Microsoft Outlook
Connect your Outlook Calendar to sync availability and auto-generate Microsoft Teams links
Microsoft Outlook
If your calendar is Outlook (whether through Microsoft 365 at work or a personal @outlook.com account), this is how to connect it to Aura.
What you get
- Real-time availability — your busy times block booking slots automatically
- Automatic calendar events — bookings show up on your Outlook calendar
- Microsoft Teams links — for work accounts, every booking gets a Teams meeting link automatically
- Bidirectional sync — changes you make on either side flow to the other
Work account vs. personal account
When you connect Microsoft, Aura figures out automatically what kind of account you have:
| Account type | Examples | Teams links? |
|---|---|---|
| Work or school | @yourcompany.com, @yourschool.edu | ✅ Yes, automatic |
| Personal | @outlook.com, @hotmail.com, @live.com | ❌ No — connect Zoom instead |
This matters because personal accounts don't include Microsoft Teams. If you have a personal account and you want video conferencing for your bookings, you'll want to connect Zoom.
Setting it up
Start the connection
- During onboarding, click Connect Microsoft.
- (Or, post-onboarding, go to Settings → Connections and click Connect Microsoft.)
- You'll be sent to Microsoft's sign-in page.
Sign in
Use whichever Microsoft account you want Aura to read. If you have multiple Microsoft accounts (a work one and a personal one), pick carefully — switching later means disconnecting and reconnecting.
Approve permissions
Microsoft will list what Aura is asking for:
| Permission | Why we need it |
|---|---|
| Read your calendars | To check when you're free |
| Read and write your calendars | To add meeting events when people book |
| Read your profile | To get your name and timezone |
Click Accept.
Done
You'll come back to Aura. The connection is live — your availability will start syncing immediately.
How Teams meetings work
If you're on a work or school account:
- Someone books a call with you.
- Aura creates the calendar event in Outlook.
- A Teams meeting link is automatically generated for that event.
- Both you and the guest get the Teams link in your calendar invites and confirmation emails.
You don't need to set up Teams separately — if your work account has Teams, it just works.
Teams meetings created this way support all the usual Teams features: screen sharing, recording, live captions, chat, breakout rooms.
For company-managed accounts
If your work account is managed by your company's IT department, there are a few extra things to know:
Your IT admin may need to approve Aura. Some companies require IT approval before any third-party app can connect. If you can't get past the sign-in screen, ask your IT team if they can approve "Aura" as an allowed app.
You might need to be on a managed device. Some companies require sign-ins from work laptops only, not personal devices. If you're hitting an error trying to connect from your phone, try from your work laptop.
Teams might be disabled for guests. Some IT setups don't let third-party apps create Teams links. If your bookings aren't getting Teams links even on a work account, ask your IT admin whether external apps can create Teams meetings on your behalf. If they can't fix it, use Zoom instead.
Picking which calendars block your availability
If you've got multiple calendars in your Outlook account (work + personal, shared team calendars, etc.), only some should block you from being booked.
In Settings → Connections, you can pick:
- Booking calendar — where Aura writes new events. One calendar only.
- Availability calendars — which calendars count as "busy." Can be multiple.
What blocks availability
| Event | Blocks you? |
|---|---|
| Events marked Busy | ✅ Yes |
| Events you created or accepted | ✅ Yes |
| Events marked Free | ❌ No |
| Invitations you've declined | ❌ No |
| Tentative events | ⚙️ Configurable |
| Events on calendars you didn't pick as "availability" | ❌ No |
When the connection breaks
Tokens occasionally expire — usually after a password change or a long stretch of inactivity. When that happens:
- Aura shows a "Reconnect required" banner.
- Go to Settings → Connections.
- Click Reconnect next to Microsoft.
- Sign in again.
Your existing bookings stay put — only the live sync was paused.
Privacy
| Aura sees | Aura doesn't see |
|---|---|
| Event times (start and end) | Event titles |
| Busy/free status | Event descriptions |
| Calendar ID | Other attendees on your meetings |
| Your timezone | Attachments |
To revoke Aura's access entirely: sign in to your Microsoft account online, go to Privacy → Apps and services, and remove Aura.
Troubleshooting
"Calendar's not syncing." Try reconnecting — Settings → Connections → Reconnect Microsoft.
"Teams links aren't generating." Either you're on a personal account (use Zoom instead) or your IT admin has restricted third-party apps from creating Teams meetings. Talk to your IT team.
"I can't even sign in — my company blocks Aura." Your IT admin needs to approve Aura as an allowed app for your organization. They might call this an "enterprise application approval" or similar — show them this page.
"I picked the wrong account." Disconnect in Settings → Connections, then reconnect with the right account.
Related
- Connect Calendar — the original setup walkthrough
- Zoom — what to use instead of Teams on personal accounts
- Connections — manage all your personal connections