Outlook Calendar Integration Overview

This article is for Hosts who use Microsoft Outlook 365 and want to connect their calendars with SpacetoCo.

Connecting your Outlook 365 calendar with SpacetoCo creates a two-way sync between both systems. Bookings made in SpacetoCo automatically appear in your Outlook calendars. Internal events created in Outlook automatically block out time in SpacetoCo.

This keeps staff and Customers on the same page, reduces administrative work, and prevents double bookings.

Integration Options

Choose the setup guide that matches your organization's Microsoft infrastructure:

• Personal Outlook Integration: For smaller venues or teams connecting standard Microsoft 365 accounts without room resource calendars. Read the Personal Outlook Integration guide

• Enterprise Outlook Integration: For local governments and organizations using Outlook room resource calendars across multiple spaces. Read the Enterprise Outlook Integration guide

• Advanced Outlook Settings: PowerShell configuration rules for IT administrators who need custom calendar processing and delegate permissions. Read the Advanced Outlook Settings guide

Frequently Asked Questions

• If staff book a space directly in Outlook, does it follow SpacetoCo approval workflows? No. Bookings made directly in Outlook do not follow SpacetoCo's approval process. They are added immediately to SpacetoCo as confirmed block-outs.
  
  If required, your team can use Outlook's built-in approval workflow for internal events. Only bookings submitted directly by Customers on SpacetoCo will follow your configured SpacetoCo approval settings.

• Can we allow staff to book instantly while requiring approval for external bookings? Yes. Your IT administrator can adjust your Outlook resource calendar settings via PowerShell. This allows specific staff accounts or groups to bypass delegate approval in Outlook while keeping approvals active for external requests.
  
  For setup steps, read the Advanced Outlook Settings guide.

• When staff book a space in Outlook, does it appear on their personal work calendar? Yes. Events created in Outlook behave like standard Outlook meetings. The event appears on the organiser's personal work calendar and goes to any invitees. The linked Space in SpacetoCo will display the booking as a confirmed block.

• Do Outlook bookings sync to combined spaces in SpacetoCo? Yes. Each Outlook calendar links to one individual SpacetoCo Space. If staff book multiple individual spaces in Outlook, those sync as individual holds in SpacetoCo. If those spaces are configured as child spaces of a combined area, SpacetoCo will also automatically block out the parent space.
  
  For more details on parent-child setups, read Parent/Child Spaces and Related Availability.

• Do staff need a SpacetoCo account to book via Outlook? No. Staff creating internal events directly in Outlook do not need a SpacetoCo account. Their events automatically sync into SpacetoCo as calendar blocks.
  
  Staff only need a SpacetoCo account if they need to approve Customer bookings, issue refunds, or update Space settings in SpacetoCo.

• How often does Outlook sync with SpacetoCo? The sync runs automatically every 10 minutes. Changes may take a short time to reflect across both systems.

• Can a SpacetoCo booking overwrite an existing Outlook event? No. If a Space is blocked out in Outlook, SpacetoCo recognises the clash and prevents Customer bookings during that time. Existing Outlook holds always take priority.

• Can one Outlook calendar link to multiple SpacetoCo spaces? No. The integration is strictly one-to-one. Each Outlook calendar or room resource can only link to a single Space in SpacetoCo.

• Does the Outlook integration support recurring bookings? Yes. Recurring bookings created in SpacetoCo appear in Outlook as individual events. Recurring events created in Outlook sync into SpacetoCo as blocked times.