Outlook Email Calendar Permissions

Outlook calendar permissions control how other users can see or interact with a mailbox owner’s calendar. These permissions are critical in Microsoft 365 environments where scheduling visibility, executive support, shared resources, and delegated access are part of daily operations.

While the permission levels themselves are consistent, the way permissions are assigned depends on the platform being used. Outlook (Classic), New Outlook, Outlook on the web, and Exchange Online PowerShell all manage the same underlying Exchange calendar folder permissions.

We will explain:

• The four standard Outlook calendar permission levels
• How to assign permissions in Classic Outlook
• How to assign permissions in New Outlook
• How to assign permissions in Outlook on the web
• How to assign and manage permissions using PowerShell (with command breakdowns)

The Four Standard Outlook Calendar Permission Levels

Microsoft uses four primary calendar permission categories. These appear consistently across Outlook clients and Exchange Online.

Availability Only

• Shows Free or Busy status only
• No subject, location, or meeting details
• Commonly used for broad internal visibility

Limited Details

• Shows Free or Busy status
• Displays meeting subject and location
• Does not expose meeting notes or attachments

Reviewer

• Read-only access to all meeting details
• Cannot create, edit, or delete events
• Often used for managers or project visibility

Editor and Delegate

• Editor can create, modify, and delete calendar items
• Delegate can schedule and respond to meetings on behalf of the owner
• Delegate access can optionally include Private items

Assigning Calendar Permissions in Classic Outlook (Windows)

Classic Outlook provides the most complete and granular calendar permission interface.

1. Open Outlook (Classic)
2. Switch to Calendar view
3. Right-click your calendar under My Calendars
4. Select Properties
5. Open the Permissions tab
6. Click Add and select a user
7. Choose a Permission Level
8. Click Apply, then OK

This interface supports Availability Only, Limited Details, Reviewer, Editor, and Delegate permissions.

Assigning Calendar Permissions in New Outlook

New Outlook uses a simplified sharing interface similar to Outlook on the web.

1. Open New Outlook
2. Go to Calendar
3. Right-click your calendar
4. Select Sharing and permissions
5. Click Share
6. Enter the user’s email address
7. Select a permission level
8. Click Share

New Outlook supports the standard permission levels but may not expose advanced delegate configuration options.

Assigning Calendar Permissions in Outlook on the Web

Outlook on the web provides full calendar sharing functionality from any browser.

1. Sign in to Outlook on the web
2. Select Calendar
3. Right-click your calendar
4. Choose Sharing and permissions
5. Add a user
6. Select a permission level
7. Click Share

This method is commonly used in remote support, VDI, or locked-down environments.

Managing Outlook Calendar Permissions with PowerShell

Exchange Online PowerShell is the most reliable way to manage calendar permissions at scale. All Outlook interfaces ultimately map back to mailbox folder permissions.

Important concept: Calendar owner vs the person receiving access

• Calendar owner: The mailbox that owns the calendar folder you are changing. This mailbox appears in -Identity.
• Recipient: The mailbox you are granting permissions to. This mailbox appears in -User.

Example:

• [email protected] is the calendar owner
• [email protected] is the person receiving access

Prerequisites: Install, import, and connect

Install-Module ExchangeOnlineManagement -Scope CurrentUser

Install-Module ExchangeOnlineManagement -Scope CurrentUser

• Install-Module: Downloads and installs a PowerShell module from the PowerShell Gallery.
• ExchangeOnlineManagement: Microsoft’s module for connecting to and managing Exchange Online.
• -Scope CurrentUser: Installs for your Windows profile only (no admin rights typically required).

Import-Module ExchangeOnlineManagement

Import-Module ExchangeOnlineManagement

• Import-Module: Loads the module into the current PowerShell session so its commands are available.
• ExchangeOnlineManagement: Makes cmdlets like Connect-ExchangeOnline and Get-MailboxFolderPermission usable.

Connect-ExchangeOnline -UserPrincipalName [email protected]

Connect-ExchangeOnline -UserPrincipalName [email protected]

• Connect-ExchangeOnline: Authenticates you to Exchange Online and starts a management session.
• -UserPrincipalName: The admin account you are signing in as (usually your Microsoft 365 admin UPN).
• Supports MFA in most environments (interactive sign-in).

Identify the correct calendar folder path

Most mailboxes use the default Calendar path:

[email protected]:\Calendar

If the mailbox uses a non-English folder name (or has multiple calendar folders), identify the folder path first.

Get-MailboxFolderStatistics -Identity [email protected] | Where-Object {$_.FolderType -eq “Calendar”} | Select Name, FolderPath

Get-MailboxFolderStatistics -Identity [email protected] |
  Where-Object {$_.FolderType -eq "Calendar"} |
  Select Name, FolderPath

• Get-MailboxFolderStatistics: Lists folders inside a mailbox, including folder types and paths.
• -Identity [email protected]: The mailbox you are inspecting (the calendar owner).
• |: Pipes the output of one command into the next command.
• Where-Object {$_.FolderType -eq “Calendar”}: Filters to only calendar-type folders.
• $_: Represents the current object flowing through the pipeline.
• Select Name, FolderPath: Displays only the folder name and the exact folder path you need for -Identity.

View existing calendar permissions

Get-MailboxFolderPermission -Identity [email protected]:\Calendar

Get-MailboxFolderPermission -Identity [email protected]:\Calendar

• Get-MailboxFolderPermission: Displays the permission entries on a specific folder.
• -Identity [email protected]:\Calendar: Targets the Calendar folder for the mailbox owner.
• Look for these common entries:
  • Default: Baseline permission for internal users (often AvailabilityOnly).
  • Anonymous: Unauthenticated access (usually None).

