Sharing Your Calendar

The information on this page applies to personal accounts and Exchange Group Accounts (EGAs), but NOT to Resource Accounts (used to schedule rooms and equipment).

With Exchange calendar, you can't open anyone else's calendar unless they say you can. The only information that is available to everyone is what's called your "free/busy" times. Your free/busy times are shown when someone attempts to schedule you for a meeting.

If you would like everyone, or just some people, to see more details about your Exchange calendar, you have a few options.

1. You can adjust your settings for all Exchange users.
2. You can share a read-only view of your calendar through an email invitation.
3. You can share read-only or higher-level view through setting permissions.
4. You can delegate your calendar, so other people can manage it just like you can.

Sharing your calendar with all Exchange users

This option changes what University staff can see about your calendar.

1. In Outlook's Navigation Pane, click Calendar.

2. Below the heading My Calendars, you'll see the entry Calendar. That's the entry we'll be working with in the following steps.

3. Right-click Calendar. From the menu that appears, click Change Sharing Permissions. A Calendar Properties dialog box will open with the Permissions tab displayed

4. Click Default. (Do not, for any reason, delete this entry. Deleting it will cause errors).

5. From the Permission Level drop-down list, select the desired level of access. (What do these choices mean?)

We recommend that you choose one of these:

Free/Busy time - this is the default value. When proposing a meeting and using the Scheduling Assistant, everyone can see blocks of time when you are busy, but cannot see other details, such as subject, location, participants, notes, or attachments. (See Proposing a Meeting for details on checking availability while proposing a meeting.)

Free/Busy time, subject, location - when proposing a meeting and using the Scheduling Assistant, everyone can see time, subject, and location of the items on your calendar, but cannot see other details, such as participants, notes, or attachments. (See Proposing a Meeting for details for details on checking availability while proposing a meeting.)

Reviewer - everyone can open your calendar and see the details of the items on your calendar, but can't add, delete, or change anything. (See Viewing a Shared Calendar for details on how they can open your calendar.)

6. Click OK.

Sharing your calendar with specific people

By email invitation (read-only view)

This method lets you share your calendar by sending an email notification to the person. This is a quick way to give someone read-only access to your calendar. For more options, see "By setting permissions in Outlook" below.

1. In Outlook's Navigation Pane, click Calendar.

2. In the My Calendars section of the Navigation Pane, click Share My Calendar. An email message will open with the subject "Sharing invitation."

3. Click To.

4. In the Select Names dialog box that opens, make sure Global Address List is selected from the Address Book drop-down list.

5. In the search box, type the person's name, then click Go.

6. In the search results, select the name you want, click To (at the bottom of the dialog box, then click OK.

7. (optional) If you would like to request access to this person's calendar, check Request permission to view recipient's Calendar.

8. In the body of message include whatever explanatory text you feel is appropriate.

9. Click Send.
 

The recipient will be able to view your shared calendar by going to Calendar, clicking Open a Shared Calendar, and typing your name.

By setting permissions in Outlook (read-only or higher)

This option lets you choose which level of access to your calendar you want to give someone.

1. In Outlook's Navigation Pane, click Calendar.

2. Below the heading My Calendars, you'll see the entry Calendar. That's the entry we'll be working with in the following steps.

3. Right-click Calendar. From the menu that appears, click Change Sharing Permissions. A Calendar Properties dialog box will open with the Permissions tab displayed.

4. Click Add.

5. In the Add Users dialog box, type all or part of the person's name, then click Go.

6. Highlight their name in the resulting list, click Add, then click OK. You should now see their name displayed in the Calendar Properties dialog box.

7. From the Permission Level drop-down list, select the desired level of access.

Free/Busy time, subject, location - when proposing a meeting and using the Scheduling Assistant, the person can see time, subject, and location of the items on your calendar, but cannot see other details, such as participants, notes, or attachments. (See Proposing a Meeting for details for details on checking availability while proposing a meeting.)

Reviewer - the person can open your calendar and see the details of the items on your calendar, but can't add, delete, or change anything. (See Viewing a Shared Calendar for details on how they can open your calendar.)

Author - the person can can open your calendar and see the details of the items on your calendar, and can create, modify, and delete items that he or she creates. The person cannot modify or delete something the manager created. (See Viewing a Shared Calendar)

Editor - the person can do everything that an Author has permission to do and can modify and delete the items that you created. (See Viewing a Shared Calendar for details on how they can open your calendar.)

8. Click OK.