How to Forward a Meeting Invite to a New Attendee in Outlook

You have a scheduled meeting in Outlook and need to invite someone new. The original organizer may be unavailable, or you need to delegate attendance. Forwarding the meeting invitation is the standard method for this task.

This action sends the calendar item as an email attachment. The new recipient can then add the meeting to their own calendar. This article explains the steps to forward a meeting from your calendar view.

Understanding Meeting Forwarding in Outlook

When you forward a meeting from your Outlook calendar, you are not changing the official attendee list managed by the organizer. You are sending a copy of the meeting details. The recipient receives an email with an .ics file attachment.

Double-clicking this file prompts them to accept the meeting, which adds it to their calendar. This is useful for informing colleagues of meetings they should attend or for delegating your spot. The meeting organizer will not be notified of this forward action automatically.

You need the meeting open in your calendar to perform this action. It works for meetings you organized and meetings you were invited to. The process is identical in Outlook for Microsoft 365 on Windows 11 and Windows 10.

Steps to Forward a Meeting Invitation

Follow these steps to send a meeting from your calendar to a new person. Ensure you are in the Calendar module of Outlook.

1. Open your Outlook Calendar
   Click the calendar icon in the bottom-left navigation pane or go to the View tab and select Calendar.
2. Locate and open the meeting
   Navigate to the date of the meeting. Double-click the meeting entry in your calendar view to open it in a new window.
3. Click the Forward button
   In the opened meeting window, look for the Forward button in the Respond group on the Meeting tab. Click it once.
4. Address the new email
   A new email message will open with the meeting attached as an .ics file. In the To field, enter the email address of the new attendee.
5. Add a message and send
   You can type an explanatory note in the body of the email. Click the Send button to forward the meeting invitation.

Using the Right-Click Method

You can also forward without fully opening the meeting window.

1. Right-click the meeting in the calendar grid
   In your calendar view, find the meeting and right-click on it.
2. Select Forward
   From the context menu that appears, choose Forward. This opens the same email composition window with the meeting attached.
3. Complete and send the email
   Add the recipient’s email address, any message, and click Send.

Common Mistakes and Limitations

The Recipient Says They Didn’t Get the Meeting

The meeting was sent as an email attachment. The recipient should check their Junk Email folder. They must open the attached .ics file and click Accept to add it to their calendar. Simply receiving the email does not add the event.

Forwarding a Meeting Does Not Update the Organizer’s List

The original meeting organizer’s attendee list remains unchanged. If the new attendee needs to be an official participant, you must contact the organizer to send a new invitation from the original meeting series.

Cannot Forward a Meeting Marked as Private

If the meeting organizer marked the appointment as Private, you cannot forward its details. The Forward option will be grayed out. You will need to request the details directly from the organizer.

Confusion Between Forward and Forward as iCalendar

The Forward command is correct for most users. The Forward as iCalendar option on the same menu is designed for sending to someone who uses a non-Outlook calendar application. For typical Outlook-to-Outlook forwarding, use the standard Forward button.

Forward vs. Add Attendee: Key Differences

Item	Forward Meeting	Add Attendee (Organizer Only)
Who can do it	Any current attendee	Only the meeting organizer
Effect on attendee list	No change; sends a copy	Officially updates the meeting
Organizer notification	Not automatic	N/A; organizer performs action
Recipient action	Must open .ics file attachment	Receives a direct Outlook invitation
Best for	Informing or delegating to others	Formally expanding the participant list

You can now successfully forward any meeting from your Outlook calendar to a new person. The recipient will get an email they can use to add the event. For a more formal update, ask the meeting organizer to use the Add Attendee function from the original invitation. Remember that using the Scheduling Assistant after forwarding can help the new attendee check the meeting time against their own calendar.