Microsoft Outlook Calendar for Slack
Use the Microsoft Outlook Calendar app for Slack to respond to event notifications, get updates when event details change and automatically update your Slack status based on your calendar.
What to expect
- Outlook Calendar for Slack is only available for Office 365. The app is not supported for on-premise Microsoft Exchange customers.
- On-premises SharePoint installations or Office 365 plans that are hosted on a Microsoft national cloud deployment (including Office 365 US Government, Office 365 Germany and Office 365 operated by 21Vianet in China) are not supported.
Add the Outlook Calendar app to Slack
To use the Outlook Calendar app in Slack, one person from your workspace needs to install the app. Then, members can connect their calendars to Slack.
Install the Outlook Calendar app
- Visit the Outlook Calendar app page in the Slack App Directory.
- Click Add to Slack.
- Click on Allow to grant Outlook Calendar access to Slack.
- Follow the prompts, then click on Open Slack to return to your workspace.
- From the Outlook Calendar app’s Home tab, click on Connect Calendar to add your calendar.
Tip: If you’re on Slack's Enterprise Grid subscription, you can install the Outlook Calendar app at the org level and add it to any workspaces that need access to Outlook Calendar from the admin dashboard.
Connect your Outlook calendar to Slack
Once the Outlook Calendar app has been installed to your workspace, follow the steps below to connect your account:
Desktop
Mobile
- Click Apps at the top of your left sidebar. If you don't see this option, click More to find it.
- Search for and select Outlook Calendar to open the app.
- From the app’s Home tab, click on Connect an account and follow the prompts.
- Click on Open Slack to return to your workspace.
After you connect your account, you'll start receiving calendar notifications in Slack. To prevent duplicate notifications, adjust your Outlook Calendar notifications for email, desktop and mobile devices.
- Open the Slack app on your device.
- Tap the Home tab at the bottom of the screen.
- Tap Jump to and search for Outlook Calendar.
- From the Outlook Calendar app’s Home tab, tap Connect calendar and follow the prompts.
- Tap Done.
Note: To add another calendar, open Settings from the Outlook Calendar app's Home tab. Next to Accounts, choose another calendar from the drop-down menu.
Use Outlook Calendar in Slack
Create an event
Desktop
Mobile
- Click on Apps at the top of your left sidebar. If you don't see this option, click More to find it.
- Search for and select Outlook Calendar to open the app.
- From the app's Home tab, click on Create event in the top right.
- Enter a title for your event, then search for and select people to invite.
- Choose a date and duration. Open the drop-down menu below Available times to select a time when all invitees are available, or select Pick a customised time.
- Add event details in the Description field, if you like.
- To post your event invitation in a channel or direct message (DM), make sure the box next to Share this meeting with has been ticked. Then, select a conversation from the drop-down menu.
- Click on Create.
- From the Home tab, tap Jump to at the top of the screen and search for Outlook Calendar.
- From the results, tap Create event.
- Fill out your event details, then tap Create to add it to your calendar.
Anyone that you’ve invited will receive a notification in Slack from the Outlook Calendar app. Invitees can respond to your event from that message or from their calendars.
Tip: If the Zoom app has been set as a third-party calling app for your workspace, you can add a Zoom link to your event from the Calling drop-down menu.
View your schedule and respond to events
Desktop
Mobile
- From the Home tab, click on Today, Tomorrow or Select a date to see all events for a particular date.
- To view details about an upcoming event, such as the location, guest list and description, click on the three dots icon to the right and select View event details.
- Open the app’s Messages tab to respond to events or update event responses.
- From the Outlook Calendar app’s Home tab at the top of your screen, tap Today, Tomorrow or Select a date to see all events for a particular date.
- To view details about an upcoming event, such as the location, guest list and description, tap More to the right, then tap View event details.
- From the app’s Messages tab, respond to events or update event responses.
Automatically update your Slack status
Using your primary calendar, the Outlook Calendar app can automatically set your Slack status to In a meeting, Working remotely or Out of office.
Here are some details to bear in mind:
- Your status will not include the name of the meeting that you’re attending.
- You can remove or update your Slack status at any time – the Outlook Calendar app won’t override any status that you’ve set yourself.
- Only events that you accept will trigger a status update in Slack.
- Slack will only sync with the primary calendar for the Outlook account that you’ve connected.
- If there are overlapping events on your calendar, Slack will set your status to match the event that’s longer or that starts earlier.
Tip: To manage status syncing, click the app's Home tab, then select Settings to turn Status sync on or off.
Adjust notification settings
You can tailor your Outlook Calendar notification settings in Slack by following the steps below:
Desktop
Mobile
- Click Apps at the top of your left sidebar. If you don't see this option, click More to find it.
- Search for and select Outlook Calendar.
- From the Home tab, click Settings in the top right.
- Below your calendar, click Notification preferences.
- Set your notification preferences, and click Update.
- Click Finished to save.
- From the Home tab, tap Jump to at the top of the screen and search for Outlook Calendar.
- From the results, tap Outlook Calendar.
- Tap Home at the top of the screen.
- Tap Settings.
- Below your calendar, tap Notification preferences.
- Set your notification preferences and tap Update.
Tip: To manage your daily schedule, open the app's Home tab, then select Settings to turn your daily schedule on or off or change the delivery time.
Disconnect a calendar
Desktop
Mobile
- Click Apps at the top of your left sidebar. If you don't see this option, click More to find it.
- Search for and select Outlook Calendar.
- From the Home tab, click Settings in the top right.
- Click Settings.
- Below the calendar you want to disconnect, click on Disconnect calendar.
- Click Yes to confirm.
- From the Home tab, tap Jump to at the top of the screen and search for Outlook Calendar.
- From the results, tap Outlook Calendar.
- Tap Home at the top of the screen.
- Tap Settings.
- Below the calendar you want to disconnect, tap Disconnect calendar.
- Tap Yes to confirm.
Fix calendar syncing issues
If events are missing or out of date in the Outlook Calendar app, following the steps below may resolve the problem:
- Visit the Outlook Calendar page in the Slack App Directory.
- Click the Configuration tab.
- Below Your Authorisation, click Revoke.
- Once the page has reloaded, click Add to Slack to reconnect your calendar.