How to use the Bookings application

Introduction

Microsoft Bookings is a web-based scheduling tool integrated into Office 365. It allows students to book appointments for campus services, while faculty and staff can manage calendars, staff availability, service details, and customer preferences—all in one place.

Accessing Bookings from Outlook Online

1. Go to https://outlook.office.com.
2. Click the App Launcher (Waffle icon) http://www.stcloudstate.edu/its/_files/images/rightnow/bookings/waffle.png.
3. Select All Apps, then click Bookings.
4. You’ll be taken to the Bookings configuration page.

Creating a Bookings Page

1. Click Customize your bookings page.
2. If you already have a page, click the dropdown next to your page name (left side) and select New to create a new one.
3. Enter your Business Name and Business Type.
4. Wait 30–60 seconds for the page to build.
5. Once complete, you’ll return to the Home page where you can:
   • View your calendar
   • Manage customers
   • Add staff
   • Define services
   • Edit business info

Branding Your Page

• Click Add Logo → Upload new logo → Select your logo → Save.
• Customize background colors and click Save again.
• Your logo will now appear on the Home page.

Bookings Page Settings

• Go to Bookings Page.
• Recommended settings:
  • ✅ Require a Microsoft 365 or Office 365 account from my organization to book
  • ✅ Disable direct search engine indexing
  • ✅ Send a meeting invite to the customer in addition to the confirmation email (adds Teams link)
• Click Save and publish at the top when finished.

Adding Staff to Bookings

1. Click Staff → Manage staff.

2. Your name appears by default.

3. Click Add staff.

4. In Add People, type the name of someone in your organization. Their name and email should auto-populate.

5. Select the person and assign a Role:

   • Administrator: Full access to settings, staff, and bookings.
   • Viewer: Can view personal bookings, receive invites and reminders.
   • Guest: Can deliver services but cannot access Bookings.

6. Set staff schedules or use default business hours (e.g., 8 AM–5 PM). This syncs with their Exchange calendar. http://www.stcloudstate.edu/its/_files/images/rightnow/bookings/m2e1.png

7. Ensure the checkbox for Notify staff via email when a booking is created or changed is checked.

8. Click Save.

Adding Services in Bookings

1. Click http://www.stcloudstate.edu/its/_files/images/rightnow/bookings/m3a.png → + Add a service.

2. Fill out the following:

   • Service Name (e.g., "Remote Support")
   • Description: Visible to clients
   • Default Location: Choose a room or "Online"
   • ✅ Add online meeting: Enables Teams link
   • Default Duration: Set appointment length
   • Buffer Time: Add time between appointments (5–15 min)
   • ✅ Enable customers to manage their appointments
   • Maximum Attendees: Choose single or group
   • Internal Notes: Visible only to staff

   http://www.stcloudstate.edu/its/_files/images/rightnow/bookings/m3c.png

3. Custom Fields: Add required fields like email, phone, or notes.

   • Highlight field → Check Required → Click OK → Save

4. Reminders and Confirmations:

   • Default: 1-day reminder
   • Add custom email reminders
   • http://www.stcloudstate.edu/its/_files/images/rightnow/bookings/m3g.png

5. Additional Options:

   • Add custom message to confirmation emails
   • ✅ Enable text message notifications (if phone number is provided)
   • ✅ Leave publishing options checked unless custom scheduling is needed
   • ✅ Email notifications are enabled by default

Staff Selection Settings

You can allow clients to choose a specific staff member for their booking by leaving the “Allow customers to choose a specific person for the booking” option checked.

• If this is enabled, clients will see staff availability based on the working hours you've set for each staff member.
• If you deselect this option, Bookings will automatically assign a staff member based on availability.

Note: To change this setting, you must first uncheck “Use the default scheduling policy” under the service settings.

General Availability Settings

You can configure general availability for services using the following options:

• Bookable when staff are free
• Not bookable
• Custom hours (recurring weekly)

These settings help tailor availability to your department’s needs.

Creating and Managing a Microsoft Booking

1. Go to the Bookings Page tab.
2. If your page is published, click Open published page. If not, click Save and publish first.
3. Your public-facing Microsoft Bookings page will open.
4. Select a service (e.g., Remote Support).
5. Choose a date and time for the appointment.
6. If staff selection is enabled, clients will see available staff names. If disabled, only available times will be shown.
7. Fill out the required fields and click Book.

You may see a “Working on it…” screen briefly. Once complete, a confirmation email will be sent to the person who booked the appointment. They will also see a Manage Booking option.

Customer Booking Management

When a customer clicks Manage booking, they are taken to a webpage where they can:

• Reschedule
• Cancel booking
• Create a new booking

Admin View: Managing Appointments

From the Bookings admin interface:

1. Click Calendar to view all scheduled appointments.
2. Click on a session to edit it.
3. You can reassign the booking to a different staff member by selecting their name (checkmark indicates assignment).
4. Other details shown include service info and email reminder settings.

Finding Your Bookings Page

To locate a specific Bookings page:

1. Click the small down arrow next to your current page name.
2. Click Open.
3. Type the first word or full name of the desired Bookings page.
4. Click the magnifying glass icon to search.

Example: Typing “SCSU” will list all Bookings pages created for St. Cloud State University.

Once selected, the page will open. Bookings will remember the last page visited when staff return to the app.