Remove the "Attend Virtually" option from an in-person event invitation

Question

We are planning an in-person event that will NOT have an option to attend virtually. Yet when I send the invitation marked "In-person," the default responses give the option to attend virtually. How can I turn this off?

Answer 1

Hi @Elizabeth Cocco Rodrigues, 

Welcome to the Microsoft Q&A forum. 

Thank you for the clear details and for the steps you have already taken. From your description, you are organizing an in person event in the new Outlook and want to remove the “Attend virtually” choice from the RSVP options.  

This choice appears because hybrid RSVP is built into the new Outlook. When an organizer marks an event as in person, invitees can indicate Yes in person or Yes virtually, and the organizer can track those preferences. In addition, if the setting Add online meeting to all meetings is enabled, Outlook automatically adds a Teams link to invitations, which further encourages a virtual response path. At present there is no user level switch that hides the virtual option while keeping the in person indicator, therefore the practical approach is to send a standard physical meeting with no online elements and ensure the automatic online meeting setting is turned off.  

Below are some workable options that might be the most appropriate for your current situation:  

1/ Send a clean in person invitation 

• Open the event, turn off the Teams meeting option, remove any join links from the body, confirm a physical location is present, and send an update.  
• If the invitation previously contained an online link, recreating it as a new meeting can help ensure there is no residual online meeting data. 

2/ Turn off automatic online meetings in the new Outlook 

• In Outlook, go to Settings, choose Calendar, then Events and invitations, and turn off Add online meeting to all meetings. Save your change.  
• This prevents Outlook from attaching a Teams link by default to future invitations.  

3/ Ask your Microsoft 365 admin to set the defaults at organization and mailbox level 

• Your admin can disable online meetings by default for everyone and, if needed, apply the same default for your mailbox.  
• These controls are available through Exchange Online and help make sure no online meeting is added behind the scenes.  

Alternatively, as a forum moderator, I hope you understand that I don’t have the ability to modify or escalate product issues directly. However, I strongly recommend submitting your feedback through the Outlook (new) · Community.This is the most effective way to ensure your voice reaches the product team and can be considered about how company-only contacts are handled in search results, with potential improvements being considered  for future improvements.       

You've clearly identified a real-world challenge, and your suggestion reflects a deep understanding of user needs - feedback like yours is truly valuable and helps shape the future of Microsoft team. 

Once you’ve submitted your feedback, feel free to share the link here. I’d be happy to upvote it to help increase its visibility.  Moreover, if you are unable to submit feedback, please inform me at your convenience. In that case, I will gladly assist by submitting it on your behalf to ensure your request is properly captured.          

Additionally, as other users have raised similar concerns and may not be aware of where to share their feedback, I hope this response helps clarify the situation and suggests a potential next step. Highlighting this information can make it more visible to others in the community who may be facing the same issue, making it easier for them to find guidance and contribute their feedback as well.    

Thank you again for your time and for raising this important usability concern. If you have any further questions or need additional assistance, please don’t hesitate to reach out.    

Wishing you a smooth rest of your day. 

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Answer 2

The “Yes, virtually” option is built into Outlook’s in‑person event feature and cannot be removed or hidden.

In new Outlook and Outlook on the web, when an event is marked as In-person event, invitees always see three RSVP choices:

• Yes, in person
• Yes, virtually
• Yes (no attendance mode)

There is no setting in new Outlook to turn off or customize these specific response options. To avoid offering a virtual option, the only workaround is not to use the In-person event toggle and instead create a standard meeting/appointment, then clearly state in the body that attendance is in person only.

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References:

• Schedule in-person events in Outlook
• New Outlook tips for executive admins and delegates