Microsoft Bookings is an online appointment scheduling tool included with many Microsoft 365 business plans. It allows customers to book meetings or services with your team, reducing the time you spend managing calendars and emails.
Here’s how to set it up and start accepting bookings online—step by step.
1. What you need
Before starting, make sure you have:
- A Microsoft 365 Business Standard, Business Premium, or Enterprise subscription
- Admin access (if you’re setting this up for the entire company)
- Microsoft Bookings enabled in your Microsoft 365 environment
You can access Bookings at https://book.ms.
2. Create your first booking calendar
- Visit https://book.ms
- Sign in with your Microsoft 365 credentials
- Click “Create a booking calendar”
- Enter your business name, business type, and primary contact email
- Click Continue
This sets up a standalone calendar for your business or a specific department (you can create multiple).
3. Configure your business information
In the Business Information section, customize:
- Business name and logo
- Address, phone number, and website
- Business hours (can be set per day)
- Default scheduling policies like time increments, buffer times, minimum lead time, and cancellation rules
This information appears on your public booking page.
4. Add staff members
Under the Staff tab:
- Add employees who offer bookable services
- Define their availability, role (Admin or Viewer), and assigned services
- Choose whether appointments will appear on their Outlook calendar
- Enable Teams integration for virtual meetings if needed
Staff availability is matched automatically when clients choose a time slot.
5. Define your services
Under the Services tab:
- Click Add a service
- Enter service name (e.g. Consultation, Repair, Coaching)
- Set duration, location (e.g. in-person, Microsoft Teams), and pricing
- Assign staff who can perform the service
- Set custom reminders and buffer times
- Create custom fields for customer notes or required details
You can offer multiple services with unique availability and booking rules.
6. Customize your booking page
Under the Booking Page tab:
- Enable/disable customer self-scheduling
- Choose whether to show availability per staff member
- Set the time zone
- Enable CAPTCHA to prevent spam
- Share the link to your booking page or embed it in your website
You’ll receive a public link like https://outlook.office365.com/book/[yourbusinessname].
7. Test your booking experience
Open your public booking page and try:
- Booking a test appointment
- Checking whether confirmation emails are sent
- Verifying whether staff receive calendar invites
- Canceling or rescheduling from the customer’s perspective
This ensures everything works smoothly before going live.
8. Manage appointments
In the Calendar tab:
- View, reschedule, or cancel appointments
- Add manual bookings
- Block out time slots for internal use
- See a visual overview of upcoming bookings per staff or service
You and your staff will also see appointments directly in Outlook.
Tips for better booking management
- Enable SMS and email reminders to reduce no-shows
- Use custom booking pages for different departments
- Create service-specific booking links for campaigns or newsletters
- Use the Bookings mobile app for on-the-go management
Final thoughts
Microsoft Bookings is a user-friendly, professional tool to simplify online scheduling. With just a few steps, you can reduce admin time, give customers a smooth experience, and keep your calendar organized. Whether you’re a freelancer, clinic, agency, or IT provider, Bookings helps turn clicks into confirmed meetings.
