Create a calendar by adding a Calendar app to your SharePoint site

To create a calendar in SharePoint, go to your site's home page, select + New, then choose App. Search for and select Calendar from the app gallery. Give your calendar a name, then select Create. SharePoint will add a new calendar to your site within a few seconds, and you can start adding events immediately.

The calendar appears as a new section on your site navigation and opens in month view by default. You can switch between month, week, and day views using the buttons at the top right of the calendar. All events you add are stored in SharePoint and visible to anyone with access to your site, depending on your site's permission settings.

Key Takeaways

  • Create a calendar by selecting + New on your SharePoint site home page, choosing App, and picking Calendar from the gallery.
  • Add events by clicking a date or the + New Event button, then filling in the title, date, time, and description.
  • Change the calendar view from month to week or day using the view buttons at the top of the calendar.
  • Share your calendar with others by adjusting site permissions or by exporting events to Outlook if your organization uses both tools.

Add events to your calendar

Click any date on the calendar to create a new event. A form will open where you enter the event title, start and end times, location, and a description. You can also set the event to repeat daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly by selecting Recurrence and choosing your pattern. Once you fill in the details, select Save.

Alternatively, select the + New Event button at the top of the calendar to open the same form. If you need to edit an event after creating it, click the event on the calendar and select Edit. To delete an event, open it and select Delete.

Switch between calendar views

SharePoint calendars display in three different views. The Month view shows all days in a grid and is the default when you first open the calendar. The Week view displays seven days in a row with hourly time slots, making it easier to see when events overlap. The Day view shows a single day with hourly blocks and is useful for detailed scheduling.

Select the view you want using the buttons labeled Month, Week, and Day at the top right of the calendar. Your choice is saved, so the next time you open the calendar it will show the view you last selected. You can also navigate forward and backward through dates using the arrow buttons next to the current date.

Customize calendar settings and appearance

Open the calendar settings by selecting the gear icon at the top right of the page, then choose Calendar settings. Here you can change the calendar name, add a description, and set the first day of the week to Monday or Sunday. You can also turn on or off the option to show week numbers in the calendar grid.

To change which columns appear in the calendar list view, select Edit columns from the settings menu. This lets you add or remove fields like location, description, or organizer from the display. These changes affect how the calendar looks for everyone who views it on your site.

Share your calendar with others

By default, your calendar is visible to everyone with access to the SharePoint site. If you want to restrict who can see or edit the calendar, adjust your site's permission settings. Select Share at the top right of the site, then choose which people or groups can view or edit content. You can also create a link that anyone with the link can use to view the calendar without logging in.

If your organization uses both SharePoint and Outlook, you can export calendar events to Outlook. Open the calendar, select the three dots menu, and choose Export to Outlook. This creates a subscription that syncs events between SharePoint and your Outlook calendar, though changes made in Outlook will not automatically update in SharePoint.

Connect your calendar to Outlook

To view your SharePoint calendar in Outlook, open the calendar in SharePoint and select the three dots menu at the top right. Choose Subscribe to this calendar and copy the link provided. In Outlook, go to File > Account Settings > Account Settings, select the Internet Calendars tab, and choose New. Paste the SharePoint calendar link and select Add.

The calendar will now appear in Outlook's calendar list on the left side. Events from SharePoint will show in Outlook, but you cannot edit them directly in Outlook — you must make changes in SharePoint. If you delete the subscription in Outlook, the calendar will no longer sync.

Troubleshoot common calendar problems

If you cannot see the Calendar option when selecting + New > App, the calendar app may not be available in your organization's app catalog. Contact your SharePoint administrator to request that the Calendar app be added. If events are not showing up on the calendar, check that you have the correct permissions to view the site and that the events were saved successfully.

If your calendar is not syncing with Outlook, verify that the subscription link is still valid and that your Outlook account has internet access. Some organizations restrict calendar subscriptions for security reasons, so check with your IT department if the subscription fails. If you accidentally delete a calendar, you may be able to restore it from your site's recycle bin within 93 days.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can multiple people edit the same SharePoint calendar?

Yes, if they have edit permissions on the site. Any person with edit access can add, change, or delete events. You can restrict editing by adjusting site permissions to make the calendar read-only for certain groups while allowing others to edit.

How do I color-code events on a SharePoint calendar?

SharePoint does not have a built-in color-coding feature for individual events. However, you can create separate calendars for different categories and view them together on the same site, which provides visual separation. Some organizations use event titles or descriptions to organize events by type instead.

Can I set reminders for calendar events in SharePoint?

SharePoint calendars do not send reminders directly. If you subscribe to the calendar in Outlook, you can set reminders there for events that appear in your Outlook calendar. Reminders set in Outlook will not affect the SharePoint calendar itself.

What happens if I delete a calendar from my SharePoint site?

The calendar and all its events are moved to your site's recycle bin. You can restore it within 93 days by going to the site recycle bin, selecting the calendar, and choosing Restore. After 93 days, the calendar is permanently deleted.

Can I import events from another calendar into SharePoint?

You can manually add events by creating them one at a time in SharePoint. For bulk imports from Outlook or other calendar tools, you may need to export events as an .ics file and contact your SharePoint administrator, as the import process varies by organization and may require custom setup.