Microsoft Bookings Getting Started Guide

Questions

  • How do I log in to Microsoft Bookings for the first time?
  • Where do I access Microsoft Bookings?
  • How do I create my first Bookings calendar?
  • What is Microsoft Bookings and how does it work at Bowdoin?
  • How do I start setting up appointment booking for my office hours?
  • How do I keep Bookings from double-booking my Outlook calendar?

Environment

This article applies to Bowdoin College faculty and staff who are new to Microsoft Bookings. Bookings is included with your Bowdoin Microsoft 365 account. It is an online scheduling tool for creating appointment booking calendars, originally designed for small businesses but equally useful for academic scheduling, office hours, advising, and departmental appointments.

Terminology note: Bookings uses business-oriented language. For example, "customers" refers to the people booking appointments with you (usually students), and "services" refers to the types of appointments you offer. See Understand Common Terminology Used in Microsoft Bookings in the Related Articles section for a full glossary.

Resolution

  1. Go to office.com and sign in with your Bowdoin email address and password.
  2. Select the app launcher (the waffle icon) in the upper-left corner.
  3. Select Bookings from the app list. If you do not see it, select All Apps and select Bookings from there.
  4. Select Get it now on the Bookings landing page.
  5. Select + to add your first Bookings calendar and enter a name for it.
  6. Optionally enter your business information, then select Continue.
Note: If you have already set up a Bookings calendar before, Bookings will open directly into that calendar.

Important first-time setup tips

  • Set your time zone: Select the Booking Page tab and select Change language and time zone settings to set your correct time zone. See Set Your Time Zone in Microsoft Bookings in the Related Articles section.
  • Sync with your Outlook calendar: Under the Booking Page tab, set availability to Bookable when staff are free so Bookings checks your Outlook calendar to prevent double-booking.
  • Cancel appointments through Bookings, not Outlook: Deleting a Bookings appointment from your Outlook calendar will not cancel it in Bookings. Always cancel through the Microsoft Bookings website so that both you and the attendee receive a cancellation notice. See Cancel an Appointment in Microsoft Bookings in the Related Articles section.

Additional Help

If you need further assistance, you have several options:

  • Bowdoin Bot: Chat with Bowdoin Bot directly from any KB page for instant answers.
  • Phone: Call the Bowdoin College Service Desk at (207) 725-3030.
  • In person: Visit the Tech Hub in Smith Union during business hours.
  • Submit a ticket: Request assistance through the Service Catalog.
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Related Articles (7)

Cancel an Appointment in Microsoft Bookings
Step-by-step instructions for cancelling an appointment from within the Microsoft Bookings website so the attendee receives a cancellation notice. Explains that deleting the appointment from the Outlook calendar does not cancel it in Bookings. Applies to Bowdoin faculty and staff who own or manage a Microsoft Bookings calendar.
Find an Alternative to Calendly at Bowdoin
Explains that Bowdoin College does not license Calendly and points to Microsoft Personal Bookings as the built-in self-scheduling alternative included with a Bowdoin Microsoft 365 account. Notes that Microsoft Bookings is the option for shared team or departmental scheduling. Applies to all Bowdoin students, faculty, and staff.
Find Online Video and Text Tutorials for Microsoft Bookings
Points to online resources for learning Microsoft Bookings, including Microsoft's official "Get started" documentation and a LinkedIn Learning video course. Applies to Bowdoin faculty and staff who want to set up and use Microsoft Bookings.
Remove the Service Price from Microsoft Bookings
Explains how to remove or hide the price shown next to an appointment type in Microsoft Bookings by setting the service's default price to "Price not set." Applies to Bowdoin faculty and staff who offer free appointments and do not want a price displayed.
Schedule Office Hours Using Microsoft Bookings
A complete walkthrough for setting up a Microsoft Bookings calendar so students or others can self-schedule appointments during office hours. Covers logging in, creating the calendar, configuring business settings and services, setting up the staff profile, and publishing the booking page. Applies to Bowdoin faculty and staff, who get Microsoft Bookings at no additional cost with their Microsoft 365 account.
Set Your Time Zone in Microsoft Bookings
Explains how to change a Microsoft Bookings calendar from the default Universal Time Zone to your local time zone so availability displays correctly for people booking appointments. Applies to Bowdoin faculty, staff, and students using Microsoft Bookings.
Understand Common Terminology Used in Microsoft Bookings
A glossary that translates the business-oriented terms in the Microsoft Bookings interface into their equivalents for a college setting, including bookings, staff, business, customers, booking page, and services. Applies to Bowdoin faculty and staff using Microsoft Bookings.