Personal Outlook/Exchange accounts (not part of Microsoft 365) are not supported at this time. If you're using one of these, the connection problem isn't related to Microsoft permissions.
If you belong to a Microsoft-managed organization (tenant) and can't connect your Outlook calendar, your Microsoft admin probably needs to approve Read AI first. For full instructions, see Microsoft Outlook Calendar Permission.
How do I know if this applies to me?
If your Microsoft admin hasn't granted Read AI permission to connect your Outlook calendar, you'll see one of these screens:
1. When signing up as a new user: a "Couldn't Connect Your Calendar" error during onboarding
2. In the Read AI web app: a "Calendar Connection Blocked" banner at the top of the page when you're logged in
3. On the Integrations page: a "Calendar Connection Blocked" message on the Outlook Calendar integration
What to do next
- Try connecting your Outlook calendar again from the Integrations page (or during sign-up).
- If Microsoft lets you submit a request to your admin, type a short explanation and submit it. If you see "Need admin approval" with no way to send a request, close the Microsoft window.
- Read AI will then show you an email draft explaining what Read AI needs. Click Copy Message and send it to your IT admin team. (Read AI doesn't know who your IT admin is, so you'll need to find their email address yourself.)
- Once your admin approves the request, go to Account Settings > Integrations, click Outlook Calendar, and complete the connection.
If you're a new user, you can keep setting up your Read AI account while your IT team reviews your request. In the meantime, you can still add Read to meetings manually or record meetings with the Read AI desktop app.
For both scenarios, FAQs, and steps for admins, see Microsoft Outlook Calendar Permission.