How to Share Your Outlook Calendar

Whether you’re coordinating meetings, giving an assistant access, or sharing a link externally, here’s how to do it across all major Outlook platforms.

1. Share from Outlook on Web (Outlook.com / Microsoft 365)

1.1 For users with Microsoft 365 / Exchange Online

  1. Sign into your account at Outlook on the web (e.g., outlook.office.com).
  2. Click the Calendar icon.
  3. Under My Calendars, right-click (or click the three-dot menu) the calendar you want to share, then select Sharing and permissions. (Information Technology Services)
  4. Enter the email address of the person you want to share with.
  5. Choose a permission level: Can view when I’m busy, Can view titles & locations, Can view all details, Can edit. (Microsoft Support)
  6. Click Send. The recipient will receive an invitation.
  7. For external sharing: Your tenant admin must have enabled external calendar sharing. (Microsoft Learn)

1.2 Publish or share via link / ICS

If you want to generate a link or ICS feed so someone (even outside Outlook) can subscribe:

  • In Outlook on the web go to Settings → View all Outlook settings → Calendar → Shared calendars → under Publish a calendar, select the calendar and the level of detail you want. Then copy the HTML/ICS link. (Microsoft Support)
  • Share the ICS URL with the desired person or service. Be aware: syncing may only happen every few hours for external users. (Microsoft Support)

Call-out: If you manage Google, Outlook and Apple calendars and don’t want to repeat sharing steps across each, a unified calendar view tool like Carly AI can simplify your workflow.

2. Share from Outlook Desktop App (Windows & Mac)

2.1 Windows (Outlook for Microsoft 365 / 2019 / 2021)

  1. Open Outlook and click the Calendar icon.
  2. Under My Calendars, select the calendar you want to share.
  3. On the ribbon, click Share Calendar. Alternatively, right-click the calendar name -> Properties -> Permissions. (geeksforgeeks.org)
  4. Click Add… to add a person. Choose their name or type their email address.
  5. Select a permission level (e.g., Can view all details, Can edit, Delegate). (technology.education.uconn.edu)
  6. Click OK or Send. The invite goes out, and if accepted the person sees your calendar in their view.

2.2 Mac

  1. Open Outlook for Mac, switch to Calendar view.
  2. Select the calendar to share, then on the Organize tab (or via right-click) choose Sharing Permissions. (Information Technology Services)
  3. Add users and set permission levels similarly.

2.3 Delegate access (assistants / tools)

If you want someone to manage your calendar (schedule, respond to invites) rather than just view it:

  • In Outlook desktop go to File → Account Settings → Delegate Access.
  • Add the delegate, choose Editor or Delegate permissions. (Microsoft Support) Note: This works only for users inside your organization and not for external addresses. (Microsoft Learn)

3. Share from Outlook Mobile (iOS & Android)

3.1 Sharing a calendar via the mobile app

  1. Open the Outlook mobile app and tap the Calendar icon.
  2. Tap the menu or the calendar name you want to share. (On some versions, tap Add Calendar → Create Blank Calendar first if you’re creating a new one). (CiraSync)
  3. Tap the People icon or Share option and enter the recipient’s email address.
  4. Set the sharing permissions (view only or edit if supported).
  5. Tap Done or Save.

If you’ve shared a calendar via a published ICS link (from web), you can add it to Outlook mobile or another calendar app:

  • Copy the ICS URL.
  • In Outlook mobile, possibly use Add Calendar → Subscribe from Web, paste the URL.
  • Alternatively, use the native device Calendar app to subscribe via the link. Note: Mobile experience may vary and certain features may be limited compared to desktop/web.

4. Sharing Within Organization vs. Externally

4.1 Within the organization (same tenant)

  • Users can share with colleagues freely, choose permission levels up to Can edit or Delegate. (Microsoft Support)
  • If you give Delegate access, the delegate can respond to meeting requests on your behalf.

