For any meeting scheduled in Microsoft’s Outlook calendar, you can make attendance optional or required for any attendee. Each attendee will default to ‘required’ unless you specify otherwise. Follow the steps below (or watch our quick video tutorial) to make someone optional in an Outlook meeting invite.

Step 1: Create A Meeting Invite

From your Outlook calendar, create a meeting invite. Include the date and time of the meeting and add any essential details to the text box below the date and time options. 

Step 2: Click “Optional”

On the same line that you would add your usual attendees, you’ll see the word ‘optional’ at the far right side of that line. This will be located below the title/subject of your meeting. Click on the word “optional” to open a new line.

Step 3: Add Optional Attendees

Once you have clicked “optional”, a new line will appear below the original attendee line. This is where you will add the names of any optional meeting attendees. Be sure to include any required attendees on the line above. 

Step 4: Save Or Send Meeting Invite

Once you have added all required and optional attendees to your meeting, add or review all other details. Be sure to double check the date and time of the meeting, and include any essential details or documents that are relevant to the meeting. From here you can either send or save the meeting invite. To send, click the “send” button in the upper left corner. To save, click the down arrow next to the send button and click “save as draft” to send on a future date. 

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Why Would You Make Someone Optional On A Meeting Invite?

Making someone optional on a meeting invite means that their attendance at the meeting is not mandatory. When you send out a meeting invitation, you can designate certain participants as “optional” or “non-essential” attendees. This means that while you would like them to attend if they are available and it is convenient for them, their presence is not crucial to the meeting’s success, and the meeting can proceed without them.

This can be useful in situations where you want to include someone in the meeting for informational purposes, to keep them in the loop, or to give them the option to contribute if they have relevant input, but you don’t want to create an obligation for them to attend if it’s not necessary.

By marking someone as optional, you are essentially giving them the flexibility to choose whether they want to attend the meeting or not, based on their availability and priorities.

Will Optional Attendees Still Receive Updates To The Meeting Invite?

Yes, optional attendees will receive all of the same updates any required attendees get pertaining to the meeting invite. Any details, attachments, and relevant information is visible to optional attendees.

Both optional and required attendees can also see the list of other attendees at that meeting. This includes attendees that have accepted or declined the meeting invite. 

Learn More About Microsoft Outlook

Microsoft Outlook is useful for its ability to centralize email communication, calendars, and tasks, providing users with a unified platform to efficiently manage their work and personal schedules. Its integration with Microsoft Office Suite tools further enhances productivity, making it a versatile and valuable tool for business and personal use.

To learn more about using this essential tool, check out these related articles:

• What Is An Outlook Appointment vs Meeting?
• How To Forward A Meeting Invite In Outlook
• How To Create A Meeting From An Email