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Outlook: Show calendar as busy, free, tentative, and out of office

As an exchange user in Microsoft Outlook, you can set permission for others to view the Free/Busy information in your calendar. Therefore, other users can pick up free time for group schedules, such as meeting. Apart from the permission of viewing Free/Busy information, you need to mark your appointments as busy, free, or others. This article will guide you to show appointments in calendars as busy, free, tentative, or out of office in Microsoft Outlook.

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The following steps will guide to you show your appointments as busy, free, tentative, or out of office.

Step 1: Create a new appointment:

  1. In Outlook 2010 and 2013, please click the New Items > Appointment on the Home tab;
  2. In Outlook 207, please click the File > New > Appointment.

Step 2: In the Appointment window, click the Show As: box in the Options group on the Appointment tab.

There are five options in the drop down list of Show As: box: Free, Tentative, Busy, Out of Office, and Working Elsewhere. You can select one of them based on your needs.

Step 3: Compose your appointment, and click the Save & Close button.

Then these appointments will be marked and shown as Free, Busy, Tentative, or Out of Office, both in your Outlook and in other exchange users’ Outlook who share your calendar information. See screen shot:

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Comments (19)
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Jackie Nierman
Jackie Nierman
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I would like to have default Show As: Free, not as Busy. Microsoft/Outlook/Calendar/Appointments
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Amanda Lee
Amanda Lee     Jackie Nierman
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Hi, please visit this tutorial: https://www.extendoffice.com/documents/outlook/4685-outlook-appointment-default-free-busy.html
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Burhan
Burhan
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Bonjour. Est il possible d'envoyer un message d'absence seulement les journées qui sont marqué Absent ?

Je suis absent du bureau aléatoirement et je veut juste gèrer ça automatiquement via mon calendrier
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An
An
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Bij het aanmaken van een nieuwe afspraak staat de weergave automatisch op Bezet, kan dit aangepast worden zodat deze bijvoorbeeld altijd op Beschikbaar staat wanneer je een nieuwe aanmaakt?
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Amanda Lee
Amanda Lee     An
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Hi there,

Hope this tutorial will help you: https://www.extendoffice.com/documents/outlook/4685-outlook-appointment-default-free-busy.html

Amanda
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Guest
Guest
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How can you customize the 'SHOW AS' to add an option as Holiday or Office Closed?
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Brian
Brian     Guest
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THIS is what I'm dying to know.
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Amanda Lee
Amanda Lee     Brian
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As far as I know, Outlok does not support such customizations. 😅
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Klass
Klass
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Hello,

How can i apply this only for my calendar and not for all envent users?

Thanks in advance,
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Precious
Precious
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User states he's shown as blocked off all day when he is not. This is only showing for those who try to book him for a meeting. His calendar is fine however how to find out if this is User error
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KnightLines
KnightLines
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Will Microsoft PLEASE put back the dark purple color to block out calendars? Right now it's in the palest pink and I can't see the contrast against the other calendars when IN the office. I need it back, right in the body of the calendar. I usually have at least 5 calendars up at any given time. If someone's OOO, I can't see it. I've only had 2016 for less than a week and I've made three big mistakes and scheduled my people when they have PTO--BECAUSE I CAN'T SEE THAT THEY'RE OOO when next to other people who will also be on the appointment. PLEASE?! Calendaring is 45% of my job and Microsoft has just made my job harder.
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Jean
Jean     KnightLines
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I agree completely! I can find no good reason why they did this!
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JR
JR     Jean
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and it is an accessibility issue...
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Ann
Ann
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I work 3 variable days per week. Is there an easy way to choose all my days off at once and categorize them as "unavailable"?
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Cam
Cam     Ann
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1) Open Outlook Options; 2) Select 'Calendar' in the left sidebar; 3) the first section of options is called 'Work Time'. Here you can set your work schedule that shows up in the Outlook scheduling assistant.
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Erin
Erin
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I have to use the medical scheduling software for my practice. I have imported the internet calendar and I can see my schedule. But is there any way for others to see when I am busy based on that calendar too?
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Mike
Mike
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Is there a way to change the label of "Free" to something else like "Reserved" or better yet add a custom choice to the existing 5 options?
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Michael A
Michael A     Mike
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There doesn't seem to be a way to change the labels globally without going into the registry, but a convenient workaround is to block the time as you would for any other appointment and type "Reserved" in the appointment's "Subject" box. You will wind up doing this for all your "free" times, but if you copy and paste the word "Reserved" or "Desk Work" or whatever you want to call the time, it makes it a little less cumbersome. Hope this helps.
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Gail
Gail     Mike
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Did anyone ever reply to you? I'm also interested in finding out if we can customize those choices. Thanks.
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