Book rooms from Outlook with the Robin Outlook add-in for Exchange. For installation tips, see Install the add-in for Exchange.
Requires
- Exchange 2016 or later
Compatible Apps
- Outlook 2013 or later
- Outlook 2016 for Mac
- Outlook on Windows
The Robin Outlook Add-In brings space search and office information into your Outlook calendars, so you do not need to leave Outlook. After the add-in is installed for your tenant, a sidebar with office information shows when you create or view events. If the event already has conference rooms invited, Robin shows details about the space automatically.
Tips to get started
- Admins: to give users the full experience, make sure amenities are set for each space.
- Have your organization's username ready. See how to find your organization's username.
- If you use Single Sign On, enable pop-ups in your browser.
- If you do not have an account, ask the Robin administrator in your company about joining your team.
- The Robin add-in requires a minimum of API version 1.1 (Exchange 2013+ On-premise).
- Outlook Add-ins support recurring events for customers running Outlook API 1.7+.
- Outlook Add-ins support delegate booking for customers running Outlook API version 1.8 + and above. To see if your Outlook version qualifies, see Microsoft's guide.
Book an event
- Select New+ at the top left of your calendar, or select any open time on the calendar that has no event.
- The event details page opens. Select the "R" icon. The Robin Add-In shows on the right side of the calendar.
- Fill in the event details, then use the add-in to find the best time and space for your activity.
- Add filters, such as the amenities you need, the number of attendees and the space type, to narrow your search results. Space results are based on availability, booking permissions and filters.
If this does not look familiar, you may need the Office 365 add-in.
A better look at your office
The on-premise add-in also answers questions like these:
- "When's the next time this conference room is available?"
- "Will I have a whiteboard available in this afternoon's meeting?"
- "Are there any other spaces with video conferencing free right now?"
How it works
When you book a meeting with the Robin add-in, you book in Outlook. Keep these points in mind:
- Robin syncs events from your Outlook calendar to the Robin dashboard, room displays and mobile app. It relies on your native calendar rules to recognize conflicts.
- When users book through the Robin dashboard or mobile app, they book events on behalf of the booking user or service account.
- When users book events in Outlook calendar, they book through their own account.
- Events booked through the add-in have the same behavior as booking via Outlook Calendar. For users to book via the add-in, they need to have the correct permissions to book events on the meeting room calendars.
Booking recurring events via the Add-In
When you create a recurring event in the Robin dashboard, Robin checks the first 15 instances. If it detects a conflict, the API does not create the series. When you book recurring events through the add-in, you book through Outlook. Robin still checks the first 15 instances for conflicts. For any events after that, Outlook creates them and Outlook must recognize a conflict.