Blocked off time on calendar isn't showing blocked in Bookings Staff Calendar

Question

I blocked off a time on the staff members calendar that is connected to a bookings page. But when I go into Microsoft Bookings>Select Booking Page>Go to Staff Section>Select Staff Member>Go to Calendar and Availability tab, I don't see it blocked off.

Answer 1

Dear @Ben,

Thanks for providing the details about the behavior you're seeing. I understand how inconvenient it can be when a blocked time appears correctly in Outlook but is not reflected in Microsoft Bookings. 

The staff profile involved is configured as a Guest account. Microsoft Bookings can only use Outlook calendar availability from internal Microsoft 365 users within the same tenant. Guest or external accounts don't publish free and busy information to Bookings. 

As a result, calendar events created in Outlook for a Guest staff profile don't block availability in the Bookings staff calendar. 

Here are some options you can consider: 

Option 1: Use an internal Microsoft 365 user for calendar synchronization 

If it is possible to use an internal account for this staff member, this is the recommended approach to ensure Outlook and Bookings stay in sync. 

Add or replace the staff member with an internal Microsoft 365 user from the tenant. 

Assign a role such as Team member or Viewer in Microsoft Bookings. 

Open the staff profile in Bookings. 

Go to Edit staff > Availability. 

Enable the setting “Events on Office calendar affect availability”. 

Once this option is enabled, Outlook events marked as Busy, Tentative, or Out of office will automatically block availability in Bookings. 

• What to verify after making this change: 

Create the calendar block in Outlook. 

Create the event after enabling the availability setting. 

Check the Bookings staff calendar to confirm the time no longer appears available for booking. 

Option 2: Workarounds if the staff must remain a Guest 

If the staff member must remain set up as a Guest account, availability can still be managed directly within Bookings. 

• Add time off in Microsoft Bookings 

Open Microsoft Bookings. 

Go to the Calendar view. 

Select Add time off. 

Choose the staff member and specify the date and time range. 

This method blocks the time in Bookings even when Outlook calendar synchronization is not supported. 

• Limit availability at the service level 

Open the service settings in Microsoft Bookings > Availability options.

Select “Set availability for a different date range”. 

Define specific bookable hours or mark individual dates as not bookable. 

This option is useful when availability needs to be restricted for certain days or events. 

Additional information is available in the following resources:  

Add team members to Bookings | Microsoft Learn 

Schedule business closures, time off, and vacation time | Microsoft Learn 

Configure service availability | Microsoft Learn 

I completely understand how these limitations in Bookings can feel disruptive. It’s not just about aesthetics; these differences can genuinely affect how smoothly you work and navigate your day. 

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 Bookings · Community. This is the most effective way to ensure your voice reaches the product team and can be considered for future improvements.  

Once you've submitted your feedback, feel free to share the link here in the comments. I’ll be happy to upvote it to help bring more visibility. If you prefer, I can also submit this great idea on your behalf. Just let me know, and I’ll post it for you and share the link once it’s published. I’m here to help ensure your feedback gets the attention it deserves. 

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 the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have any extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".            

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.