Microsoft 365 Outlook add-in

Intro

The Microsoft Outlook add-in provides easy access to Robin where people already get work done. The add-in works alongside the Outlook calendar for convenient room and desk bookings. 

Add rooms to meetings

The add-in will suggest the best-suited spaces based on the location, meeting criteria, and the user’s recent and frequent room reservations. 

Book desks for the same day as in-office meetings

The add-in provides users with desk recommendations for quick and easy desk bookings right from the add-in.  Users can view, cancel, and end desk reservations directly from the add-in.

Installing the add-in

Robin's Outlook Add-In is available on Microsoft AppSource. Once installed by an administrator, it will appear as an option in both Outlook's desktop and web app add-in menus for users to access.

For Exchange customers:

Exchange 2016 or higher allows admins to configure Office Add-ins like Robin via a manual install. If you've never installed an Add-In for your on-premise environment before, you may need to adjust your configuration to allow store installs. Microsoft's "Install or remove add-ins for Outlook for your organization" guide shows you how to do this using the manifest file below.

Managing user access to the add-in

By default, all users on your Outlook account have access to Outlook add-ins. However, if administrators have enabled more specific permissions, add-ins may only be available to individual groups. It's important to note that apps like Robin cannot manage these permissions for you. If you want only certain users to access Robin's add-in (or any other add-ins), an admin will need to adjust user permissions within Outlook accordingly.

Things to know about the Robin add-in before introducing it to employees

• Make sure user consent is enabled on the organizational level. 

• If employees are instructed to log in using SSO, make sure users have the "Enable pop-ups" setting ON for their web browser. 

• The Robin add-in requires a minimum of API version 1.1 (Exchange 2013+ On-premise)

• Outlook Add-ins can 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. Check Microsoft's guide to see if your Outlook version qualifies. 

• For the best user experience, set up amenities and capacity for each space.  

Room booking tips

• Robin simply syncs events from your Outlook calendar to the Robin dashboard, room displays, & mobile app, relying on your native calendar rules to recognize conflict.

• When users book through the Robin dashboard or mobile app they're booking events on behalf of the booking user, unless personal booking settings are configured.

• When users book events in the Outlook calendar they're booking 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 resource calendars.