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Dynamics 365 Community / Forums / Customer experience | Sales, Customer Insights,... / Appointments appear as...
Customer experience | Sales, Customer Insights,...
Suggested Answer

Appointments appear as Free in Outlook

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Posted on by ThimiosSp 200

Hi all,

When an Appointment is marked as 'Completed' in D365, it shows as Free in Outlook.
If I mark the same Appointment as Busy in Outlook, it shows as Active in D365.
Our current Admin System Settings do sync 'Show Time As' in Outlook with 'Appointment Status' in D365, but I suppose the wrong way.
How could we change this behaviour?

pastedimage1662528547056v1.png

I have the same question (0)
  • MM-01082236-0 Profile Picture
    MM-01082236-0 on at
    I'm surprised there hasn't been a response to this in 3 years and its still an issue. 
  • CU14040908-0 Profile Picture
    CU14040908-0 2 on at
    No update about this?
    We encounter the same problem in our environment...
  • Suggested answer
    Daivat Vartak (v-9davar) Profile Picture
    Daivat Vartak (v-9d... 7,835 Super User 2025 Season 2 on at
    Hello ThimiosSp,
     

    You've correctly identified that the synchronization mapping between 'Show Time As' in Outlook and 'Appointment Status' in Dynamics 365 is causing the unexpected behavior. When an Appointment is 'Completed' in Dynamics 365, you likely want it to reflect as 'Out of Office' or 'Busy' in Outlook, not 'Free'. Similarly, a 'Busy' status in Outlook should probably map to an 'Active' or potentially another status in Dynamics 365 depending on your workflow.

    Here's how you can change this behavior by adjusting the synchronization direction in the Dynamics 365 Admin System Settings:

    Understanding the Current Mapping:

    Based on your description:

    • Dynamics 365 'Completed' -> Outlook 'Free': This suggests the synchronization direction for a 'Completed' Appointment Status in Dynamics 365 is currently set to a value that Outlook interprets as 'Free'.
    • Outlook 'Busy' -> Dynamics 365 'Active': This indicates that the 'Busy' value of 'Show Time As' in Outlook is synchronizing to a value that Dynamics 365 interprets as 'Active' for the Appointment Status.

      •  

    Steps to Change the Synchronization Behavior:

    You need to adjust the synchronization direction for the 'Show Time As' and 'Appointment Status' fields in the Synchronization Settings for Outlook or Exchange within Dynamics 365.

    1. Navigate to System Settings:

      • In your Dynamics 365 instance, go to Settings (the gear icon in the top right corner).
      • Select Advanced Settings.
      • In the new window, click on the Settings dropdown menu and select Administration.
      • Click on System Settings. 

    2. Open Synchronization Tab:

       

      • In the System Settings dialog box, click on the Synchronization tab.

    3. Access Outlook/Exchange Synchronization Settings:

      • Scroll down and find the section labeled "Synchronize appointments, contacts, and tasks with Exchange".
      • Click on the link "Configure synchronization filters for Outlook or Exchange". This will open the Synchronization Settings for Outlook or Exchange dialog box (as shown in your image). 

    4. Select the "Synchronization Fields" Tab:

      • In the Synchronization Settings for Outlook or Exchange dialog box, click on the Synchronization Fields tab. 

    5. Select "Appointment" as the Entity Type:

      • Use the Entity Type dropdown menu to select "Appointment".


        •  

    6. Locate the "Show Time As" and "Appointment Status" Mapping:

       

      • Scroll through the list of fields until you find the row where:

        • Outlook/Exchange Field is "Show Time As".
        • Dynamics 365 Field is "Appointment Status".  

    7. Adjust the Synchronization Direction:

       

      • For Dynamics 365 'Completed' to Outlook 'Busy' (or 'Out of Office'):

        • Click on the Synchronization Direction arrows for the "Show Time As" and "Appointment Status" row.
        • You likely need to ensure that when the 'Appointment Status' in Dynamics 365 is set to 'Completed', the corresponding 'Show Time As' in Outlook is set to 'Busy' or 'Out of Office'. This might require a two-way synchronization or a Dynamics 365 to Outlook synchronization where the mapping correctly translates the 'Completed' status.
        • Important: You might need to examine the underlying values of the 'Appointment Status' (e.g., integer codes) to understand how they are being translated to the 'Show Time As' values in Outlook. 

