Stop the Email Ping-Pong: Use Microsoft Bookings to Schedule Meetings Faster

Let’s face it — few things are more frustrating than trying to book a meeting over email.

“Are you free Tuesday at 2?”
“No, how about Wednesday morning?”
“Sorry, I’m booked then… what about Friday?”

We’ve all been there. But if you use Microsoft 365, there’s a simple, powerful tool that can make all that back-and-forth disappear: Microsoft Bookings.

A Hidden Gem in Microsoft 365

Microsoft Bookings is one of those tools that doesn’t get nearly enough attention. It’s included in Microsoft 365 and lets you create a personal booking page that shows your availability. Instead of emailing back and forth, people can just pick a time that works — and the meeting goes straight into your calendar.

It’s especially useful for:

• Internal meetings with colleagues
• Client calls or check-ins
• Quick 1:1s with team members
• Anyone who books time with you regularly

How to Set It Up (and Customize It) in Under 10 Minutes

Here’s a quick walkthrough to get your personal booking page up and running:

1. Go to your Bookings page:
   https://outlook.office.com/bookwithme/
2. Review the default meeting types:
   Microsoft may have created a few default options for you (like “30-minute meeting” or “Teams call”).
   • Click on any meeting type to edit the name, duration, or location.
   • You can also delete the ones you don’t need.
3. Create your own meeting types:
   Click “Create new meeting type” and define:
   • Title (e.g. “Intro call”, “Client check-in”)
   • Duration (15 min, 30 min, 60 min, etc.)
   • Location (Teams, phone, or in-person)
   • Availability (e.g. only Tuesdays and Thursdays, or certain hours)
   • Optional buffer time before/after meetings
4. Customize your availability settings:
   • You can define when people are allowed to book you, and block off focus time or lunch breaks.
   • Bookings respects your existing Outlook calendar — if you’re already booked, those times won’t appear.
5. Adjust notification settings (optional):
   • You can choose to get an email when someone books
   • Add reminders for attendees
   • Add a short description or form fields (e.g., “What would you like to discuss?”)
6. Copy and share your booking page link:
   • Click “Share” at the top right
   • Add your link to your email signature

That’s it. No back-and-forth. Just a clean, professional experience for anyone who needs to meet with you.

Send This to Your Team

We highly recommend encouraging your users to set up their own Bookings pages. It takes less than 10 minutes, and once everyone is using it, you’ll save time every week.