When you create a meeting request in Outlook, you often need to mark certain people as optional attendees rather than required. This distinction helps recipients see whether their presence is mandatory or optional, which improves scheduling and response tracking. In the transition from Classic Outlook to New Outlook, the location of the Optional Attendees field has moved, causing confusion for many users. This article explains exactly where to find the Optional Attendees option in both versions of Outlook and how to use it correctly.
Key Takeaways: Locating Optional Attendees in New vs Classic Outlook
- Classic Outlook Appointment > Scheduling Assistant > Optional Attendees field: Add optional attendees by typing names directly in the Optional line of the Scheduling Assistant grid.
- New Outlook meeting form > To field dropdown > Optional Attendees option: Click the To button, select Optional Attendees, then add names from the address book.
- Meeting response tracking: Optional attendees can accept or decline, but their response does not affect the required attendee count in the Tracking view.
How Optional Attendees Work in Classic Outlook
In Classic Outlook (also called the desktop version of Outlook 2016, 2019, 2021, or Microsoft 365), the Optional Attendees field is located in the Scheduling Assistant view. This view displays a grid showing the availability of all invitees. The Optional Attendees field appears as a separate line directly below the Required Attendees line. You type or select names in this field to designate them as optional.
The Scheduling Assistant also shows the free/busy time for all attendees, making it easier to pick a meeting time that works for everyone. Optional attendees are displayed with a different icon or color in the grid, so you can quickly see which invitees are not mandatory.
Prerequisites for Using Optional Attendees in Classic Outlook
You need an Exchange Online or on-premises Exchange mailbox for the Scheduling Assistant to show free/busy data. If you use a POP3 or IMAP account, the Scheduling Assistant will not display availability, but you can still manually type names in the Optional Attendees field.
How Optional Attendees Work in New Outlook
New Outlook (the modern version included with Microsoft 365 and available as a preview) uses a different interface. The meeting form does not have a Scheduling Assistant by default. Instead, the Optional Attendees option is hidden behind the To button in the meeting invitation.
When you create a new meeting, you see a single To field. Click the To button (not the field itself) to open the address book. In the address book dialog, you can select the attendee type: Required or Optional. After you add names, they appear in the meeting form with a label indicating their status.
Prerequisites for Using Optional Attendees in New Outlook
New Outlook requires a Microsoft 365 work or school account, or a personal Outlook.com account. Free/busy data is available only for Exchange Online mailboxes. If you use a third-party email account, the Scheduling Assistant equivalent is not available, but you can still mark attendees as optional using the To button method.
Steps to Add Optional Attendees in Classic Outlook
- Open a new meeting request
Go to Calendar, click New Meeting, or press Ctrl+Shift+Q. - Switch to Scheduling Assistant
Click the Scheduling Assistant button in the Show group on the Meeting tab. The grid view opens. - Add required attendees
In the All Attendees list, type the names of people who must attend. Their free/busy bars appear in the grid. - Add optional attendees
Click the Optional Attendees line directly below the All Attendees list. Type the names of optional invitees. You can also click the Address Book icon to select contacts. - Send the meeting
Click Send to send the invitation. Optional attendees receive a meeting request that shows their status as Optional.
Steps to Add Optional Attendees in New Outlook
- Create a new meeting
In the Calendar, click New Event or press Ctrl+N. The meeting form opens. - Click the To button
Do not type directly in the To field. Click the To button (labeled with a book icon) to open the address book. - Select attendee type
In the address book dialog, you see two tabs or a dropdown: Required Attendees and Optional Attendees. Click Optional Attendees. - Add names
Type names in the search box or select contacts from the list. Click Add to move them to the Optional Attendees box. - Confirm and close
Click OK. The meeting form now shows the optional attendees with an (Optional) label next to their names. - Send the meeting
Click Send. Optional attendees receive the invitation with the correct designation.
Common Issues with Optional Attendees in Both Versions
Optional Attendees Not Showing as Optional in the Invitation
If you type names directly in the To field of New Outlook without using the To button, all attendees are marked as Required. Always use the To button to access the attendee type selection. In Classic Outlook, if you add names to the Required line instead of the Optional Attendees line, they become required. Double-check the line before sending.
Free/Busy Data Missing for Optional Attendees
In Classic Outlook, the Scheduling Assistant may not show free/busy data for optional attendees if your Exchange account is not configured correctly. Verify that your mailbox is connected to Exchange by going to File > Account Settings > Account Settings and checking the account type. For New Outlook, free/busy data is available only for Microsoft 365 and Outlook.com accounts.
Cannot Find the Scheduling Assistant in New Outlook
New Outlook does not have a Scheduling Assistant view. Instead, it uses a scheduling poll or the Scheduling Assistant button in the ribbon, which is available only for Microsoft 365 work or school accounts. If you do not see the Scheduling Assistant button, click the three dots (More options) in the meeting form and select Scheduling Assistant. If it is still missing, your account type may not support it.
| Item | Classic Outlook | New Outlook |
|---|---|---|
| Location of Optional Attendees | Scheduling Assistant > Optional Attendees line | To button > Optional Attendees tab in address book |
| Free/Busy grid for optional attendees | Yes, in Scheduling Assistant | Only if Scheduling Assistant button is available |
| Required action to mark optional | Type in the Optional Attendees line | Click To button, select Optional Attendees, add names |
| Account types supported | Exchange, POP3, IMAP (no free/busy for non-Exchange) | Microsoft 365, Outlook.com (limited support for third-party accounts) |
| Keyboard shortcut to open form | Ctrl+Shift+Q | Ctrl+N in Calendar |
You can now locate and use the Optional Attendees field in both Classic Outlook and New Outlook without confusion. Start by opening a new meeting and using the correct method for your version. For frequent meeting organizers, the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Shift+Q in Classic Outlook or Ctrl+N in New Outlook saves time. An advanced tip: in Classic Outlook, you can also use the Scheduling Assistant to propose meeting times that avoid conflicts with optional attendees by right-clicking the grid and selecting AutoPick Next.