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 isn't 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) aren't supported.


Add the Outlook Calendar app to Slack

To use the Outlook Calendar app in Slack, one person needs to install the app. Once the app is installed, members can connect their calendars to Slack.

Install the Outlook Calendar app

  1. Visit the Outlook Calendar page in the Slack Marketplace. 
  2. Click on Add to Slack
  3. Click Allow to grant Outlook Calendar access to Slack. 
  4. When prompted, click Open Slack to return to your workspace.  

 

Connect your account and calendars

Connect your Outlook account

Once the Outlook Calendar app is installed, follow the steps below to connect your account: 

Desktop

Mobile

  1. Hover over   More, then click  Automations.
    An image of a cursor over the More icon in the Slack desktop app.
  2. Select   Apps in the sidebar.
  3. Search for and select Outlook Calendar to open the app.  
  4. From the app's Home tab, click Connect an account and follow the prompts. 
  5. Click 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.
  1. From the  Home tab, tap Jump to at the top of the screen and search for Outlook Calendar. 
  2. Tap Outlook Calendar to open the app. 
  3. From the app's Home tab, tap Connect an account and follow the prompts. 
  4. Tap Done


Connect your calendars

You can add as many calendars as you like from the account that you connected.

Desktop

Mobile

  1. Hover over   More, then click  Automations.
    An image of a cursor over the More icon in the Slack desktop app.
  2. Select   Apps in the sidebar.
  3. Search for and select Outlook Calendar to open the app.  
  4. From the app's Home tab, click Connect calendar. If you have previously connected a calendar, click Settings.
  5. Under Accounts, choose a calendar from the drop-down menu. To add additional calendars, reopen the menu and select another calendar.
  6. Click Done.
  1. From the  Home tab, tap Jump to at the top of the screen and search for Outlook Calendar. 
  2. Tap Outlook Calendar to open the app. 
  3. From the app's Home tab, tap Settings and follow the prompts. 
  4. Under Accounts, choose a calendar from the drop-down menu. To add additional calendars, reopen the menu and select another calendar.
  5. Tap Done.

Note: You can only turn on status syncing for your primary calendar.


Use Outlook Calendar in Slack

Configure personal notification settings

Outlook Calendar will send you notifications for all-day events, invitations, updates and cancellations. You can adjust what you’re notified for, and the timing of your event reminders.

Desktop

Mobile

  1. Hover over   More, then click  Automations.
    An image of a cursor over the More icon in the Slack desktop app.
  2. Select   Apps in the sidebar.
  3. Search for and select Outlook Calendar to open the app.  
  4. From the app's Home tab, click Settings.
  5. Below your calendar, click Notification preferences.
  6. Set your notification preferences, and click Update.
  7. Click Done.
  1. From the  Home tab, tap Jump to at the top of the screen and search for Outlook Calendar. 
  2. Tap Outlook Calendar to open the app. 
  3. From the app's Home tab, tap Settings.
  4. Below your calendar, tap Notification preferences.
  5. Set your notification preferences and tap Update.


Configure channel notification settings

If you use a shared calendar or would like an entire channel to be notified about calendar events, you can configure channel notifications.

Desktop

Mobile

Step 1: Add the Outlook Calendar app to a channel

  1. Hover over   More, then click  Automations.
    An image of a cursor over the More icon in the Slack desktop app.
  2. Select   Apps in the sidebar.
  3. Search for and select Outlook Calendar to open the app.  
  4. Click Outlook Calendar  at the top of the app homepage to open the app settings
  5. Select   Add this app to a channel.
  6. From the drop-down menu, search for and select the channel that you'd like to configure notifications for.
  7. Click on Add.


Step 2: Configure channel notifications

  1. Hover over   More, then click  Automations.
    An image of a cursor over the More icon in the Slack desktop app.
  2. Select   Apps in the sidebar.
  3. Search for and select Outlook Calendar to open the app.  
  4. From the app's Home tab, click Settings.
  5. Below your calendar, click Channel notifications.
  6. Search for and select the channel that you’d like to send notifications to, then set your notification preferences and click Update.
  7. Click Done.

