Review What Your Meeting Invitation Shares

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A colleague asks if they can bring someone to a call you are organizing. They could forward the calendar invitation, copy the meeting link, or ask you to add that person. The choice affects how much information the new person receives, whether you are alerted, and how the video service treats them when they arrive. Check those details before the first invitation goes out.

Ask the organizer to add a guest

Google Calendar lets an organizer clear Invite others under the event’s guest permissions. If you receive an invitation and someone else needs to attend, asking the organizer to add that person avoids handing off your invitation. Google says a recipient of a forwarded invitation may be able to see updated details or change the original recipient’s RSVP. When permission to add guests is enabled, a new recipient who responds is added to the event’s guest list. Google’s guide to inviting guests

Google Calendar also documents an Invite via link option for eligible personal-account events. Anyone holding that calendar event link can see the full guest list and add themselves or others, even if Invite others is off. Turning off See guest list makes the calendar event page link stop working. Review which link you are about to share. A calendar event page and the URL people use to join the video call serve different purposes. Google’s guide to sharing calendar events

In supported Outlook setups, the organizer can clear Allow Forwarding in Response options. Microsoft says some older clients with external mail servers can still forward the invitation. An attendee can also copy the meeting message or event. Use the control to limit ordinary forwarding in supported clients, and keep the invitation focused on details guests need. Microsoft’s guide to preventing meeting forwarding

When someone forwards a meeting through Outlook’s supported forwarding flow, Microsoft says the organizer receives a notice. Its documentation describes an exception for forwarding by third-party services, which may send the meeting without notifying the organizer. If you need a reliable list for a private call, have the organizer add each guest directly and review the list before the meeting. Microsoft’s guide to forwarding a meeting Microsoft’s forwarding limitations

Treat a previously sent invitation as a copy that a recipient may already have saved. If you later change the permissions, check what people can do going forward and review how the video app handles the old join link. When preparing the new invite, keep the guest list visible only if attendees need it, using the guest setting your calendar provides. Google’s guest list guide Microsoft’s attendee list guide

Check who can enter the video call

Open the meeting options in the video service. In Teams, Who can bypass the lobby? affects who can enter directly. Microsoft says People who were invited can include recipients of forwarded invitations. The Only organizers and co-organizers option has everyone else wait in the lobby. Check who can admit people as well. Work settings or a meeting template may limit which options you can change. Microsoft’s guide to the Teams lobby

If you organize a Google Meet call, check Meeting access in Host controls. Google documents an Open option that lets anyone with the meeting link join directly. Where the account supports Restricted, people invited through Calendar or by the host during the call can join, and others generally have to request entry. Review the access choices for your account before sharing the link. Google’s guide to scheduling a Meet call

For a recurring call, revisit the invite as people join or leave the group. Before the next meeting, check the current guest list and the meeting’s admission options. If a guest needs to bring someone, add the new participant through the calendar and explain what to do if they land in the lobby. If someone unexpected asks to join, check with the organizer or the person who invited them before admitting them.