Technology

Responding to a Meeting Request in Outlook

Last modified 9/20/2023

When you are invited to a meeting, you should respond to the meeting request.

Before You Begin

When you receive a meeting request, you have the following response options:

  • Accept: Click Accept to accept the meeting request. This confirms the meeting on your calendar and changes its status to Busy.
  • Tentative: When you receive a meeting request, it is automatically added to your calendar with a Tentative status.
  • Decline: Click Decline to decline the meeting request. This removes the meeting from your calendar.
  • Propose New Time: Click Propose New Time to suggest a new meeting date or time that works better for you. The meeting’s status remains Tentative. The meeting coordinator can also lock the meeting’s date and time (this prevents you from proposing a new time). 

Note

This option in not available in Outlook 2011 or Office365.IllinoisState.edu (Outlook Web App).


Respond to Meeting Request

To respond to a meeting request in Outlook 2016, do the following:

  1. Open Outlook.
  2. Within Outlook, open your Inbox and locate the meeting request email.
  3. Open the meeting request email.
  4. At the top of the email, click the desired response: AcceptTentativeDecline, or Propose New Time.

Response Notifications

When you respond to a meeting request, you have the option of notifying the person who invited you. It is good practice to notify the meeting coordinator so he or she knows whether or not you plan to attend.

Even if you choose not to notify the person who invited you, he or she can see your status by checking the Tracking section of the meeting.

How to Get Help