How to send a meeting invite in Outlook on Mac: steps for Microsoft 365 in 2026

What you need before you send an invite

You need Outlook for Mac on a supported macOS version. Microsoft's new Outlook for Mac page lists macOS 10.14 Mojave or later and Outlook 16.42 or later on the Current Channel. To check your build, open Outlook and select Outlook > About Outlook. Microsoft lists lower numbers for the Preview channel (16.40) and the Beta channel (16.32), so check the channel as well as the number.

Your account type matters too. Microsoft ties the Scheduling Assistant step to work or school accounts, and its features page lists that tool for version 16.58 and later. A personal account may not show it, so the steps below say where to look for it.

Send a meeting invite, step by step

Work through the steps in order. Each one matches a field or button in the event window. Most invites need only the people, a time, and Send. The other fields are useful, but you can skip them for a quick internal meeting.

Second method: send from the Home tab

Microsoft's Mac page describes a second route that starts from the Home tab. At the bottom of the navigation pane, select Calendar. On the Home tab, select Meeting. Type people in To, then add a Subject and a Location. Select Send to finish. Both routes end at the same Send button, so the same rules about Save apply.

Save or Send decides whether anyone gets it

Save and Send do different jobs. Mixing them up is the most common reason an invite never reaches anyone. Send delivers the invitation to attendees. Save keeps the event on your calendar only. Microsoft's page says that saving an appointment uses Save & Close, which does not notify anyone else.

Microsoft's keyboard list says ⌘ Return sends the open message. That list covers Outlook for Microsoft 365, Outlook 2024, and Outlook 2021 for Mac. It does not name the new app, so test ⌘ Return on a meeting you can cancel before you depend on it.

Add a location, a room, or a Teams link

The location field sits in the same event window as the people fields. Type a room name or an address, and it appears on the invite. Keep it short so people can read it in the calendar grid. Select Add online meeting to attach a video link instead.

Microsoft's features page says Teams is on by default for meetings in the new app, and it lists a Join online meeting button. Give the link a minute before you send. A Microsoft Q&A thread reports that, on version 16.109.2, the Teams join link can take about 3 to 5 minutes to appear. Until then, the meeting shows Online meeting. A moderator confirmed the behavior and offered no fix.

Schedule a meeting in Outlook on Mac with Scheduling Assistant

Scheduling Assistant helps you compare the free and busy times of the people you add. Pick a slot that shows free for everyone who must attend. Then set the start and end date to match. If the slot you want is busy for someone, move the time and check again instead of sending anyway.

Keep the required list short. Every person you add as required is a schedule you need to match. Add only the people who must attend as required, and leave everyone else off until you know they need the invite.

Add someone to a meeting that already exists

Adding a person later has a catch on the Mac. A Microsoft Q&A answer from a community member says the new Outlook for Mac does not offer a choice to send updates only to the added attendee. Adding someone sends an update to all attendees. Outlook on the web and Classic Outlook for Windows do offer that choice.

If that matters for your meeting, you have two options. You can send the new person a separate message with the details, or add them from Outlook on the web. Pick the option that keeps the rest of the group from getting an update they do not need.

Why an invite stays saved and never leaves

A Microsoft Q&A thread reports that in the new Outlook for Mac, the invite saves to the organizer's calendar but is not sent. The poster says attendees were removed when they selected Edit. The poster also says Outlook on the web, legacy Outlook, and the mobile apps work. The only answer in that thread was AI-generated, and no fix is confirmed.

Work through these checks in order. Each one rules out the cause that is easiest to fix.

1. Confirm you pressed Send, not Save.
2. Open the event again and check that every required person is still listed. If they vanished after Edit, add them back before you send.
3. Update the app through Help > Check for Updates, then try once more.
4. Send the same meeting from Outlook on the web. If it arrives there but not from the Mac app, the fault sits in the Mac app. Note the details and report it through Microsoft's community or support channel.

Legacy Outlook for Mac and the October 2026 cutoff

Microsoft's end-of-support page gives the dates. Exchange Web Services retires on October 1, 2026. Legacy Outlook for Mac keeps running on Exchange on premises until October 9, 2029, with security updates only. This guide was researched in November 2026, so the October 2026 date has already passed for work accounts.

Some vendor notices mention a later deadline. Microsoft's own page does not confirm one in the text we opened. Ask your IT admin which date applies to your organization before you plan around any deadline.

To switch, open legacy Outlook for Mac and turn off the Legacy Outlook switch. To go back, open the Help menu and select Revert to Legacy Outlook. Accounts added in one app do not appear in the other, so add your account again in the new app and check your calendars.

Common mistakes that stop an invite from landing

• Pressing Save when you meant Send. Save keeps the event on your calendar only.
• Creating an event with ⌘N and never adding required people. No one gets an invite until you add them.
• Sending before you pick the right match from the name suggestions.
• Expecting Scheduling Assistant on a personal account. Microsoft ties it to work or school accounts.
• Staying on legacy Outlook for Mac with a work account after the October 2026 cutoff.
• Trusting a shortcut from a third-party site. ShortcutRef gives ⌘⇧Q for a new meeting request, other sites say ⌘⇧M, and Microsoft confirms neither.

Keyboard shortcuts you can rely on

Microsoft's keyboard list gives five shortcuts that touch this task. ⌘N makes a new appointment in Calendar. ⌘ Return sends the open message. ⌘2 opens the calendar view, ⌘O opens the selected event, and ⌘T shows today. Microsoft lists no shortcut for a new meeting request, so start with ⌘N and then add people.

Some websites list ⌘⇧Q or ⌘⇧M for a new meeting request. Those sources disagree, and Microsoft does not back either one. Open each menu in the menu bar and read the shortcut next to each item. That shows what your copy of Outlook actually uses.

Where to go next

If the meeting needs a shared calendar or mailbox, read How to add a shared mailbox in Outlook on Mac. If invites fail because the account itself is wrong, check How to add an email account in Outlook on Mac. If you are away while invites arrive, turn on automatic replies.