4.2 Sharing external to the organization

  • Your IT/Admin must first enable external calendar sharing in the Microsoft 365 admin center under Settings → Org settings → Calendar. (Microsoft Learn)
  • For external users (outside your tenant), permission levels are limited: you can share view busy/free, view titles & locations, view all details. Edit or delegate rights to external users are not supported. (Microsoft Support)
  • If you publish via ICS link, external users subscribe and updates may happen with a delay (approx. every 3 hours). (Microsoft Support)

4.3 Public link / ICS feed

  • Useful for broader audiences (e.g., partners, clients) who don’t need edit rights.
  • On Outlook on the web: Settings → Calendar → Shared calendars → Publish a calendar. Choose detail level, get HTML/ICS links, share them. (Microsoft Support)
  • Anyone with the URL can view or subscribe based on settings—be mindful of privacy.

5. Permission Levels Explained

Here’s a quick breakdown of what each permission means:

Permission LevelDescription
Can view when I’m busyRecipient sees only free/busy blocks; no titles or details. (technology.education.uconn.edu)
Can view titles & locationsShows the event subject and location, not full details.
Can view all detailsFull visibility to event titles, locations, descriptions.
Can editRecipient can modify, add, or delete events (internal only).
Delegate (manage)Recipient can schedule, respond on your behalf (internal only). (Microsoft Support)

Tip: If you mark an item as “Private,” even people with view all details typically only see the time, not subject/location. (Microsoft Support)

6. How to Delegate Access (Assistants or Tools)

If you want someone (or a tool) to manage your calendar (schedule meetings, accept invites), follow these steps (Windows desktop recommended):

  1. In Outlook, go to File → Account Settings → Delegate Access.
  2. Add the person, choose their permissions (e.g., Editor – can edit my calendar, Delegate – can respond to meeting requests). (Microsoft Support)
  3. The delegate receives access and your calendar appears in their view.
  4. Note: Delegation is only for internal users (same tenant). External delegation rights aren’t supported. (Microsoft Learn)
  5. For tools like meeting-bots (for example, running on behalf of you), call this out explicitly in your internal policy and ensure the delegate is set up with appropriate rights.

7. Best Practices & Troubleshooting

Best Practices

  • Start with minimal permissions and increase if needed — principle of least privilege.
  • Use distinct calendars (e.g., “Team Calendar”, “Projects”) instead of sharing your primary calendar when you don’t need full details exposed.
  • Publish via ICS only when necessary, and limit public links (or require authentication) to protect sensitive info.
  • Confirm recipient accepted the sharing invitation and added the calendar to their list.
  • Use a unified calendar view tool if you juggle multiple platforms — for example, if you include Google, Apple and Outlook calendars, Carly AI can help you aggregate them without repeated sharing steps.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

  • Recipient can’t see the calendar: For external sharing, check that admin settings allow external users. (Microsoft Learn)
  • Recipient can see busy times only, not details: Permission level might be set too restrictive. Adjust to Can view titles & locations or All details.
  • Changes not syncing for external users: ICS feeds may update only every few hours. (Microsoft Support)
  • Delegate access not showing up for external user: External delegation isn’t supported—only internal users can be delegates. (Microsoft Support)
  • Organization policy blocking sharing: Your tenant admin may have disabled external calendar sharing — check with IT.
  • Shared mailbox calendar not visible: If using a shared mailbox, members must be added with full access and then open that calendar. (Microsoft Learn)

Conclusion

Sharing your Outlook calendar correctly helps streamline scheduling, collaboration, and coordination—whether you’re working with colleagues, assistants, or external contacts. From the web to desktop to mobile, and from internal permissions to public links, you now have a clear path. And if you’re managing calendars across platforms (Google, Apple, Outlook) and want an easier way to see them all in one place, consider a tool like Carly AI. With the right settings and good practices, your calendar sharing setup can be efficient, secure, and hassle-free.

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