Planner - add plan to outlook calendar, publish share with Anyone. Restrict access

If I may add to the original question:

The description of the second option, "Anyone with an internet connection can use the iCalendar link to see task information for this plan and add it to their Outlook calendar." makes it seem like publishing plans to Outlook can invite a security risk. The wording leads me to believe anyone with the link, whether they are a member of our company/tenant or not, can view that information. If that is correct, that seems quite vulnerable.

Please provide insight on this question. We would love to use this feature, but I worry about the possible security risks involved. Thank you.

As Matt Van Noy says below.

The second option suggests a security risk.

Publish, Share with anyone

It's not for me, it's for a work colleague wanting to add a plan to her Outlook and allow plan members to add it to their calendar, but no one outside the Plan.

Is that possible?

She is reluctant to use it because that wording implies all access or none.

Sorry, just to clarify...

Assuming the owner just wants to see the task on their own calendar. What would they do?

Dear User,

Thanks for writing back to us.

As per the further updates, I would like to let you know that the members in the Plan of Microsoft Planner will not see the option Add plan to Outlook calendarby default and they can see the option Add plan to Oultook only when the owners of Plan has select the option Publish, share with anyone.

However, the members won't be able to see or get the iCalendar link when they click on Add plan to Outlook. Moreover, if they click on Add plan to Outlook, it will directly take to Outlook for the web.

The window Add plan to Outlook Calendar with an iCalendar Feedis only for the owners of the Plan.

Since you requirement is to allow members of the Plan to add the plan to Outlook Calendar, you can ask the owner of the Plan to set Publish, share with Anyone and don't share iCalendar link to any user.

@Matt Van Noy, yes, iCalendar link will allow any user to add the Plan to their mailbox calendar but the link can be shared by the owner of the Plan only because the members will not have Add plan to Outlook Calendar with an iCalendar Feed window.

If still there is any misunderstanding, we apologize and request you to share the more detailed information which will help us to better understand and guide you further.

Appreciate your patience with us and have a wonderful day!!

Best Regards,

Sophia

Dear User,

Good day!!

Apologies for the inconvenience caused and please don’t worry, let’s work together on your concern and move towards a resolution path.

I understand your concern and I would like to convey that I have tested the behavior at my end, where I noticed the following behavior:

If the owner of the Plan has choose the option Don’t publish, keep private then members of the Plan will not be able to see the option Add Plan to Calendar:

If the owner of the Planner has enabled the Publish, share with anyone option in Add plan to Calendar, then the members will be add the Calendar to their Outlook but there will not have access to the iCalender link unless it’s shared by the owner of the Plan. From the members end, when they click on Add plan to Calender, it will directly take them their Outlook for the web for adding it the Calendar:

In conclusion, the members will not have access iCalendar link and only the owners of the Plan will have access to the iCalendar link, where accessing the iCalendar link will download the ics file and it can be imported to the users calendar.

However, the owners of the Plan, need to click on Add to Outlook so that the Plan calendar will be added to the Outlook.

If there is any misunderstanding or confusion, we are sorry and request you to share the more detailed information which will help us to better understand and guide you further.

Appreciate your patience and understanding. Have a great day!!

Best Regards,

Sophia