Outlook & Email
Booking Meeting Rooms in Outlook
This guide shows you how to book a meeting room through Outlook when scheduling a meeting, so the room is reserved and confirmed automatically.
Time needed
5 minutes
Platform
Microsoft 365
Guide steps
3 clear sections
Before you begin
Meeting rooms must be set up by your IT team as room resources in Microsoft 365. If you cannot find any rooms, contact the helpdesk to check they are configured and that you have permission to book them.
Follow along
Step-by-step guide
Add a room when creating a meeting in Outlook on the web
- Instruction 1: Go to portal.office.com and open Outlook. Click the Calendar icon.
- Instruction 2: Click New event.
- Instruction 3: Enter the meeting title, date, and time.
- Instruction 4: Click Add location.
- Instruction 5: In the search box, type the name of the room (e.g. 'Board Room' or 'Meeting Room 1'). Room resources will appear in the suggestions.
- Instruction 6: Click on the room name to add it. The room will receive a meeting invitation automatically — if the room is available, it will accept automatically.
- Instruction 7: Click Send to finalise the invitation to all attendees and the room.
Action map
Add a room when creating a meeting in Outlook on the web
- 01
Go to portal.office.com and open Outlook. Click the Calendar icon.
- 02
Click New event.
- 03
Enter the meeting title, date, and time.
Visual guide
Use this visual action map alongside the written instructions above.
Open Outlook help & learning for Booking Meeting Rooms in OutlookCheck room availability before booking
- Instruction 1: In Outlook on the web, when creating a new event, click Add location and search for a room.
- Instruction 2: Once a room is added, click View schedule below the attendee list to see a schedule view showing when the room is free or busy.
- Instruction 3: Adjust the meeting time if needed to find a slot when the room is available.
- Instruction 4: In Outlook desktop, use the Scheduling Assistant tab in the new meeting window to see room availability alongside attendee availability.
Book a room in Outlook desktop
- Instruction 1: Open Outlook desktop and click New Meeting in the Home tab.
- Instruction 2: Click Rooms (or Location) on the right side of the meeting form.
- Instruction 3: The Room Finder panel or the Address Book will open. Search for the room name.
- Instruction 4: Double-click the room to add it to the Required field, then click OK.
- Instruction 5: The room appears in the To field as a required attendee. Set your date and time, add any people attendees, and click Send.
Quick fixes
Troubleshooting
The room declined my booking automatically
The room is likely already booked for that time slot. Try a different time or a different room. If the room appears free in the schedule but still declined, contact the helpdesk — there may be a booking restriction or approval requirement for that room.
I cannot find any rooms when I search
Room resources may not be set up in your organisation's Microsoft 365 tenant, or you may not have permission to book them. Contact the helpdesk to confirm rooms are available and that your account can book them.
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