      • For Outlook 'Busy' to Dynamics 365 'Active' (or another relevant status):

        • Similarly, adjust the Synchronization Direction to ensure that when 'Show Time As' in Outlook is 'Busy', the 'Appointment Status' in Dynamics 365 is set to 'Active' (or another status that aligns with your business process). Again, understanding the underlying values is key.  

    8. Consider the Underlying Values:

      • The "Show Time As" field in Outlook has specific values (e.g., Busy, Out of Office, Tentative, Free, Working Elsewhere).
      • The "Appointment Status" field in Dynamics 365 also has specific options and underlying integer values (e.g., Active, Completed, Canceled, Scheduled).
      • You need to ensure the synchronization mapping correctly translates these values in the desired direction. For example:

        • Dynamics 365 'Appointment Status' = 'Completed' (e.g., value 5) should synchronize to Outlook 'Show Time As' = 'Busy' (or 'Out of Office').
        • Outlook 'Show Time As' = 'Busy' should synchronize to Dynamics 365 'Appointment Status' = 'Active' (e.g., value 1) or another appropriate status. 
         

    9. Save and Test:

       

      • Once you have adjusted the synchronization direction, click OK in the Synchronization Settings for Outlook or Exchange dialog box.
      • Click OK in the System Settings dialog box.
      • Crucially, perform thorough testing:

        • Mark Appointments as 'Completed' in Dynamics 365 and verify they appear as 'Busy' (or 'Out of Office') in the synchronized Outlook calendar.
        • Mark Appointments as 'Busy' in Outlook and verify they appear as 'Active' (or your desired status) in the synchronized Dynamics 365 Appointments.
        • Test other 'Show Time As' and 'Appointment Status' values to ensure the synchronization behaves as expected across different scenarios. 

          •  

    Important Considerations:

    • Synchronization Direction: Pay close attention to the direction of the arrows. A double arrow indicates two-way synchronization. A single arrow indicates synchronization in one direction only (either from Outlook to Dynamics 365 or vice versa). You might need a two-way sync for both fields to ensure changes in either system are reflected correctly in the other.
    • Existing Appointments: Changes to the synchronization settings will typically only affect appointments synchronized after the changes are made. You might need to manually update the 'Show Time As' status in Outlook for existing 'Completed' appointments in Dynamics 365 if you want them to reflect differently.
    • User-Level Settings: Users can also configure their personal synchronization settings for Outlook. Ensure that these user-level settings are not overriding the system-wide settings you are configuring.
    • Complex Mappings: If you need more complex mappings (e.g., different Dynamics 365 statuses mapping to different Outlook 'Show Time As' values), you might need to explore custom code or more advanced synchronization configurations, although the standard settings should suffice for this common scenario.

      •  

    By carefully adjusting the synchronization direction for the 'Show Time As' and 'Appointment Status' fields in the Dynamics 365 System Settings, you should be able to achieve the desired behavior where 'Completed' appointments in Dynamics 365 are reflected as 'Busy' or 'Out of Office' in Outlook, and 'Busy' appointments in Outlook are reflected as 'Active' (or another relevant status) in Dynamics 365. Remember to test thoroughly after making any changes.

     
    If my answer was helpful, please click Like, and if it solved your problem, please mark it as verified to help other community members find more. If you have further questions, please feel free to contact me.
     
    My response was crafted with AI assistance and tailored to provide detailed and actionable guidance for your Microsoft Dynamics 365 query.
     
    Regards,
    Daivat Vartak
  • ThimiosSp Profile Picture
    ThimiosSp 200 on at
    Thank you @Daivat Vartak (v-9davar) for looking into that.
    Unfortunately, even though I am the admin, at step #7 sync direction is not active so I cannot edit.
    Is there a way to change that?

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