• Outlook User
  • New Outlook app
  • Outlook.com
  • Outlook Mac
  • Outlook & iCloud
  • Developer
  • Microsoft 365 Admin
    • Common Problems
    • Microsoft 365
    • Outlook BCM
    • Utilities & Addins

Group Calendar Invitations

Slipstick Systems

› Microsoft 365 › Group Calendar Invitations

Last reviewed on June 14, 2016     5 Comments

An Office 365 Exchange Online user had question about Group calendars in Office 365 and Outlook 2016. The user is sending invitations to the group and sometimes everyone receives the invitation while other times only some people get a copy. Note: this refers to the new Groups feature in Outlook 2016/Office 365 Exchange Online.

group ribbon show group calendar option

Group calendars invitations work pretty much the same way meeting invites to distribution lists work but because users can choose to receive email from the group, the group members might not receive all messages sent to the group.

If the meeting invites are not being distributed to all members who are subscribed to the group, you need to check the message trace logs in the Exchange admin portal.

When you create a meeting invitation in your calendar and invite the Group, you'll send the meeting invitations to the group and it will be distributed to the members of the group. This is similar to how it works with distribution lists, except the DL doesn't have a calendar.

When you create the meeting invitation in the group calendar directly, the group is the organizer. The meeting is added to the group calendar and all subscribed members of the group will receive a copy.

Group Calendar Invitations was last modified: June 14th, 2016 by Diane Poremsky

Related Posts:

  • If you use Office 365, you can view Internet Calendars (*.ics) in OWA,
    View Outlook.com calendar in OWA?
  • iPhone and the Meeting Request Bug
  • Invitations have not been sent for this meeting
  • Earlier versions of Outlook had a group calendar window that was separ
    Outlook 2010 Group Scheduler

About Diane Poremsky

A Microsoft Outlook Most Valuable Professional (MVP) since 1999, Diane is the author of several books, including Outlook 2013 Absolute Beginners Book. She also created video training CDs and online training classes for Microsoft Outlook. You can find her helping people online in Outlook Forums as well as in the Microsoft Answers and TechNet forums.

Subscribe
Notify of
5 Comments
newest
oldest most voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Melissa
July 9, 2020 5:08 pm

When you have a meeting already set up in the Outlook Group Calendar, and you add members to the group, and delete members, does it automatically send the new members a meeting invite for the meeting that is already set up, or do I need to resend invite. I also will delete members that changes out with other members, does the meeting stay on their calendar, although I have deleted them from the group? I just want to make sure when I add new members, it automatically shows up in their calendars, or they get something about the meeting when I add them. And if they are deleted from the group, the meeting is no longer on their calendar.

1
0
Reply
Greg Edwards
November 1, 2017 5:16 pm

A colleague was complaining because Outlook/Exchange seems to send invites to all group members when a group calendar event has a location, even if she has unchecked the "Send invites to all team members" check box in OWA. I'm guessing it's because the room resource is technically an attendee with a calendar that needs to share updates, which makes the event a meeting, and meetings send invites. Is this just by design, or is there some kind of admin option that could be set to change this behavior? Thanks!

0
0
Reply
Diane Poremsky
Author
Reply to  Greg Edwards
November 2, 2017 12:25 am

if she is changing the location, it will be sent to all attendees as the logic is they will need to know where its held. Time/Date changes also will be sent to all attendees.

1
0
Reply
Danny
November 17, 2016 11:55 am

How many ad groups can you add in one calendar invite?

0
-1
Reply
Diane Poremsky
Author
Reply to  Danny
November 17, 2016 12:28 pm

Any limitation in calendar invites will be the same limitations for sending email to groups.

If it is an Exchange group in the GAL, each group = 1 attendee. (The Exchange admin may limit the number of attendees.)

If its a Contact group in Outlook, the group expands before sending (attendees = number of group members) and you will be limited, either by your SMTP server (if it limits how many people you can send to in one message) or because the addresses exceed the length allowed in the To field (I think it's around 1024 characters).

1
-1
Reply

Visit Slipstick Forums.
What's New at Slipstick.com

Latest EMO: Vol. 30 Issue 34

Subscribe to Exchange Messaging Outlook






Support Services

Do you need help setting up Outlook, moving your email to a new computer, migrating or configuring Office 365, or just need some one-on-one assistance?

