Where to Find Optional Attendees in New Outlook After Leaving Classic Outlook

When you switch from Classic Outlook to the new Outlook for Windows, many familiar features appear in different locations. One common point of confusion is the Optional Attendees field, which was clearly labeled in the classic meeting form. In the new Outlook, this field is still present but is labeled differently and tucked into a collapsible section. This article explains exactly where to find the Optional Attendees field in new Outlook and how to use it when scheduling meetings.

Why the Optional Attendees Field Moved in New Outlook

In Classic Outlook, the meeting form displayed two separate text boxes side by side: Required Attendees and Optional Attendees. This layout made it obvious where to type each category. In new Outlook for Windows, Microsoft redesigned the meeting form to reduce visual clutter. The Required and Optional fields are now combined into a single input area with a toggle.

The technical change is purely a user interface simplification. No functionality was removed. The meeting invitation still sends the same MAPI properties: the requiredAttendees and optionalAttendees properties in the IPM.Appointment object are populated correctly regardless of which UI method you use. The new design uses a single attendee input box with a dropdown or inline link to switch between Required and Optional status.

New Outlook also removed the separate Scheduling Assistant button from the ribbon. Instead, the Scheduling Assistant is now a tab within the meeting form itself. This change affects where you find the Optional Attendees field because the Scheduling Assistant in new Outlook provides a different method for adding optional attendees.

Steps to Add Optional Attendees in New Outlook

You can add optional attendees in two ways: directly from the meeting form or through the Scheduling Assistant. Both methods achieve the same result. Use the method that feels more comfortable based on your Classic Outlook experience.

Method 1: Using the Meeting Form

1. Open a new meeting invitation
   Click Calendar on the left navigation bar. Then click New Event or double-click a time slot on your calendar grid.
2. Locate the Required attendees field
   In the meeting form that opens, you see a text box labeled “Add required attendees” or simply “Required attendees.” This is the single attendee input field.
3. Click the Optional link
   Below the Required attendees input box, look for the word “Optional” in blue. Click it. The label above the input box changes to “Optional attendees” and the placeholder text changes to “Add optional attendees.”
4. Type the attendee names or email addresses
   Start typing a name from your address book or type a full email address. New Outlook suggests matching contacts as you type. Press Enter or select a suggestion to add each person.
5. Switch back to Required if needed
   To add a required attendee after adding optional ones, click the “Required” link that now appears below the input box. The label switches back.
6. Send the invitation
   Click Send in the top-left corner of the meeting form. All attendees receive the invitation with the correct attendance type.

Method 2: Using the Scheduling Assistant

1. Open a new meeting invitation
   Create a new event as described in Method 1.
2. Switch to the Scheduling Assistant tab
   In the meeting form, look for a tab bar near the top. Click “Scheduling Assistant.” The view changes to a table showing attendee schedules.
3. Add attendees in the table
   In the Scheduling Assistant pane, you see a row labeled “All Attendees.” Below it, click the “Add attendees” text box. Type a name or email address and press Enter.
4. Change attendee type to Optional
   After adding an attendee, look at the column to the right of their name. It shows a dropdown menu with the options Required, Optional, and Resource. Click the dropdown and select Optional.
5. Return to the event details tab
   Click the “Event Details” tab at the top to return to the main meeting form. The attendees you added appear in the single input box, but their type is preserved.
6. Send the invitation
   Click Send to distribute the meeting request with the correct attendee types.

If You Cannot See the Optional Link or Scheduling Assistant

The Optional link does not appear below the Required field

This occurs when the meeting form is too narrow. New Outlook dynamically hides the Optional link if the window width is below approximately 500 pixels. Resize the meeting form window by dragging its edge to make it wider. The Optional link reappears below the input box. If you use Outlook on a tablet or phone, the link may always be hidden. In that case, use the Scheduling Assistant method instead.

The Scheduling Assistant tab is missing

The Scheduling Assistant tab may not appear if you are editing an existing meeting that was created in Classic Outlook and the meeting has already been sent. For new meetings, the tab should always be visible. If it is missing, close the meeting form and open a completely new event. If the problem persists, repair your Outlook profile via File > Options > Mail > Accounts > Repair.

Attendees receive the wrong type after sending

This happens if you switch between Required and Optional after typing names but before sending. The attendee type is captured at the moment you press Enter or select a suggestion. If you change the toggle after adding a name, the already-added attendee retains their original type. To fix this, remove the attendee by clicking the X next to their name, switch the toggle to the correct type, and re-add them.

Item	Classic Outlook	New Outlook
Attendee field layout	Two separate text boxes for Required and Optional	Single text box with Required/Optional toggle link
Optional attendee access	Directly visible in the meeting form	Click “Optional” link below the input box or use Scheduling Assistant
Scheduling Assistant location	Button on the ribbon	Tab inside the meeting form
Attendee type change method	Drag attendee between text boxes	Dropdown in Scheduling Assistant or toggle link in form
Window resizing effect	No effect on visibility	Narrow window hides the Optional link

You can now reliably find the Optional Attendees field in new Outlook using either the toggle link in the meeting form or the dropdown in the Scheduling Assistant. Next time you schedule a meeting, try using the Scheduling Assistant tab to see all attendees in a single table view. If you frequently switch between Required and Optional, remember that you must change the toggle before adding each name, not after.