Creating a shared calendar in Outlook takes three steps: make a new calendar, give it a name, and send sharing invitations to the people who need access
The process differs slightly depending on whether you use Outlook on the web, Outlook desktop, or Outlook on your phone. Desktop and web versions let you create and manage sharing from your computer. Mobile apps can view shared calendars but cannot create them. This guide covers the desktop and web methods, which are the most common ways people set up shared calendars for teams, families, or projects.
A shared calendar in Outlook is separate from your main personal calendar. You create it as a new calendar, then invite specific people to view it or edit it. Those people see it in their own Outlook sidebar and can add events to it if you give them permission. Unlike forwarding calendar invitations one at a time, a shared calendar stays in sync — everyone sees the same events, and changes appear for all users immediately.
Key Takeaways
- Desktop Outlook and Outlook on the web both let you create a new calendar and share it by right-clicking the calendar name and selecting share options.
- You must send sharing invitations to each person individually, and they must accept the invitation before the calendar appears in their Outlook.
- Shared calendars stay in sync across all users, so changes one person makes appear for everyone within seconds.
- You can set different permission levels for different people — some can view only, while others can edit events and add new ones.
- Mobile Outlook can view shared calendars but cannot create them; use desktop or web Outlook to set up sharing.
How to create a shared calendar in Outlook desktop
Open Outlook on your computer and look at the left sidebar where your calendars are listed. Right-click on "Calendar" (your main calendar) and select "New Calendar" from the menu. A dialog box appears asking you to name the new calendar — type a name that describes its purpose, like "Team Projects" or "Family Events". Click "OK" to create it.
The new calendar now appears in your sidebar below your main calendar. Right-click on the new calendar's name and select "Sharing and Permissions" (or "Share" depending on your Outlook version). A window opens showing options to add people and set their permission level. Click "Add" or the plus icon, then type the email address of the person you want to share with. Choose whether they can view only or edit the calendar, then click "OK". Repeat this step for each person who needs access.
Outlook sends a sharing invitation to each person's email address. They will see an invitation in their inbox or notification area. They must click "Accept" on the invitation to add the shared calendar to their own Outlook sidebar. Until they accept, they cannot see the calendar.
How to create a shared calendar in Outlook on the web
Log into Outlook on the web at outlook.office.com. Click "Calendar" in the left sidebar to open your calendar view. On the left side, you will see a list of your calendars. Click the three dots next to "Calendar" (or the calendar name) and select "Create new calendar". Type a name for the new calendar and click "Create".
The new calendar appears in your calendar list. Click the three dots next to it and select "Share". A panel opens on the right side. Click "Share" or "Add people" and type the email address of the person you want to share with. Select their permission level from the dropdown menu — "Can view" means they see events but cannot edit, and "Can edit" means they can add and change events. Click "Share" to send the invitation.
The person receives an email invitation. They click the link in the email or accept it in their Outlook notification area. The shared calendar then appears in their calendar list, and they can view or edit it depending on the permissions you set.
Setting permission levels for shared calendars
Outlook offers two main permission levels for shared calendars. Can view means the person can see all events on the calendar but cannot create, edit, or delete events. Can edit means the person can view events, add new events, change existing events, and delete events. Choose "Can view" for people who only need to see your schedule, like clients or managers. Choose "Can edit" for team members who need to add their own events to a shared project calendar.
You can set different permission levels for different people on the same calendar. For example, you might give your manager "Can view" access while giving your team members "Can edit" access. To change someone's permission level after sharing, go back to the sharing settings, find their name, and select a new permission level from the dropdown.
Removing someone from a shared calendar
If you need to stop sharing a calendar with someone, open the sharing settings for that calendar. In desktop Outlook, right-click the calendar and select "Sharing and Permissions". In Outlook on the web, click the three dots next to the calendar and select "Share". Find the person's name in the list and click the "X" or "Remove" button next to their name. They will no longer see the calendar in their Outlook sidebar, though they will keep any events they already added to it.
The person does not receive a notification that you removed them. Their copy of the shared calendar will stop updating with new changes, but they may still see the calendar in their sidebar as read-only until they manually delete it from their view.
Troubleshooting shared calendar problems
If someone says they did not receive a sharing invitation, check that you typed their email address correctly. Invitations go to the email address associated with their Outlook account, not their personal email if they are different. Ask them to check their spam or junk folder — sometimes sharing invitations get filtered there. You can also resend the invitation by going back to the sharing settings and clicking "Resend" or removing and re-adding their email address.
If a shared calendar is not showing up in someone's Outlook after they accepted the invitation, ask them to refresh their browser (if using Outlook on the web) or restart Outlook (if using desktop). Sometimes the calendar takes a few minutes to appear. If it still does not show, have them check that they accepted the invitation — they may have dismissed the notification without accepting it. You can resend the invitation and ask them to look for it again.
If changes one person makes are not appearing for others, make sure everyone has the correct permission level. If someone has "Can view" access, their changes will not save. Also check that everyone is using the same shared calendar — it is easy to accidentally add events to a personal calendar instead of the shared one. Look at the calendar name in the sidebar to confirm you are in the right calendar before adding events.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I share my main personal calendar instead of creating a new one?
Yes, you can share your main calendar directly without creating a new one. Right-click "Calendar" in your sidebar and select "Sharing and Permissions" (desktop) or click the three dots next to "Calendar" and select "Share" (web). However, most people create a separate shared calendar to keep work events, team projects, or family events separate from their personal schedule.
What happens if I delete a shared calendar?
When you delete a shared calendar, it disappears from your sidebar and from everyone else's sidebar. Events on that calendar are not recoverable. Before deleting, consider archiving it instead by exporting the events to a file. People who had access will see the calendar disappear from their list without warning.
Can I share a calendar with someone who does not have an Outlook account?
No, shared calendars in Outlook require both people to have Outlook accounts. If you need to share with someone outside your organization or without Outlook, you can export the calendar as an .ics file and email it to them, or use a different calendar service like Google Calendar that supports more flexible sharing options.
Do shared calendars work on my phone?
Yes, shared calendars appear in Outlook mobile apps on iPhone and Android. You can view events and, if you have edit permission, add and change events. However, you cannot create a new shared calendar or manage sharing settings from the mobile app — use desktop Outlook or Outlook on the web for those tasks.
Can I see who is viewing my shared calendar?
Outlook does not show you a list of who is currently viewing the calendar or when they last looked at it. You can see who has access by opening the sharing settings and looking at the list of people you invited, but you cannot track their activity on the calendar.