Microsoft Bookings is a powerful scheduling tool that simplifies appointment management for businesses of all sizes. Whether you need to coordinate meetings with clients, manage team availability, or streamline your service offerings, Microsoft Bookings provides an intuitive solution that reduces scheduling hassles. Available with various Microsoft 365 subscriptions, this versatile scheduling platform helps organizations save time while enhancing the customer booking experience.
We'll also cover Zeeg, an advanced scheduling solution that can streamline your business meetings and increase your leads in a very simple manner, while connecting to your Outlook calendar (or others). But more on that later.
What is Microsoft Bookings?
Microsoft Bookings is an appointment scheduling application included in Microsoft 365 that allows businesses to manage appointments with customers, clients, and colleagues efficiently. The platform consists of two main components:
Personal bookings
Personal Bookings focuses on individual scheduling needs, allowing you to create and manage your own appointment slots. You can define specific meeting types such as consultations or check-ins, share your availability with others, and avoid back-and-forth emails when scheduling meetings.
Shared bookings
Shared Bookings expands functionality to teams, enabling organizations to create booking pages for multiple staff members. With this feature, you can define services and availability for an entire team, manage staff schedules centrally, and customize the customer booking experience.
Both options include a web-based booking page integrated with Outlook calendar, making it easy for customers to view available times and book appointments without lengthy email exchanges.
Read more:
- Microsoft Bookings vs Calendly
- Microsoft Bookings alternatives
- How to use Outlook Scheduling Assistant
Key features of Microsoft Bookings
Virtual meeting integration: Microsoft Bookings integrates with online meeting platforms. The system creates unique Teams or Skype meeting links for each appointment and includes these links in calendar invites and email confirmations. Participants can join meetings via web browser, phone, or dedicated apps, offering flexibility in connection methods.
Automated notifications: The built-in communication tools help reduce no-shows by keeping everyone informed. The system sends confirmation emails when appointments are booked and can send email reminders at specific intervals before meetings. Users can configure follow-up emails after appointments and set up SMS notifications for customers, though SMS functionality requires a Teams Premium license.
Customization options: The booking experience can be tailored to specific needs. Users can add branding to their booking page along with a personalized banner image. The platform supports different meeting types for various purposes, buffer times between appointments, and custom fields to collect specific information from customers during booking.
Calendar integration: Calendar consistency is maintained across platforms through synchronization. Microsoft Bookings connects with Outlook and other Microsoft calendars, accounts for existing appointments when displaying availability, and refreshes automatically when schedule changes occur.
Sharing options: Booking links can be distributed through multiple channels. Users can share their booking page link directly, include it in their email signature, send it via email to specific contacts, embed the booking interface on a website, or share individual meeting types with specific contacts for targeted scheduling.
How to use Microsoft Bookings
Microsoft Bookings works with other Microsoft 365 tools, but isn't available on its own. To get started, you'll have to log into your Microsoft 365 account and go to your booking page, or simply visit book.ms. If you use Outlook, you can also click "Go to my booking page" to access Bookings.
Then, you should make the page your own by choosing colors, adding your logo, and setting when you're available. You can also control who can book time with you and how scheduling works.
And when everything looks good, you can share your booking link with clients or colleagues so they can schedule time with you, according to your availability rules. Since Bookings connects with your Outlook calendar and other Microsoft tools, all your appointments stay in sync. The system also sends automatic reminders and confirmations, which helps reduce no-shows and last-minute cancellations.
Now that you know generally how to use Microsoft Bookings, let's see things in more detail.
How to access Microsoft Bookings
There are three main ways to access Microsoft Bookings:
- Via web browser: You should visit book.ms
- Through Outlook: By adding the Bookings app to your left navigation panel
- Within Microsoft Teams: By adding the Bookings app to access scheduling features
How to set up your Personal Bookings
Personal Bookings allows you to manage your individual scheduling needs:
- Navigate to Microsoft Bookings through your preferred access method
- Create a personal booking page to share your availability
- Define meeting types with specific durations and purposes
- Set your availability through schedule customization
Creating meeting types
Meeting types represent the different kinds of appointments people can book with you:
- Select "Create meeting type" in the Personal booking page section
- Provide a name, description, and duration for your meeting type
- Choose between online or in-person meetings
- Set a public or private tag (public meetings appear on your booking page, while private meetings require direct link sharing)
- Configure your availability windows
Public vs. private meeting types
Public meetings appear on your personal booking page for anyone to book, making them visible to all visitors who access your booking interface. Private meetings, on the other hand, remain hidden from your booking page and require you to share direct links with specific individuals. This option gives you more control over who can access certain meeting types.
