How to Send a Calendar Invite in Outlook (New and Classic)

An email saying let's meet Thursday at two is easy to lose. A calendar invite drops straight into the other person's diary, lets them accept with one click, and updates everyone if plans change. For client calls, discovery sessions and team catch-ups, it's the tidiest way to book time with people.

Outlook calls these meeting requests, and the buttons differ between new Outlook and classic Outlook. Below I've set out both, based on Microsoft's help pages, plus how to add someone after you've already sent it.

Sending an Outlook calendar invite in new Outlook

1. Open the Calendar and select New Event.
2. Add a title that tells people what the meeting is for.
3. Select Invite attendees and type each person's name or email address, choosing from the suggestions.
4. Set the date and start and end times, or select All day.
5. Add a location, and turn the Teams meeting toggle on if you want an online meeting link included.
6. Add any notes or an agenda in the body.
7. Select Send.

Until you select Send, it's only an event in your own calendar. The Send button is what turns it into an invite.

Sending a meeting request in classic Outlook

Classic Outlook gives you a few ways in, according to Microsoft:

• From the Inbox, select New Items, then Meeting.
• From the Calendar, select New Meeting.
• From an email you've received, select Reply with Meeting, which copies the people on that thread into the invite.
• From anywhere, press Ctrl + Shift + Q.

1. Add attendees on the To line.
2. Enter a subject, the start and end times and a location.
3. To attach an agenda or document, select Insert, then Attach File.
4. Select Send.

Finding a time that suits everyone with the Scheduling Assistant

If you and the people you're inviting use work or school accounts, the Scheduling Assistant shows when everyone is free or busy. In new Outlook it's a tab on the event. In the assistant you can add people as required or optional, then pick one of the suggested slots. Classic Outlook also lets you mark someone as a Resource, such as a meeting room.

Marking people optional is a kind touch. It tells them you'd welcome them but won't mind if they skip it, which is perfect for the colleague who only needs to hear the outcome.

Setting up a recurring Outlook meeting invite

For a weekly client check-in or monthly team review, set the repeat before sending. In new Outlook, select Recurring, choose how often it repeats, select Save, then Send. In classic Outlook, select Meeting, then Recurrence, or press Ctrl+G, choose your pattern, select OK and then Send.

Adding someone to an Outlook invite you've already sent

If you're the organiser, double-click the meeting in your calendar, add the new person, then select Send Update. Outlook asks whether to send the update only to the people you've added or removed, or to all attendees. Choosing only the added people saves everyone else an extra notification.

If someone else organised the meeting, Microsoft says you can open it, select Respond, then Forward, add the new person and select Send.

Adding a Teams link to your Outlook calendar invite

The Teams meeting toggle in new Outlook adds an online meeting link to the invite automatically, so nobody has to hunt for joining details. One limit to know: Microsoft says the Teams add-in for Outlook doesn't support personal accounts, or POP and IMAP accounts such as gmail.com, yahoo.com or icloud.com addresses. If the toggle is missing, that's the likely reason.

What the people you invite will see

Each attendee gets an email with the meeting details and buttons to respond. Their answer comes back to you, so you can see who's coming at a glance in the meeting itself. The invite also lands in the calendar of anyone using Outlook, and most other email apps recognise it as a calendar event too.

Task	New Outlook	Classic Outlook
Start an invite	Calendar, New Event	New Meeting or Ctrl + Shift + Q
Make it repeat	Recurring, then Save	Meeting, Recurrence or Ctrl+G
Add people later	Open, add, Send Update	Open, add, Send Update

Outlook invites for client calls and small business bookings

A few habits make invites look more professional. Put the client's business name in the title so it's clear in their calendar. Paste a short agenda in the body. Include the phone number or Teams link in the location field so it's visible without opening the invite. And if your diary is shared with an assistant or business partner, my guide to sharing your Outlook calendar explains how they can see what you've booked.

If you're going to be away, set your away message before the next round of invites goes out. My steps for an Outlook out of office reply cover that.

If your Outlook invite won't send

• Check you selected Send and not just Save, which only adds it to your own calendar.
• Make sure there's at least one attendee in Invite attendees or on the To line.
• Look for the Teams meeting toggle only if you're on a work or school account.
• If the Scheduling Assistant shows no free or busy details, the other person may not be on a work or school account.

Frequently asked questions

How do I send a calendar invite in new Outlook?

Open the Calendar, select New Event, add a title, select Invite attendees, add names, set the time and select Send.

What's the keyboard shortcut for a new meeting in Outlook?

In classic Outlook, Microsoft lists Ctrl + Shift + Q to create a meeting request.

Can I turn an email into a meeting invite?

In classic Outlook, select Reply with Meeting on an email, and the people on that email are added to the invite.

How do I add someone to a meeting I already sent?

Double-click the meeting, add the person, then select Send Update and choose whether to notify only the added people or everyone.

Why is there no Teams meeting option in my Outlook?

Microsoft says the Teams add-in doesn't support personal accounts or POP and IMAP accounts, such as gmail.com or yahoo.com addresses.