Bookings

What is Bookings?

Microsoft Bookings is an online scheduling tool that’s part of the Microsoft 365 suite. It helps businesses and organizations streamline appointment booking by allowing customers to schedule time with staff members through a web-based calendar. Bookings integrates with Outlook calendars to ensure availability is always up to date, reducing scheduling conflicts and manual coordination.

It’s particularly useful for service-based businesses like salons, clinics, academic institutions, or support teams.

Why Use Bookings?

Microsoft Bookings eliminates the back-and-forth emails or phone calls traditionally needed to confirm an appointment. Here's why it's a valuable tool:

• 24/7 Self-Service Scheduling: Customers can book appointments at any time.
• Real-Time Availability: Syncs with Outlook calendars to show real-time free/busy slots.
• Automatic Notifications: Sends confirmation emails and reminders to reduce no-shows.
• Customer Management: Stores customer data for future bookings and reporting.
• Custom Booking Pages: Create a public-facing booking page tailored to your services and branding.

Whether you're booking consultations, interviews, services, or support sessions, Microsoft Bookings simplifies the entire process.

Is Bookings Free?

Microsoft Bookings is not a standalone free tool, but it is included with several Microsoft 365 plans , such as:

• Microsoft 365 Business Standard
• Microsoft 365 A3 and A5 (for education)
• Office 365 E3 and E5 (for enterprise users)

📝 Bookings is not available in Microsoft 365 Business Basic or Microsoft 365 Apps-only plans.

If you're already subscribed to a compatible Microsoft 365 plan, there is no extra cost to use Microsoft Bookings.

Key Features of Bookings

Feature	Description
Custom Booking Page	Create a public or internal booking page branded with your logo and colors
Service Availability	Define services, durations, staff availability, and time buffers
Outlook Integration	Auto-syncs with Outlook calendars to prevent double bookings
Email Notifications	Sends appointment confirmations and reminders automatically
Customer Management	Maintains a customer list with past appointment history
Permission Controls	Control who can create and manage bookings within your organization
Reports and Analytics	Track appointment volume and customer trends

How to Access Microsoft Bookings in Office 365?

To access Microsoft Bookings:

1. Visit: https://book.ms or https://office.com
2. Sign in with your Microsoft 365 account
3. Click the Bookings app icon (you may find it under "All Apps")
4. Create your Bookings calendar and configure services, staff, and availability

Alternatively, administrators can access and manage Bookings via the Microsoft 365 Admin Center, where settings can be enabled or restricted per user.

Summary

Key Point	Details
Product Name	Microsoft Bookings
Purpose	Online scheduling and appointment management
Included In	Microsoft 365 Business Standard, A3/A5, Office 365 E3/E5
Free to Use?	Not standalone free, but included in select M365 subscriptions
Access Method	book.ms, office.com, M365 apps
Integrates With	Outlook, Teams, Exchange, Calendar

Microsoft Bookings is a convenient, professional, and automated way to handle scheduling, whether you're serving clients, internal teams, or external partners. If you're already using Microsoft 365, this tool is a hidden gem waiting to save you time and simplify your booking process.