Create room list office 365: A comprehensive guide to creating and managing room lists in Office 365

Creating a room list in Office 365 (now called Microsoft 365) means grouping several room mailboxes so users can easily book them for meetings via Outlook or the Outlook Web App. Room lists are useful for organizations with many meeting spaces, as they help users find available rooms by location or type. Here’s a step-by-step guide to creating a room list in Office 365:

How to Create a Room List in Office 365

1. Access Exchange Admin Center:
2. Login to Microsoft 365 (admin credentials required). Go to Admin centers > Exchange.
3. Create a Room List Distribution Group:
4. Under Recipients select Groups → New Group → choose Distribution.
5. When naming the group, use a clear name and add “-RoomList” at the end for clarity (e.g., “NYC-Floor2-RoomList”).
6. Add Rooms to the Room List:
7. In the new distribution group, add all relevant room mailboxes. You can search for existing room mailboxes when adding members.
8. Create/Assign Rooms if Needed:
9. If room mailboxes aren’t created yet, go to Recipients → Resources → Room mailbox and create each meeting space as a resource mailbox. Once done, add these to your room list group.
10. Verify in Outlook:
11. After changes sync, users scheduling a meeting in Outlook can select the room list from the “Rooms” finder to view and book available spaces.

For organizations aiming for a streamlined booking experience, proper planning and clear naming conventions are key. As a designer, I always encourage clients to not only optimize the function of physical meeting areas but also ensure booking tools reflect the organization of the actual space. This can be compared to good office layout planning, where visual clarity translates into smoother workflows—making digital organization just as important as office layout planning in real-world environments.

Tips 1:

Regularly review your room lists to ensure room mailboxes match your ever-changing office layout and employee needs. As offices evolve, so should your digital tools and resources for easier scheduling and efficient space utilization.

FAQ

Q: What is a room list in Office 365?

A: A room list is a distribution group containing multiple room mailboxes for easier booking of meeting rooms via Outlook.

Q: Do I need special permissions to create or edit room lists?

A: Yes, you need Exchange Admin permissions in the Microsoft 365 Admin Center.

Q: Why aren’t my new room lists showing in Outlook immediately?

A: Changes may take a few hours to propagate; check back or ask users to restart Outlook.

Q: Can I group rooms by floor or building?

A: Yes! Use clear naming conventions (e.g., “2ndFloor-RoomList” or “WestWing-RoomList”) for clarity and efficient booking.

Q: What if I have many rooms and want a visual floor plan for office design?

A: Consider integrating digital planning tools so your digital room lists reflect your physical office layout for an intuitive booking experience.