Connect Outlook or Microsoft 365
Business Box works with Outlook.com, Hotmail, Live and Microsoft 365 work or school accounts. The one difference between them is Teams: only work and school accounts can create Teams meetings.
Go to Booking → Calendars, press Connect Microsoft calendar, accept the permissions, then press Write bookings here on the calendar that should receive your bookings.
Connecting#
- Go to Booking → Calendars.
- Press Connect Microsoft calendar.
- Sign in to the Microsoft account whose calendar you use. It need not be the account you sign in to Business Box with.
- On Permissions requested, press Accept.
- You return to the Calendars page with Microsoft calendar connected.
What Microsoft is asking, and why#
| Permission | What it is used for |
|---|---|
| Sign you in and read your profile | Knowing which account is connected, so the Calendars page can show it. |
| Read and write your calendars | Reading busy times so a booked hour is never offered, and creating, moving and removing the entry for each booking. |
| Maintain access to data you have given it access to | Keeping the connection alive so it does not break every hour. This is what lets the connection keep working without asking you again. |
Revoke it whenever you like, from your Microsoft account privacy settings, or with Disconnect in Business Box.
If Microsoft says it needs admin approval#
On a work or school account, some organisations require an administrator to approve new applications. You will see Need admin approval. Either use the request approval box on that screen if your organisation offers it, or ask whoever manages your Microsoft 365 tenant to approve Business Box for calendar access. Nothing can be done from inside Business Box to bypass it.
Meanwhile you can connect a Google calendar, or run without a calendar — bookings still work.
Choosing which calendars do what#
The same two independent decisions as Google. Tick Check for conflicts on every calendar that means you are genuinely busy, and press Write bookings here on the single calendar that should receive bookings. Calendars you cannot write to show Read only.
Until one calendar is set to receive bookings, an amber note says so on the Calendars page, and no Teams links can be created.
Microsoft Teams links#
With a Microsoft work or school calendar receiving your bookings, set an event type's location to Microsoft Teams on its Details tab. A Teams link is created with the calendar entry and reaches the customer in their confirmation, their calendar invitation and as a Join meeting button on their booking page.
This is Microsoft's restriction, not ours. On an Outlook.com, Hotmail or Live account the booking would name Teams and give your customer nothing to click, so Business Box warns you: Microsoft doesn't allow personal accounts to create Teams meetings…
Two ways round it. Connect a work or school account, or choose Custom as the location and paste your own permanent meeting link — a personal Teams link, Zoom, Google Meet, anything. Custom text is written per language, so you can give English and Japanese joining instructions.
What a booking looks like in Outlook#
An entry with the event type's name and the customer's name, their answers, and the Teams link if there is one. The customer is added as an attendee, so Outlook sends its own invitation alongside the Business Box confirmation.
Drag that entry to a new time in Outlook and Business Box follows: the booking moves and reminders are re-timed. Delete it and Business Box flags it and emails you instead of assuming the appointment is off — see changes you make in your own calendar.
If something is wrong#
- Needs reconnecting
- Microsoft has withdrawn the token — commonly after a password change or a new security policy. Press Reconnect. Booking pages offer no times while a calendar is in this state.
- Teams meetings need a work or school Microsoft account
- Exactly what it says. Use Custom with your own meeting link, or connect a work account.
- A calendar is missing
- Press Refresh on the connection. Shared calendars you only have read access to appear as Read only.
More in Troubleshooting.
Common questions
How do I connect Outlook to Business Box?
Go to Booking → Calendars and press Connect Microsoft calendar, sign in, and accept the permissions. Then press Write bookings here on the calendar that should receive bookings.
Why can I not use Microsoft Teams as a location?
Because Microsoft does not let personal accounts (Outlook.com, Hotmail, Live) create Teams meetings. Either connect a work or school Microsoft 365 account, or set the location to Custom and paste your own meeting link.
Microsoft says the app needs admin approval. What do I do?
Your organisation requires an administrator to approve new applications. Use the request box on Microsoft’s screen if it offers one, or ask whoever manages your Microsoft 365 tenant to approve calendar access. Nothing in Business Box can bypass it.
Can I connect both Google and Microsoft calendars?
Yes. Connect as many as you like and tick Check for conflicts on each one that means you are busy. Only one calendar in total receives your bookings, and that choice decides whether Meet or Teams links are possible.
Last reviewed 28 September 2026.