down menu

4. Click on the Permissions tab. Select Sharing permissions

5. Click on the user’s name you want to stop sharing your calendar

Dialog box showing the list of users and permissions

6. Click on the minus (-) button

7. Click on Done

 

From the web browser

1. Click on the Calendar icon

2. Go to the People’s calendars section

3. Click on the () icon

4. From the menu, click on Remove

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How do I remove and re-add a calendar within Outlook

Sometimes, a calendar needs to be re-added to your Outlook window for one of a number of reasons. This can include the calendar changing location or name.

In the example below, we shall be removing and re-adding a ROOM calendar.

Please follow the steps:

1. From your calendar window, right-click the calendar you are having issues with and select the Delete option.

Please make sure this is NOT listed under "My Calendars". It should appear under "Other Calendars" or "Shared Calendars"

Example of share calendars list

2. Verify the calendar no longer shows in the list of your calendars

3. At the top of your Outlook window, select Add calendar

Share calendar icon
 
4. Select the source (From address book, Fromm room list, From internet)

Box showing all the options available under the Share calendar drop-down menu

5. Enter the name of the Calendar you are trying to access (for example: Test-Room, or Smith M.)

6. Double click the Calendar and select OK

Example of list of users

7. The calendar should then be re-added to your calendar list.

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Related content

How to create a private appointment and change the visibility of my calendar on Microsoft Outlook

How to create automatic replies (Out of office) in Office 365

How to add or remove your university email account using Outlook

Error message when you share a calendar in Microsoft 365 (external)

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