Our Sponsors

CompanionLink
ReliefJet
  • Popular
  • Latest
  • Week Month All
  • Use Classic Outlook, not New Outlook
  • Mail Templates in Outlook for Windows (and Web)
  • How to Remove the Primary Account from Outlook
  • Reset the New Outlook Profile
  • Disable "Always ask before opening" Dialog
  • Adjusting Outlook's Zoom Setting in Email
  • This operation has been cancelled due to restrictions
  • How to Hide or Delete Outlook's Default Folders
  • Change Outlook's Programmatic Access Options
  • Shared Mailboxes and the Default 'Send From' Account
  • Opt out of Microsoft 365 Companion Apps
  • Mail Templates in Outlook for Windows (and Web)
  • Urban legend: Microsoft Deletes Old Outlook.com Messages
  • Buttons in the New Message Notifications
  • Move Deleted Items to Another Folder Automatically
  • Open Outlook Templates using PowerShell
  • Count and List Folders in Classic Outlook
  • Google Workspace and Outlook with POP Mail
  • Import EML Files into New Outlook
  • Opening PST files in New Outlook
Ajax spinner

Recent Bugs List

Microsoft keeps a running list of issues affecting recently released updates at Fixes or workarounds for recent issues in classic Outlook (Windows).

For new Outlook for Windows: Fixes or workarounds for recent issues in new Outlook for Windows .

Outlook for Mac Recent issues: Fixes or workarounds for recent issues in Outlook for Mac

Outlook.com Recent issues: Fixes or workarounds for recent issues on Outlook.com

Office Update History

Update history for supported Office versions is at Update history for Office

Outlook Suggestions and Feedback

Outlook Feedback covers Outlook as an email client, including Outlook Android, iOS, Mac, and Windows clients, as well as the browser extension (PWA) and Outlook on the web.

Outlook (new) Feedback. Use this for feedback and suggestions for Outlook (new).

Use Outlook.com Feedback for suggestions or feedback about Outlook.com accounts.

Other Microsoft 365 applications and services




New Outlook Articles

Opt out of Microsoft 365 Companion Apps

Mail Templates in Outlook for Windows (and Web)

Urban legend: Microsoft Deletes Old Outlook.com Messages

Buttons in the New Message Notifications

Move Deleted Items to Another Folder Automatically

Open Outlook Templates using PowerShell

Count and List Folders in Classic Outlook

Google Workspace and Outlook with POP Mail

Import EML Files into New Outlook

Opening PST files in New Outlook

Newest Code Samples

Open Outlook Templates using PowerShell

Count and List Folders in Classic Outlook

Insert Word Document into Email using VBA

Warn Before Deleting a Contact

Use PowerShell to Delete Attachments

Remove RE:, FWD:, and Other Prefixes from Subject Line

Change the Mailing Address Using PowerShell

Categorize @Mentioned Messages

Send an Email When You Open Outlook

Delete Old Calendar Events using VBA

Repair PST

Convert an OST to PST

Repair damaged PST file

Repair large PST File

Remove password from PST

Merge Two Data Files

Sync & Share Outlook Data

  • Share Calendar & Contacts
  • Synchronize two computers
  • Sync Calendar and Contacts Using Outlook.com
  • Sync Outlook & Android Devices
  • Sync Google Calendar with Outlook
  • Access Folders in Other Users Mailboxes

Diane Poremsky [Outlook MVP]

Make a donation

Mail Tools

Sending and Retrieval Tools

Mass Mail Tools

Compose Tools

Duplicate Remover Tools

Mail Tools for Outlook

Online Services

Calendar Tools

Schedule Management

Calendar Printing Tools

Calendar Reminder Tools

Calendar Dates & Data

Time and Billing Tools

Meeting Productivity Tools

Duplicate Remover Tools

Productivity

Productivity Tools

Automatic Message Processing Tools

Special Function Automatic Processing Tools

Housekeeping and Message Management

Task Tools

Project and Business Management Tools

Choosing the Folder to Save a Sent Message In

Run Rules on messages after reading

Help & Suggestions

Submit Outlook Feature Requests

Slipstick Support Services

Buy Microsoft 365 Office Software and Services

Visit Slipstick Forums.

What's New at Slipstick.com

Home | Outlook User | Exchange Administrator | Office 365 | Outlook.com | Outlook Developer
Outlook for Mac | Common Problems | Utilities & Addins | Tutorials
Outlook & iCloud Issues | Outlook Apps
EMO Archives | About Slipstick | Slipstick Forums
Submit New or Updated Outlook and Exchange Server Utilities

Send comments using our Feedback page
Copyright © 2025 Slipstick Systems. All rights reserved.
Slipstick Systems is not affiliated with Microsoft Corporation.

:wpds_smile::wpds_grin::wpds_wink::wpds_mrgreen::wpds_neutral::wpds_twisted::wpds_arrow::wpds_shock::wpds_unamused::wpds_cool::wpds_evil::wpds_oops::wpds_razz::wpds_roll::wpds_cry::wpds_eek::wpds_lol::wpds_mad::wpds_sad::wpds_exclamation::wpds_question::wpds_idea::wpds_hmm::wpds_beg::wpds_whew::wpds_chuckle::wpds_silly::wpds_envy::wpds_shutmouth:
wpDiscuz

Sign up for Exchange Messaging Outlook

Our weekly Outlook & Exchange newsletter (bi-weekly during the summer)






Please note: If you subscribed to Exchange Messaging Outlook before August 2019, please re-subscribe.

Never see this message again.

You are going to send email to

Move Comment