Step 1: Add the Outlook Calendar app to a channel

  1. Open the channel that you'd like to configure Outlook Calendar notifications for.
  2. Type /invite @Outlook calendar, then tap the   paper plane icon to send the message and allow the app to send notifications to the channel.


Step 2: Configure channel notifications

  1. From the  Home tab, tap Jump to at the top of the screen and search for Outlook Calendar.
  2. Tap Outlook Calendar to open the app. 
  3. From the app's Home tab, tap Settings.
  4. Below your calendar, tap Channel notifications.
  5. Set your notification preferences and tap Update.


Create an event

Desktop

Mobile

  1. Hover over   More, then click  Automations.
    An image of a cursor over the More icon in the Slack desktop app.
  2. Select   Apps in the sidebar.
  3. Search for and select Outlook Calendar to open the app.  
  4. From the app's Home tab, click Create event.
  5. Enter a title for your event, then search for and select people to invite.
  6. Select which calendar the invitation should be sent from. Open the drop-down menu below Select a calendar.
  7. 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 custom time.
  8. Add event details in the Description field, if you like.  
  9. 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.
  10. Click on Create.  
  1. From the  Home tab, tap Jump to at the top of the screen and search for Outlook Calendar.
  2. Tap Create event
  3. Fill out your event details, then tap Create to add the meeting 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 app's Home tab, click TodayTomorrow or  Select a date to see all events for a particular date. 
  • To view more information about an upcoming event, such as the location, guest list and description, click on the  three dots icon to the right of the event and select View event details.
  • Open the app's Messages tab to respond to events or update responses.  
  • From the Outlook Calendar app's Home tab at the top of the screen, tap TodayTomorrow 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 View event details
  • Open the app's Messages tab to respond to events or update event responses. 

Tip: On paid subscriptions, you can receive a daily schedule notification from Google Calendar. Open the app's Home tab, then click Settings to enable or disable your daily schedule, or to change the delivery time.


Automatically update your Slack status

Using your calendar, the Outlook Calendar app will automatically set your Slack status to In a meeting, Working remotely or Out of office to help your colleagues know when to expect a reply from you.

A Slack status that reads, In a meeting – Outlook Calendar app

  • Your status will not include the name of the meeting that you're attending. 
  • You can remove or update your status at any time – the Outlook Calendar app won't override any status that you've set yourself. 
  • Slack will only sync with the primary calendar for the Outlook account that you’ve connected.
  • Only the events that you accept or that mark your availability as Busy will trigger a status update in Slack.
  • If there are overlapping events on your calendar, Slack will set your status to match the event that’s longer or that starts earlier.

Note: To manage status syncing, open the app's Home tab, then select Settings to turn Status Sync on or off.


Disconnect a calendar  

Desktop

Mobile

  1. Hover over   More, then click  Automations.
    An image of a cursor over the More icon in the Slack desktop app.
  2. Select   Apps in the sidebar.
  3. Search for and select Outlook Calendar to open the app.
  4. From the app's Home tab, click Settings.
  5. Below the calendar that you want to disconnect, click Disconnect calendar.
  6. Click Yes to confirm.
  1. From the  Home tab, tap Jump to at the top of the screen and search for Outlook Calendar.
  2. Tap Outlook Calendar
  3. From the app's Home tab, tap Settings.
  4. Below your calendar, tap Disconnect calendar
  5. Tap Yes to confirm. 

Note: If your organisation uses domain-wide authentication, you can disconnect your calendars, but you won't be able to disconnect your Office365 account from Slack.


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:

  1. Visit the Outlook Calendar page in the Slack Marketplace.
  2. Click the Configuration tab.
  3. Below Your Authorisation, click Revoke.
  4. Once the page has reloaded, click Add to Slack to reconnect your calendar.