Requires

• Office 365

Compatible Apps

• Outlook 2013 or later
• Outlook 2016 for Mac
• Outlook on the Web

 

The Robin extension works alongside your Outlook calendar to help folks find the optimal time and space for office activities like meetings, conversations, and focused work.

Tips before getting started

• Admins, for users to enjoy the full experience, make sure amenities are set for each space.
• You'll need to have your organization's username handy. Here's how to find your organization's username.
• If you use Single Sign-On, make sure to enable pop-ups in your browser.
• Make sure user consent is enabled on the organizational level.
• If you don't yet have an account, reach out to the Robin administrator within your company for guidance on joining your team.
• 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. 

When you book a meeting with the Robin add-in, you're actually booking in Outlook
A few things to keep in mind:

• 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.
• When users book events in 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

Install 

Robin's Outlook Add-In is available via the Office Store directory. Once installed by an administrator, it will appear as an option in both Outlook's desktop and web apps.

Add a room to your activity

Reserve a room for your event without leaving the event composer. The extension will suggest the best-suited spaces according to the type of activity. The space selections are determined based on permissions, availability, and fit. If no “best fit” spaces are available at the selected time, Robin will show other options, or suggest times when spaces and invitees are available.

Find an optimal time for everyone

The suggested times help identify time blocks today, tomorrow, or around a specific date when attendees are available. The extension suggests times based on the organizer’s set working hours and the known availability of the invitees within the organizer’s email domain. Ready to book your first event? Follow this guide for more tips!

The add-in also gives a direct path to continue in Robin's web dashboard for more advanced tasks. 

Manage user access to add-ins

Add-Ins are available to all users on your Outlook account by default, or individual groups if your administrators have enabled more specific permissions. This is not a setting apps (Robin included) can manage directly for you. If you only want a subset of your users to have access to Robin's (or any other) Add-In, you'll need to have an admin adjust permissions within Outlook accordingly.