How to Create a Teams Meeting in Outlook (New and Classic)

Booking a Teams call straight from your Outlook calendar saves you hopping between apps to copy and paste a meeting link. Outlook adds the join details to the invite for you. The steps depend on which Outlook you have, new or classic, and there's an account requirement that catches out a lot of sole traders, so check that first.

Check your account works with Teams in Outlook

Microsoft is specific about this. Scheduling Teams meetings in Outlook is only available for M365 Business Exchange accounts, and POP or IMAP accounts, such as Gmail, Yahoo or iCloud addresses added to Outlook, aren't supported. Microsoft also says the Outlook add-in doesn't support creating meetings with a personal account. If you don't see a Teams option at all, your account type is the first thing to look at.

Create a Teams meeting in new Outlook

These steps cover the new Outlook for Windows and Outlook on the web. Microsoft says Teams is built into new Outlook, so there's no add-in to install.

1. Open Outlook and select Calendar.
2. Select New event.
3. Next to Title, turn on the Teams meeting toggle.
4. Add a title, date, time and any details, then invite your attendees.
5. Select Send.

Outlook adds the Teams join details to the invite automatically when you select Send. Your guests get a normal calendar invitation with the join information inside, so they can accept it in their own calendar and click to join when the time comes.

Create a Teams meeting in classic Outlook

1. Open the Outlook desktop app.
2. On the Home tab, select the arrow next to New Email, then Meeting.
3. On the Meeting tab, select the arrow next to Teams Meeting, then Schedule meeting.
4. The Teams join information appears below the meeting details. Add your details and invite people.
5. Optional: select Set up to change meeting options. Microsoft says some options may be set based on your meeting details, such as the number of attendees, and All options shows the full list.
6. Select Send.

Outlook versions side by side

Outlook version	Where the Teams option is	Extra note
New Outlook (Windows and web)	Teams meeting toggle next to Title in a new event	Join details added when you select Send
Classic Outlook (desktop)	Meeting tab, Teams Meeting arrow, Schedule meeting	Join info appears below the details
Outlook mobile app	Teams Meeting toggle in a new event	Tap Save to send it

The draft trap: no join link until you send

Here's the detail most people miss. In new Outlook, Microsoft says the Teams join details are added only after you select Send. If you select Save as draft instead, you get a draft on your calendar without the Teams join details. So if you're planning to copy the link into a separate email or a booking page, send the invite first, even if it's only to yourself, then grab the link.

The second catch is removing Teams. Microsoft says you can take Teams off a meeting while you're creating it, by turning off the toggle in new Outlook or selecting More commands, then Don't Host Online, in classic Outlook. You can't remove it after the invitation has gone. If you change your mind, it's simpler to cancel and send a new invite.

Book Teams meetings from your phone

1. Open the Outlook mobile app and tap Calendar.
2. Tap New Event.
3. Turn on the Teams Meeting toggle.
4. Enter the details and invite attendees.
5. Tap Save.

Make every meeting a Teams meeting

If almost all your calls are on Teams, set Outlook to add a Teams link automatically.

• New Outlook: Calendar, Calendar settings, Events and invitations. Under Events you create, select Add online meeting to all meetings, check Microsoft Teams is the provider, then Save.
• Classic Outlook: File, Options, Calendar. Select Add online meeting to all meetings, then Meeting Providers, and set Microsoft Teams as the default.

Microsoft notes that depending on your organisation's release schedule, you may not have the mobile version of this setting yet.

When the invite list looks wrong

Two quirks from Microsoft's troubleshooting notes. If you add people to one occurrence of a recurring meeting, they may not appear in the Meeting options menus; invite them to the whole series instead. And if you add invitees in Outlook, you need to select Send Update before they show up in the web view of Meeting options.

If you just need a link to drop into a message rather than a calendar invite, here's how to create a Teams meeting link. And for the Teams app side of things, my guide on how to schedule a Teams meeting covers booking straight from Teams.

What I'd do

Check you're on a Microsoft 365 business account, then use the toggle in new Outlook. Send the invite rather than saving it as a draft, so the join link is there. If Teams is your default, switch on Add online meeting to all meetings and stop thinking about it.

A closely related walkthrough: How to Create Rules in Outlook (New, Classic and Web).

Frequently asked questions

Why can't I see the Teams meeting button in Outlook?

Microsoft says it's only available for M365 Business Exchange accounts. Personal, POP and IMAP accounts aren't supported.

Do I need the Teams add-in for Outlook?

Not in new Outlook for Windows, where Teams is integrated. Classic Outlook uses the Teams Meeting option on the Meeting tab.

Why is there no join link in my Outlook draft?

Join details are added after you select Send. Save as draft creates a calendar draft without them.

Can I remove Teams from a meeting after sending?

No. Microsoft says you can remove Teams while creating the meeting, but not after you send the invitation.

Can I create a Teams meeting in the Outlook app?

Yes. In Calendar, tap New Event, turn on the Teams Meeting toggle, add details and tap Save.