Use meeting room approvals for rooms that host special events, such as auditoriums, training rooms, interview rooms and other types of spaces. When the "request only" setting is on for a space, a designated admin must approve each reservation request. Only then can the organizer add other event details, such as invitees, and complete the booking.
Common pitfalls
Set the same rules in Google or Outlook, or both, for a consistent experience. Then users follow an approval flow when they book rooms in your native calendar, without Robin. Admins can manage meeting room approvals in Robin or in their native calendar. For help, see:
Multi-tenant office using Microsoft 365
The request-only feature is not compatible with multi-tenant offices using Microsoft 365.
Set up meeting room approvals
Admins choose which spaces need approval before users can reserve them.
- To mark a space as "Request only", go to Manage > Office > Building > Select a space.
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On the space management page, scroll down to the "Schedule configuration" section and select the Request only option.
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Connect a room calendar. Scheduled and request-only spaces need one. Choose your calendar system, then enter the email address of your room. For help, see how to connect a room calendar in Google or Microsoft 365.
Room displays in request-only spaces
If a room display is paired to a "Request only" space, or you plan to pair one to show when the space is in use, make sure the "Impromptu meeting" setting is disabled for that space. If it is on, users get an error message when they try to create an impromptu meeting. For all room display settings, see Control buttons available on the room display.
Assign designated approvers
Global admins choose which users can approve or deny meeting room approval requests, with the custom roles and permissions feature. See Adding permissions to roles.
Request a space that needs approval
This section explains what requesters see and do.
What a request-only space looks like
Spaces that need approval appear in search results in the web dashboard, mobile app and Outlook Add-In. You can complete a request only in the web dashboard.
Robin flags each space that needs approval with a "Request this space" note and a "Create Request" button. The image below shows the difference between a bookable space and a space that needs approval.
The space search in the Add-In looks similar, but it sends you to the event composer in the Robin web dashboard to complete the request.
While a space waits for approval, it shows as "on hold" until the request is approved or denied. Other users do not see the space as available.
Create an event in a request-only space
Using Microsoft 365?
Complete 3 extra steps so Robin can manage approvals:
- Turn on Personal Booking at the organization level.
- Make sure the person who makes the request is in the same domain as the room's calendar (for example, "robinplatform.com").
- Make sure the person who makes the request has connected their own Microsoft 365 calendar to Robin.
Without these changes, the admin who approves the meeting may get an error like the image below, and cannot complete the approval.
To submit a meeting room approval request, select a time block or the Create request button next to the space you want to reserve.
As with a typical space booking, the event composer opens, where you add the meeting details. Keep these points in mind for this type of request:
- These fields in the event composer are required before you can continue:
- Date
- Time
- Estimated number of invitees
- You can add Invitees to the event after it is approved.
- You can add Meeting services, such as catering, but Robin sends them to the designated service provider only after the meeting is approved. You cannot add meeting services to the event after it is approved.
- Add Conference call links when you make the request.
- You can add only one space per approval request.
- If you're an admin, Robin approves your event automatically.
Who gets the request
Admins and users who have the "Approve/deny request" permission for that building or space get the request. The designated approver can then accept or reject the request.
After you submit a request
While the request waits for a response, you, the organizer, see the event on your calendar. The space response shows as "tentative" until the request is approved or declined.
Other users see the space as "on hold" and not available until the request is approved or denied.
You, the organizer, get an email when an admin responds to the request:
After the event is approved, add invitees to finish the booking. You can do this from your calendar or in the web dashboard. Open your event from the "View Request" link in the approval email, or find your event on the room calendar.
If your request is rejected
If an admin declines your request, the space declines the invitation to your event. If you are the organizer of your own event (you own the event, not the booking user), the event stays on your calendar, but without a space or any invitees.
Edit an approved event
After the space is approved for the event, you can edit only the title and the invitees. You cannot change any other event details. To make bigger changes, such as the date, time or location, cancel the event and submit a new request.
Approve or reject a request
By default, global admins are the designated space approvers. Users with the custom "Approve/deny request permission" can also approve requests for the buildings and spaces they are granted.
When someone submits a new space request, the approver gets a notification in the web dashboard and an email.
The web dashboard notification:
The email notification:
Select the event or "view request" to review the meeting details. Then select approve or reject. If you reject the request, you can add a note, ask for more information, or both.
A meeting approval request looks like this: