What is a Tentative Meeting in Outlook & How Can I Use it?

Leave no room for ambiguity

3 min. read

Updated onOctober 4, 2023

updated onOctober 4, 2023

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Outlook is a popular email service allowing users to set up meetings and send requests. When one does that, they sometimes find that the particular meeting slot shows up asTentativein Outlook, which leaves them wondering whether the user is available.

Going by the dictionary definition, tentative is anything that’s not fixed or certain. Uncertainty is the key aspect.

What does Tentative mean in Outlook?

Tentative allows users to inform the meeting administrator that they may or may not be able to join the meeting. When Outlook meeting requests appear tentative, the administrators will know your participation is not certain.

Remember, tentative isn’t foolproof and is one of the primary reasons behind double-booking a given time slot since administrators can’t see the tentative status inEvent. Instead, it’s visible under theScheduling Assitant.

How do I set Outlook meeting requests to show as Tentative?

Marking participation as tentative confuses the person whoforwarded the meeting invite. Making your plans evident right away is the best way to proceed! Also, Outlook uses color coding to highlight how attendees have marked their presence.

When responding to meeting requests in Outlook, you have the following options:

How to manage Tentative appointments in Outlook?

You can change the tentative appointments and meetings, and accept or decline them at a later stage, once things clear up. As a rule, choose your response to meetings carefully and go through the meeting details.

Remember, meetings and appointments always show asBusyby default in Outlook, and you must manually change the status.

To sum up, while Tentative meeting in Outlook is a great feature, there’s still room for improvement, especially for users who are often double-booked. Use the feedback section in Outlook to share your suggestions!

Our recommendation is to be direct with your responses to meeting requests and leave no room for ambiguity.

If you are facingissues with Outlook meetingsor can’t seem to find the right slot,send meeting invites with multiple timesto get everyone on board.

For any queries or to share issues you faced with tentative meetings in Outlook, drop a comment below.

What is a Tentative Meeting in Outlook & How Can I Use it?#

How do I set Outlook meeting requests to show as Tentative?#

How to manage Tentative appointments in Outlook?#

What is a Tentative Meeting in Outlook & How Can I Use it?

How do I set Outlook meeting requests to show as Tentative?

How to manage Tentative appointments in Outlook?