How to set up Shared Bookings for teams
For organizations looking to manage multiple staff members:
- From the Microsoft Bookings homepage, navigate to the Shared Bookings section
- Select "Create booking page" and choose "Create from scratch"
- Enter your business information:
- Business name (required)
- Upload your business logo (optional)
- Set business hours
- Invite staff members to join your booking page
- Define your services
- Choose who can book appointments
Defining your services
For Shared Bookings, services represent what your business offers:
- Select the Services option from your shared booking page
- Click "Add new service"
- Fill in basic details:
- Service name
- Description
- Location
- Duration
- Price information
- Set buffer times if needed between appointments
- Configure availability options
- Assign staff members who can provide this service
- Add custom fields to collect specific information from customers
- Configure notification settings for confirmations and reminders
Adding team members
For Shared Bookings, you'll need to add staff who will be bookable:
- Select Staff from your shared booking page
- Click "Add new staff"
- For internal organization members, search by name
- For external providers, manually enter their contact information
- Assign appropriate roles:
- Team Member
- Scheduler
- Viewer
- Guest
- Configure staff availability:
- Link to their Microsoft 365 calendar
- Set custom availability hours if needed
👉 Looking into other options? Read our guide about Google's appointment scheduling tool
Microsoft Bookings pricing
Microsoft Bookings isn't available as a standalone product – it's included as part of various Microsoft 365 subscriptions. This means you'll need to have one of the compatible plans to access and use the scheduling tool.
Microsoft 365 plans that include Bookings
Business plans (small to medium businesses):
- Microsoft 365 Business Basic: $6.00 per user/month
- Microsoft 365 Business Standard: $12.50 per user/month
- Microsoft 365 Business Premium: $22.00 per user/month
Enterprise plans (larger organizations):
- Microsoft 365 E1: $10.00 per user/month
- Microsoft 365 E3: $36.00 per user/month
- Microsoft 365 E5: $57.00 per user/month
- Microsoft 365 F1: $4.00 per user/month
- Microsoft 365 F3: $8.00 per user/month
Education plans:
- Microsoft 365 A3: Varies by institution
- Microsoft 365 A5: Varies by institution
Other plans:
- Microsoft Teams Essentials: $4.00 per user/month
- Microsoft Teams Premium: Additional $10.00 per user/month (adds advanced features)
It's worth noting that certain advanced features, like SMS notifications, require additional licenses such as Microsoft Teams Premium.
For organizations that don't currently use Microsoft 365, the entry point for accessing Microsoft Bookings would be the Business Basic plan at $6.00 per user/month, making it relatively affordable for small teams. However, if Bookings is your only need, this might still represent a significant investment compared to standalone scheduling solutions.
Microsoft Bookings compliance and security
Microsoft Bookings stores all data within the Microsoft 365 platform and Exchange Online, following the same data storage policies as other Microsoft 365 applications. The service uses shared mailboxes in Exchange to store customer, staff, service, and appointment details, ensuring that compliance policies for shared mailboxes also apply to Bookings data.
Tips for optimizing your Microsoft Bookings experience
- Set buffer times: Add padding before and after appointments to prepare or travel between meetings
- Use custom fields: Gather important information from customers during booking
- Enable calendar integration: Allow Bookings to check existing calendar events for accurate availability
- Create specific meeting types: Define different appointment options based on purpose and duration
- Configure advanced notification options: Set up reminders and follow-ups to reduce no-shows
Microsoft Bookings transforms the appointment scheduling process by eliminating email back-and-forth and providing a professional booking experience. Whether you're managing individual appointments or coordinating a team's schedule, this versatile tool can help optimize your time management while improving customer satisfaction.
Best practices for using Microsoft Bookings effectively
To maximize the benefits of Microsoft Bookings for your organization, consider implementing these proven strategies that enhance both the administrative experience and customer satisfaction:
Use a custom domain for booking pages
Default Microsoft Bookings pages use the "@.onmicrosoft.com" domain format, which can appear generic and may cause email notifications to be filtered as spam. Domain administrators can configure a custom domain (like "bookings.yourcompany.com") to create a more professional appearance and improve email deliverability.
A branded domain enhances your professional image and increases customer trust when they receive booking confirmations and reminders. This small change can significantly impact how recipients perceive your communications.
Implement administrative controls
Microsoft Bookings offers granular administrative controls that help organizations maintain consistent scheduling policies:
- Configure organization-wide scheduling rules
- Set permission levels for different staff roles
- Establish default notification templates
- Control which staff members can create booking pages
- Define service categories and naming conventions
These controls ensure that all booking pages within your organization follow established guidelines while allowing necessary flexibility for different departments or teams.
Extend functionality with Power Automate
Take Microsoft Bookings beyond its basic capabilities by leveraging Power Automate connectors to create custom workflows:
- Automatically notify team members in Microsoft Teams when new appointments are booked
- Sync booking data with your CRM system
- Send customized follow-up communications based on appointment type
- Create tasks in project management tools when certain appointment types are scheduled
- Generate reports summarizing booking activity across your organization
Power Automate allows you to connect Microsoft Bookings with other applications, extending its functionality and integrating it into your broader business processes.
Utilize API capabilities for enterprise needs
For larger organizations with more complex requirements, Microsoft Bookings offers Graph API access that enables:
- Bulk creation of booking pages for different departments or locations
- Automated reporting on scheduling metrics and staff utilization
- Integration with business intelligence tools for deeper insights
- Synchronization with enterprise resource planning systems
- Custom application development to extend booking functionality
The API capabilities make Microsoft Bookings suitable for enterprise-scale deployments while maintaining centralized control and consistency.
