Open Outlook and find the calendar

To send a calendar invite in Outlook, start by opening the Outlook process on your computer or going to Outlook.com in your web browser. Look for the Calendar icon in the left sidebar — it usually looks like a small calendar grid. Click it to switch to your calendar view.

If you are using Outlook on the web and do not see the sidebar, look for the app launcher (a grid of nine dots) in the top left corner. Click it and select Calendar from the menu that appears.

Create a new event

Once you are in the calendar view, you need to create a new event. In the desktop version of Outlook, click the New Event button near the top left, or use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+N. On Outlook.com, click the New event button, usually found in the upper left area of the calendar.

A form will open where you can enter the details of your meeting. This is where you will add the people you want to invite, set the time, and write any notes about the meeting.

Key Takeaways

  • You create a calendar invite by opening Outlook, clicking Calendar, and selecting New Event to open the invitation form.
  • Add attendees by typing their email addresses in the Attendees field, and Outlook will suggest matches from your contacts as you type.
  • Set the date and time in the Start and End fields, and choose whether the invite should repeat daily, weekly, or monthly.
  • Click Send to deliver the invite to all attendees, and they will receive it in their email inbox with an option to accept or decline.

Add attendees to your invite

In the event form, find the Attendees field (sometimes labeled Add attendees). Click in this field and start typing the email address or name of the person you want to invite. As you type, Outlook will show you matching contacts from your address book. Click the person's name when you see it in the dropdown list.

To add more than one person, type the next email address or name after the first one. You can add as many attendees as you need. If someone is not in your contacts, type their full email address and press Enter or Tab to add them.

You will notice that Outlook marks some attendees as Required and others as Optional. By default, everyone you add is required. To change someone to optional, click on their name in the attendees list and select Optional from the menu that appears.

Fill in the meeting details

Enter a clear title for your meeting in the Subject field. This is what people will see in their calendar and in their email inbox, so make it descriptive — for example, "Q3 Budget Review" rather than just "Meeting."

Set the Start time and End time by clicking on each field. A calendar and time picker will appear. Choose the date and time you want the meeting to happen. If your meeting happens at the same time every week or month, click Repeat and select how often it should recur.

In the Location field, you can add a physical address or a video conference link. If you are using Microsoft Teams, you can click Add Teams meeting to automatically include a Teams link in the invite. In the larger text area below, you can type any additional information attendees should know — such as what to prepare, what the meeting is about, or a dial-in number.

Review and send the invite

Before you send, scroll through the form and check that all the details are correct: the attendees list, the date and time, the subject line, and any location or meeting link. If you need to make changes, click back into any field and edit it.

Once everything looks right, click the Send button. This is usually located at the bottom of the form. Outlook will send the invite to all attendees when ready. They will receive it in their email inbox, and they can click to accept, decline, or mark it as tentative.

Track responses and make changes

After you send an invite, you can see who has responded by opening the event in your calendar. Click on the meeting, and a panel will open showing the list of attendees and their responses — accepted, declined, or no response yet.

If you need to change the meeting time or details after sending it, open the event, make your changes, and click Send Update. This will send a new invite to all attendees with the updated information. If you need to cancel the meeting entirely, open the event and click Cancel Meeting, which will notify everyone that it has been removed.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if I type an email address that is not in my contacts?

Outlook will still add them to the attendees list. When you send the invite, it will go to that email address. The person will receive it in their inbox even if they are not in your address book, and they can respond with accept or decline.

Can I send a calendar invite to a group email address?

Yes. Type the group email address in the Attendees field just as you would for an individual. When you send the invite, everyone in that group will receive it. However, Outlook may not be able to track individual responses from group members.

How do I know if someone has seen my calendar invite?

Outlook shows you three response statuses: accepted, declined, and no response. It does not tell you whether someone has opened the email. You can see the current status by clicking on the meeting in your calendar and looking at the attendees list on the right side.

What is the difference between Required and Optional attendees?

Required attendees are expected to attend, and their responses are tracked. Optional attendees are invited but their presence is not necessary. You can change someone from required to optional by clicking their name in the attendees list and selecting the optional option.

Can I send a calendar invite from my phone?

Yes. Open the Outlook app on your phone, go to Calendar, and tap the plus sign or New Event button. The process is the same as on a computer — add attendees, set the time, and send. The invite will be delivered the same way.