How to Add an Outlook Calendar: Web and Desktop Apps

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Quick & simple ways to add new calendars to Outlook

Co-authored by Hannah Dillon Reviewed by Stan Kats

Last Updated: March 22, 2026 Fact Checked

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Outlook on the Web

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New Outlook (Windows)

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New Outlook (Mac)

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Legacy Outlook (Importing Files)

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Legacy Outlook (Shared Calendars)

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Legacy Outlook (Online Calendars)

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If you're trying to add a calendar in Outlook, you may be wondering how exactly to do it. There are many ways to add a calendar in Outlook, and the steps vary slightly depending on your operating system and whether you're using Outlook on the web, the new Outlook, or the legacy Outlook. In this article, we'll go over all the ways you can add a calendar in Outlook.

Note: You can only add an Outlook calendar on the web or in the desktop app. You can't add calendars in the mobile app.

Adding Calendars in Outlook

To add a new calendar in Outlook, go to the calendar view by clicking the calendar icon in the left-hand sidebar. You can usually add a new calendar by clicking Add calendar in the sidebar, but in legacy Outlook, you'll need to click Add or Open Shared Calendar in the ribbon.

Method 1

Method 1 of 6:

Outlook on the Web

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1
Go to Outlook.com and click the calendar button. It's in the upper-left part of the screen, in the sidebar. It's directly under the envelope icon.
- This method will work whether you're using Outlook on the web on your Windows or macOS computer.
- The steps are also the same whether you're using a personal, work, or school account, though some options are only available to work and school accounts.^{[1]
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2
Click Add calendar. When you click the calendar button, your calendar will pop up. Below is the option to add a new calendar.

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3
Decide how you want to add your new calendar. There are a few ways you can add a calendar in Outlook:
- Add personal calendars: You can add your personal calendar from an Outlook, Hotmail, Live, MSN, or Google account.
  - This option will only appear if you're signed in to a work or school account.
- Create blank calendar: If you want to make a brand new calendar, select this option.
- Add from directory: If you want to add someone else's calendar to your own account, you can do so here.
  - This option will only appear if you're signed in to a work or school account.
- Subscribe from web: If you have a web link to an .ics calendar, you can add it to your Outlook account here.
- Upload from file: If you have an .ics file on your computer, select this option to upload it.
4
Add your new calendar. How you do this depends on the option you selected in the previous step:
- Add personal calendars: After choosing what type of account you want to add, you'll be prompted to sign in to that account. Once you sign in, the calendars you've added to your personal account will be synced with your work or school account.
  - Click the toggle to include events from your personal calendar in your work availability.
  - To remove the personal account, click Remove account. Only one personal account can be connected at a time.
- Create blank calendar: Give your calendar a name. You can then choose the calendar's color and charm (icon), if you'd like. Select the group to add it to ("My calendars" is selected by default), then click Save to create your calendar.
- Add from directory: Choose the account you want to search from in the dropdown. In the search field, enter the name of someone in your organization. Select someone, then choose which category you want to add the calendar to ("My calendars" is selected by default) and click Add to save the calendar.
- Subscribe from web: Paste the web address to the .ics folder into the text field, then click Import to add it to your account.
- Upload from file: Click Browse to open your files, then navigate to the .ics calendar file. You can also drag and drop the file into the Outlook window to add it. You can then click Import to add the calendar to your account.
5
Check out your new calendar. Your different calendars will be listed in the sidebar of the calendar page. If you added a personal calendar, you'll see a new email address in the sidebar. If you added someone's calendar from your school or work directory and didn't change the default calendar category, you'll see that calendar under "People's calendars."^{[2]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 6:

New Outlook (Windows)

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1
Open Outlook and click the calendar button. It's in the upper-left part of the screen, in the sidebar. It's directly under the blue, opened envelope icon.
- The steps are also the same whether you're using a personal, work, or school account, though some options are only available to work and school accounts.
2
Click Add calendar. When you click the calendar button, your weekly calendar will pop up. In the sidebar, you'll see the monthly calendar. Right below that will be the Add calendar button.
3
Decide how you want to add your new calendar. There are a few ways you can add a calendar in Outlook:
- Create blank calendar: If you want to make a brand new calendar, select this option.
- Add from directory: If you want to add someone else's calendar to your own account, you can do so here.
  - This option will only appear if you're signed in to a work or school account.
- Subscribe from web: If you have a web link to an .ics calendar, you can add it to your Outlook account here.
- Upload from file: If you have an .ics file on your computer, select this option to upload it.
4
Add your new calendar. How you do this depends on the option you selected in the previous step:
- Create blank calendar: Give your calendar a name. You can then choose the calendar's color and charm (icon), if you'd like. Select the group to add it to ("My calendars" is selected by default), then click Save to create your calendar.
- Add from directory: Choose the account you want to search from in the dropdown. In the search field, enter the name of someone in your organization. Select someone, then choose which category you want to add the calendar to ("My calendars" is selected by default) and click Add to save the calendar.
- Subscribe from web: Paste the web address to the .ics folder into the text field, then click Import to add it to your account.
- Upload from file: Click Browse to open your files, then navigate to the .ics calendar file. You can also drag and drop the file into the Outlook window to add it. You can then click Import to add the calendar to your account.
5
Navigate to your new calendar. All of your calendars will be listed in the sidebar of the calendar page. If you added a new category, new calendars will appear in that category. Otherwise, they'll appear in the "My calendars" category. If you added someone's calendar from your school or work directory and didn't change the default calendar category, you'll see that calendar under "People's calendars."^{[3]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 6:

New Outlook (Mac)

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1
Open Outlook and click the calendar button. It's in the upper-left part of the screen, in the sidebar. It's directly below the envelope icon.
- The steps are also the same whether you're using a personal, work, or school account, though some options are only available to work and school accounts.
2
Click + Add calendar. When you click the calendar button, your calendar will pop up. In the sidebar, you'll see a smaller version of the monthly calendar. Right below that will be the + Add calendar button.
3
Decide how you want to add your new calendar. There are a few ways you can add a calendar in Outlook:
- Add Shared Calendar…: If you want to add someone else's calendar to your own account, you can do so here.
  - This option will only appear if you're signed in to a work or school account.
- Import ICS…: If you have an .ics file on your computer, select this option to upload it.
4
Add your new calendar. How you do this depends on the option you selected in the previous step:
- Add Shared Calendar…: Search for the person whose calendar you want to add, click on them, then click Open.
- Import ICS…: Choose your .ics file, then click Import to add it to your Outlook calendars. Alternatively, you can also drag and drop the .ics file into Outlook to add it.
5
Navigate to your new calendar. All of your calendars will be listed in the sidebar of the calendar page. If you added a new category, new calendars will appear in that category. Otherwise, they'll appear in the "My calendars" category. If you added someone's calendar from your school or work directory, you'll see that calendar under "People's calendars."^{[4]
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Method 4

Method 4 of 6:

Importing Calendars to Legacy Outlook

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1
Open Outlook. If you have an .ics or .vcs calendar file saved on your computer, you can import it into the legacy version of Outlook.
- These steps work for both Windows and Mac.
2
Click File > Open & Export > Import/Export. The File button will be at the top of the screen or Outlook window.
3
Choose what type of file you're importing. You can choose an iCalendar (.ics) or vCalendar (.vcs) file.
- Click Next to move to the next step.
4
Choose your calendar file. Navigate to your .ics or .vcs calendar file and select it.
5
Click Open as New. The calendar's items will be imported into your existing calendar.^{[5]
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Method 5

Method 5 of 6:

Adding Shared Calendars in Legacy Outlook

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1
Open Outlook and click the calendar button. It's in the upper-left part of the screen, under the envelope button.
- The steps in this method work for both Windows and Mac computers.
2
Click the + Add button. It's in the ribbon above the calendar, near the right side of the window.
- On a Mac, click Open Shared Calendar instead.
3
Click From Address Book…. If you're on a Mac, skip this step.
4
Search for the calendar owner. If you're on Windows, double-click the calendar owner's name before continuing.
- Make sure the dropdown under "Address Book" (Windows) or "Account" (Mac) is set to the correct account.
5
Click OK (Windows)/Open (Mac). The calendar will be added to your calendars list in the left-hand sidebar, and the calendar items will be added to your calendar.^{[6]
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- If you're on a Mac, you must have permission to add a shared calendar. If you haven't been granted permission, Outlook will give you an error. If you get this error, confirm that the person you're getting the shared calendar from has given you permission to add that calendar. Alternatively, you can get around this by using Outlook online.

Method 6

Method 6 of 6:

Adding Online Calendars in Legacy Outlook

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1
Open Outlook. You can add a calendar to your Outlook calendar with a link. If you're not sure how to do this or you don't already have an .ics link, here's how:
- In your Google Calendar, click Options > Settings and sharing.
- Find the "Integrate calendar" heading.
- Copy the "Secret address in iCal format" URL.
  - Note: The steps in this section apply only to legacy Outlook on Windows computers.
2
Click the calendar icon in the sidebar. It's in the upper-left corner of the window, directly under the envelope icon.
3
Click the + Add button. It's in the ribbon above the calendar, near the right side of the window.
4
Choose From Internet…. This will bring up a small dialog box.
5
Paste the calendar URL into the field and press OK. Place your cursor in the text field and press Ctrl+V to paste the link to the calendar.
After a few moments, the calendar will be fully imported, and the items will be added to your Outlook calendar. You can toggle the calendar on or off in the left-hand sidebar, under the monthly calendar view.^{[7]
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