The fastest way to share your Outlook calendar
To share your Outlook calendar with someone else, open Outlook on your computer or web browser, right-click the calendar name in the left sidebar, and select "Sharing and Permissions." Type the person's email address, choose what level of access they get (view only, edit, or delegate), and click "Share." They'll receive an email invitation and can then see your calendar in their own Outlook.
The exact steps differ slightly depending on whether you're using Outlook on Windows, Mac, or Outlook.com in a web browser. The core idea stays the same: you're giving another person permission to view or edit a specific calendar, and they access it through their own Outlook account.
Key Takeaways
- Shared calendars appear in the other person's Outlook sidebar once they accept the invitation, and they can see your events without you sending separate messages.
- You control what each person can do: view only means they see your schedule but cannot add or change events, while edit access lets them modify your calendar.
- The person you share with needs a Microsoft account and Outlook access; they cannot view a shared calendar through email alone.
- Shared calendars stay linked even after you share them, so changes you make show up immediately for the other person.
Sharing a calendar in Outlook on Windows
Open Outlook and look at the left sidebar where your calendars are listed. Find the calendar you want to share (usually "Calendar" if you have only one). Right-click on the calendar name and select "Sharing and Permissions" from the menu that appears.
A dialog box opens. Click "Add" or the plus icon to enter the email address of the person you want to share with. Type their full email address exactly as it appears in your organization's directory or as they use it for their Microsoft account. Once you've entered the address, you'll see options for permission levels: "Can view when I'm busy," "Can view titles and locations," "Can view all details," or "Can edit." Choose the level that matches what you want them to do. Click "OK" to send the invitation.
The person receives an email from Outlook saying you've shared a calendar with them. They click the link in that email or accept it through Outlook, and your calendar then appears in their calendar list on the left side of their Outlook window. They can now see your schedule according to the permission level you set.
Sharing a calendar in Outlook on Mac
The Mac version of Outlook works similarly but the menu path is slightly different. Right-click the calendar name in the left sidebar and select "Share Calendar" (not "Sharing and Permissions"). A sharing panel opens on the right side of your screen.
Click the plus icon or "Add person" button and type the email address of the person you want to share with. Use their full email address. After you enter it, a dropdown menu shows permission options: "Can view when I'm busy," "Can view titles and locations," "Can view all details," or "Can edit." Select the permission level and click "Share" or "Send." The other person receives an invitation email and can accept it to add your calendar to their Outlook.
Sharing a calendar through Outlook.com
If you use Outlook.com (the web version), the process is also straightforward. In the left sidebar, right-click the calendar you want to share and select "Share calendar." A sharing panel appears.
Click "Share" or "Add person," then type the email address of the person you want to share with. Choose your permission level from the dropdown: "Can view when I'm busy," "Can view titles and locations," "Can view all details," or "Can edit." Click "Share" to send the invitation. The recipient gets an email and can accept it to see your calendar in their Outlook.com account or their Outlook app.
Understanding permission levels
Can view when I'm busy shows only whether you're free or busy at any given time, without revealing what you're doing or where. Use this when you want someone to schedule time with you but don't want them seeing your event details.
Can view titles and locations lets them see the name of each event and where it's happening, but not the full description or attendee list. This is useful for colleagues who need to know your general schedule.
Can view all details shows everything: event names, times, locations, descriptions, and who else is invited. Choose this for team members who need the full picture of your commitments.
Can edit lets the person add, change, or delete events on your calendar as if they were you. Reserve this for assistants, managers, or close colleagues you trust completely. They can make changes without asking permission first.
Stopping calendar sharing or changing permissions
To remove someone's access or change what they can see, go back to the calendar's sharing settings. Right-click the calendar name and select "Sharing and Permissions" (Windows) or "Share Calendar" (Mac/web). Find the person's name in the list and either click the remove button (usually an X or minus icon) to stop sharing entirely, or change their permission level by clicking on their current permission and selecting a new one.
When you remove someone, they lose access immediately. Their copy of your calendar disappears from their Outlook sidebar. If you change their permission level, the change takes effect right away—they don't need to do anything on their end.
What happens when you share a calendar with a group or team
If you work in an organization that uses Microsoft 365 or Exchange, you may be able to share your calendar with a group email address instead of individual people. When you do, everyone in that group automatically sees your calendar without needing individual invitations. This is faster than adding people one at a time, but it also means anyone added to the group in the future will see your calendar too.
Some organizations also set up shared team calendars that multiple people can edit together. These appear as separate calendars in Outlook (often labeled with the team name) rather than as personal calendars. You add events to the shared calendar the same way you add them to your own, and everyone on the team sees them immediately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can someone see my shared calendar if they don't have Outlook?
No. The person needs a Microsoft account and access to Outlook (either the desktop app or Outlook.com) to view a shared calendar. They cannot see it through email or a web link alone. If you need to share your schedule with someone outside your organization who doesn't use Outlook, you may need to export specific events or use a different method.
What if the person I'm sharing with doesn't receive the invitation email?
Check that you typed their email address correctly. Ask them to check their spam or junk folder—invitation emails sometimes get filtered there. If they still don't see it, you can try removing them from the sharing list and adding them again. Make sure their email address is the one they actually use for their Microsoft account.
Can I share my calendar with someone outside my organization?
Yes, as long as they have a Microsoft account (including Outlook.com, Hotmail, or a work account from another organization). The process is the same: enter their email address and send the invitation. They accept it and your calendar appears in their Outlook. Some organizations restrict sharing outside the company, so check with your IT department if you're unsure.
If someone edits my shared calendar, can I undo their changes?
Outlook doesn't have a built-in undo for changes made by other people to a shared calendar. You can delete or modify the event yourself, but you won't see a history of who changed what. If you need to track changes carefully, consider using a shared team calendar instead, or limit edit access to people you trust completely.
Do I need to keep Outlook open for someone to see my shared calendar?
No. Once you've shared your calendar, the other person can see it in their Outlook whether you're online or not. The calendar data is stored on Microsoft's servers, not on your computer, so your schedule is visible to them at any time.