By implementing these best practices, organizations can transform Microsoft Bookings from a simple scheduling tool into an appointment management system that integrates smoothly with existing business processes and enhances both operational efficiency and customer experience.
Pros and cons of Microsoft Bookings
Before deciding if Microsoft Bookings is right for your business, it's important to consider both its strengths and limitations.
Pros
✓ Seamless Microsoft integration: Bookings works perfectly with other Microsoft 365 tools like Outlook Calendar, Teams, and Office applications, creating a unified ecosystem for businesses already invested in Microsoft products.
✓ No additional cost for Microsoft 365 subscribers: If you already have a compatible Microsoft 365 subscription, Bookings is included at no extra charge, making it a cost-effective addition to your existing tools.
✓ Team scheduling capabilities: The Shared Bookings feature makes it easy to manage multiple staff calendars, assign appointments to specific team members, and maintain visibility across your organization.
✓ Customizable booking forms: Collect the information you need from customers through custom fields, helping you prepare for appointments and gather relevant details in advance.
✓ Automated communications: Reduce no-shows with automated email confirmations and reminders, saving time and improving attendance rates.
✓ Virtual meeting integration: Direct integration with Microsoft Teams creates a seamless online meeting experience, automatically generating unique meeting links for each appointment.
✓ Centralized management: Administrators can control settings, monitor booking activity, and manage staff availability from a central dashboard.
✓ Mobile accessibility: Both administrators and customers can access Bookings on mobile devices, enabling on-the-go management and booking.
Cons
✗ Requires Microsoft 365 subscription: Unlike standalone scheduling tools, you can't use Bookings without purchasing a Microsoft 365 plan, which may not be cost-effective if you don't need the other included services.
✗ Limited customization options: The booking page design options are relatively basic compared to dedicated scheduling platforms, offering fewer opportunities for extensive branding and customization.
✗ Restricted third-party integrations: While Bookings integrates well with Microsoft products, connections with non-Microsoft tools are limited, potentially creating silos in your workflow if you use diverse software.
✗ Learning curve for administrators: Setting up and configuring Bookings can be more complex than some alternative scheduling tools, requiring time investment to master all features.
✗ Feature limitations on lower-tier plans: Some advanced features like SMS notifications require higher-level subscriptions or additional licenses.
✗ Basic analytics and reporting: The reporting capabilities are somewhat limited compared to specialized scheduling platforms that offer detailed insights and metrics.
✗ Mobile app limitations: The mobile experience is functional but not as robust as the desktop version, which may impact administrators who need to manage bookings on the go.
✗ Email-centric notifications: While email notifications work well, the limited SMS capabilities (requiring additional licensing) may be a drawback for businesses whose customers prefer text communications.
Microsoft Bookings provides solid scheduling functionality within the Microsoft ecosystem, but these limitations are worth considering, especially if you have specific requirements or don't already use Microsoft 365.
Zeeg: A powerful alternative to Microsoft Bookings
For those seeking alternatives to Microsoft Bookings, Zeeg offers a robust scheduling solution with several distinct advantages. Unlike Microsoft Bookings, which requires a Microsoft 365 subscription, Zeeg functions as a standalone scheduling platform accessible to anyone regardless of their existing software ecosystem.
Zeeg stands out with its GDPR-compliant design, ensuring that all data is stored on European servers with end-to-end encryption. This makes it particularly valuable for businesses concerned about data privacy and regulatory compliance. Here's some key features:
- Multi-calendar integration - Works seamlessly with Google Calendar, Microsoft Outlook, and Apple Calendar simultaneously
- Smart lead routing - Directs meetings to appropriate team members based on customer attributes
- Round robin and other team scheduling options - Offers round-robin distribution and collective appointments that find mutually agreeable times
- Payment processing - Allows businesses to collect payments during the booking process
- Customizable booking pages - Provides extensive branding and design options
- Detailed analytics dashboard - Tracks appointment metrics to optimize scheduling patterns
Zeeg offers a free plan that includes unlimited one-on-one meetings and two scheduling pages, making it accessible for individuals and small teams. Paid plans start at just $7 per month and include additional features like payment processing, advanced customization, and analytics.
For organizations seeking scheduling functionality without committing to Microsoft 365, or those wanting more advanced features and wider integration options, Zeeg represents a compelling alternative that balances accessibility, functionality, and data security.
Zeeg vs. Microsoft Bookings: A detailed comparison
While both Zeeg and Microsoft Bookings aim to solve scheduling challenges, they differ in several key aspects:
Conclusion
Microsoft Bookings transforms the appointment scheduling process by eliminating email back-and-forth and providing a professional booking experience. Whether you're managing individual appointments or coordinating a team's schedule, this versatile tool can help optimize your time management while improving customer satisfaction. For those seeking alternatives with more specialized features or who don't require a full Microsoft 365 subscription, Zeeg offers an excellent option with advanced capabilities and flexible pricing plans.
When evaluating scheduling solutions for your business, consider your specific needs, existing software ecosystem, and budget constraints to choose the option that best aligns with your operational requirements and growth plans.
