How to Share Your Outlook Calendar and Open Someone Else's

You want a coworker to see your Outlook calendar (or you need to open one they shared with you), but the menus aren’t obvious.

Why: Sharing is a two-part handshake. You send the invitation and choose how much detail the other person can see; they accept it before the calendar appears in their list. Getting the permission level right keeps private appointments private.

Step 1: Share your calendar

In Outlook, go to Calendar and select Share Calendar. If you keep more than one calendar, pick the one you want to share first.

1. Select Add, choose who to share with, and select Add again.
2. Select OK. The people you added appear with a default permission level.
3. Choose a name, set the access level you want, and select OK.

The person receives a sharing invitation by email.

Step 2: Pick the right permission level

When you choose someone’s name, you can set how much they see:

• Can view when I’m busy shows only your free/busy blocks, no subjects.
• Can view titles and locations shows when you’re busy plus the subject and location.
• Can view all details shows everything on each item.

If you need someone to actually create or change events for you (a delegate), give them edit or delegate permissions instead of view-only.

Step 3: Open a calendar shared with you

When the sharing invitation lands in your inbox, open it and select Accept. Outlook adds the calendar to your list.

To open it again later, go to Calendar and select Shared Calendars, then pick the calendar. To lay it on top of your own instead of side by side, right-click the calendar’s name and select Overlay.

FAQ

The Accept button is missing on the sharing invitation. This usually happens when an organization mail rule rewrites calendar messages. Ask the sender to reshare, or have your admin check the transport rule.

Can I share with someone outside my company? Yes, but external sharing may be limited to free/busy only, depending on your organization’s settings.

Do I have to re-share when I add a new appointment? No. Once shared, the calendar updates automatically at the permission level you chose.

Sources: Share your calendar in Outlook, Share and access a calendar with edit or delegate permissions in Outlook