If your business uses Microsoft 365 and you’re still paying for Calendly or another scheduling app, it’s time to reconsider. Microsoft Bookings, already included in all Microsoft 365 Business licenses, offers robust scheduling features that rival paid tools – and it’s getting better all the time.
What is Microsoft Bookings?
Microsoft Bookings is a powerful scheduling tool that integrates seamlessly with Outlook and Microsoft Teams. It allows both individuals and teams to create customized booking pages where clients, colleagues or prospects can schedule time without the back-and-forth hassle of emails.
Originally, Microsoft offered a separate feature called “Bookings with Me” for personal scheduling. Today, that functionality is fully integrated into the main Bookings app, making it easier than ever to manage both personal and team calendars from one place.
Key Features That Replace Calendly
Here’s what you get with Microsoft Bookings – at no extra cost:
- Personal Scheduling Pages: Share a link to your availability and let others book time directly on your calendar.
- Team Booking Pages: Create shared calendars for departments like sales, support or consulting.
- Custom Meeting Types: Define meeting durations, formats (Teams, phone, in-person) and buffer times.
- Automatic Syncing: Bookings integrates with Outlook and Teams, keeping your calendar up to date.
- Branding Options: Add your company logo and customize confirmation messages.
- Security and Compliance: Benefit from Microsoft’s enterprise-grade security and data protection.
How to Get Started
If you’re using Microsoft 365 Business Standard or higher, you already have access to Bookings. Just open your app launcher (the grid icon in Outlook or Office.com), search for “Bookings,” and start building your scheduling page.
You can:
- Set your availability
- Create different meeting types
- Share your booking link via email, website or social media
Advanced User Tip
Once you set up your personal Bookings calendar(s), you’ll notice the scheduling URLs can be long. To create a concise, professional-looking link, consider using Bitly (www.bit.ly), which is a great, free link-shortening tool.
Here’s how our Director of Sales and Marketing, Chip Hanlon, uses Bitly to make Bookings more useful:
He has created four personal meeting types – two webinars and two phone appointments – and his default personal page shows all four of these options: https://bit.ly/ChKitMeetings
Each meeting type also has its own URL so if he wants to suggest a specific meeting type, he can send that unique link to the recipient: https://bit.ly/ChKit30min
**(Chip loves to chat, so feel free to book a meeting on his calendar!) 👍
As an aside, we’re not paying anything for Bitly because even the free version allows users to customize the back half of each URL, as you can see he has done.
Final tip: add a “Book time with me” link to your email signature to allow for even easier scheduling!
Real Savings, Real Simplicity
We’ve helped many clients eliminate paid scheduling tools by switching to Bookings. The result? Streamlined scheduling, fewer subscriptions and better integration with the tools they already use every day.
If you’re using Microsoft 365, you’re already paying for Bookings. Why pay again for something you don’t need?
Ready to Make the Switch?
If you’d like help setting up Microsoft Bookings for your team or want to explore other ways to get more value from your Microsoft 365 subscription, contact us anytime. We’ll help you simplify your scheduling and save money while doing it.
📌 Microsoft Bookings FAQ
- What is Microsoft Bookings?
A scheduling tool in Microsoft 365 that lets others book time with you via a personalized link. - Is Bookings included in my Microsoft 365 plan?
Yes, it’s available with most Microsoft 365 Business licenses at no extra cost. - Can I use Bookings for personal scheduling?
Yes, personal scheduling is now built into the main Bookings app. - Does Bookings integrate with Teams and Outlook?
Absolutely—Bookings syncs with both for seamless calendar management. - Can I customize meeting types and availability?
Yes, you can set durations, formats, buffer times and working hours.