Grant calendar permissions using PowerShell (4 standard categories)

Use Add-MailboxFolderPermission to add a permission entry. If the user already has an entry, use Set-MailboxFolderPermission instead (shown later).

Availability Only

Add-MailboxFolderPermission -Identity [email protected]:\Calendar `
  -User [email protected] `
  -AccessRights AvailabilityOnly

• Add-MailboxFolderPermission: Creates a new permission entry on the folder.
• -Identity [email protected]:\Calendar: The calendar owner and folder being modified.
• -User [email protected]: The person receiving access to the calendar.
• -AccessRights AvailabilityOnly: Grants Free/Busy visibility only.

Limited Details

Add-MailboxFolderPermission -Identity [email protected]:\Calendar `
  -User [email protected] `
  -AccessRights LimitedDetails

• -AccessRights LimitedDetails: Grants Free/Busy plus subject and location.
• All other parameters behave the same as the AvailabilityOnly example.

Reviewer

Add-MailboxFolderPermission -Identity [email protected]:\Calendar `
  -User [email protected] `
  -AccessRights Reviewer

• -AccessRights Reviewer: Grants read-only access to full calendar details.

Editor

Add-MailboxFolderPermission -Identity [email protected]:\Calendar `
  -User [email protected] `
  -AccessRights Editor

• -AccessRights Editor: Grants the ability to create, edit, and delete calendar items.

Optional: Send a sharing notification email

Add-MailboxFolderPermission -Identity [email protected]:\Calendar `
  -User [email protected] `
  -AccessRights Reviewer `
  -SendNotificationToUser $true

• -SendNotificationToUser $true: Sends an invitation/notification to the recipient.
• This can reduce confusion because the recipient often must add the shared calendar in Outlook.
• $true: PowerShell boolean value meaning enabled.

Note: Backticks (`) are PowerShell line-continuation characters. They let you split a long command across multiple lines for readability. The command still runs as one line.

Assign Delegate permissions

Delegate is not just a label in Outlook. In PowerShell it is implemented by granting Editor plus a delegation flag.

Delegate without access to Private items

Add-MailboxFolderPermission -Identity [email protected]:\Calendar `
  -User [email protected] `
  -AccessRights Editor `
  -SharingPermissionFlags Delegate

• -User [email protected]: The delegate receiving access.
• -AccessRights Editor: Base permission level required for delegation to function properly.
• -SharingPermissionFlags Delegate: Marks the entry as a delegate-style permission.

Delegate with access to Private items

Add-MailboxFolderPermission -Identity [email protected]:\Calendar `
  -User [email protected] `
  -AccessRights Editor `
  -SharingPermissionFlags Delegate,CanViewPrivateItems

• Delegate,CanViewPrivateItems: Adds the ability to view items marked Private on the calendar.
• Use this sparingly. Private items are private for a reason.

Modify an existing permission entry

If the user already exists in the permission list, use Set-MailboxFolderPermission. It replaces the current access rights for that entry.

Set-MailboxFolderPermission -Identity [email protected]:\Calendar -User [email protected] -AccessRights Editor

Set-MailboxFolderPermission -Identity [email protected]:\Calendar `
  -User [email protected] `
  -AccessRights Editor

• Set-MailboxFolderPermission: Updates an existing permission entry (does not create a new one).
• -Identity: The folder you are changing (calendar owner and folder path).
• -User: The permission entry being modified.
• -AccessRights Editor: New permission level being applied.

Remove calendar permissions

Remove-MailboxFolderPermission -Identity [email protected]:\Calendar -User [email protected]

Remove-MailboxFolderPermission -Identity [email protected]:\Calendar `
  -User [email protected]

• Remove-MailboxFolderPermission: Deletes the specified user’s permission entry from the folder.
• -Identity: The calendar owner and folder.
• -User: The person whose access you are removing.

Verify permissions after changes

Get-MailboxFolderPermission … | Format-Table User, AccessRights, SharingPermissionFlags -AutoSize

Get-MailboxFolderPermission -Identity [email protected]:\Calendar |
  Format-Table User, AccessRights, SharingPermissionFlags -AutoSize

• Get-MailboxFolderPermission: Retrieves the current permission list (your source of truth).
• | Format-Table: Displays the output in a readable table format.
• User, AccessRights, SharingPermissionFlags: Focuses on the fields you care about most.
• -AutoSize: Adjusts column widths for cleaner display.

Common Issues and Troubleshooting

• The recipient still cannot see the calendar: Permissions grant access, but the recipient may need to add the shared calendar in Outlook or accept a sharing invitation.
• Delegate is not working as expected: Confirm the user has Editor rights and SharingPermissionFlags includes Delegate.
• Private items are hidden: This is expected unless CanViewPrivateItems is assigned.
• Confusing access results: Outlook can create overlapping entries (Default plus explicit user permissions). Always verify using Get-MailboxFolderPermission.

Summary

Outlook calendar permissions are consistent across Microsoft 365, but the tools used to manage them differ by platform.

• Classic Outlook offers the most granular UI controls
• New Outlook and Outlook on the web simplify sharing
• Exchange Online PowerShell provides authoritative control with auditability

Understanding how these layers interact helps prevent scheduling issues and privacy problems.