Microsoft Outage November 2026: What Happened and How It Affects UK Businesses

Read Time: 11 minutes

Last updated: 13 November 2026

Microsoft is experiencing a global outage affecting Outlook, Microsoft 365, Copilot and several connected services, including some features of Teams. The disruption began on Thursday, 12 November 2026, and continued into Friday, 13 November. Microsoft has linked the problems to server and infrastructure issues and is working to restore services, with early signs of recovery reported.

Outlook users may be unable to access their inboxes or send and receive emails, while certain Teams features, calendars and Microsoft 365 applications are also affected. However, Teams chats and calls are largely working, and independent services such as Gmail, Google Ads and websites hosted outside the affected Microsoft infrastructure are not directly impacted.

For UK businesses, the outage could affect everything from customer enquiries and lead follow-ups to everyday communication and connected marketing tools. Here’s what Microsoft has confirmed, which services are still working and what businesses can do to minimise disruption.

What’s Happening With the Microsoft Outage?

The problems began on Thursday afternoon when servers supporting Microsoft 365 started experiencing connectivity issues. As more servers became unavailable, those still operating had to handle additional traffic, making it harder for users to access their services.

For Outlook users, this has meant inboxes failing to load, emails arriving late and problems accessing accounts through desktop, web and mobile applications. Simply switching from the Outlook app to a browser may not help because the issue lies with Microsoft’s infrastructure rather than an individual device.

Businesses can follow developments through Microsoft’s official Service Health Status page.

Microsoft Outage Timeline: 12–13 November 2026

Here’s a brief look at how the disruption has developed:

The recovery process is continuing, and the latest position may change as more services return.

Which Microsoft Services Are Affected and What’s Still Working?

The Microsoft outage doesn’t mean every application has stopped working. Some services are unavailable for certain users, others have lost specific features, and some everyday functions remain operational.

According to Microsoft’s incident information, here’s how different services have been affected:

The impact isn’t the same across every application or organisation. For instance, Outlook calendars may be unreliable, but Teams calls and messages could still be available. It’s worth checking which features your team can use before looking for alternative tools.

For example, if your team normally uses Outlook to arrange meetings, the calendar may be unreliable. But you could still be able to speak to colleagues through Teams calls or messages. This distinction matters because businesses may have more ways to continue working than they initially realise.

What Caused the Microsoft Outage, and How Is Microsoft Fixing It?

Microsoft has linked the outage to problems with its infrastructure, including servers becoming unexpectedly unavailable and increased pressure on the remaining systems.

Put simply, when some servers stopped responding, others had to take on more work. And when engineers tried bringing the affected servers back online, some became unresponsive again as traffic returned. This has made the recovery more complicated than simply restarting the affected systems.

Microsoft’s engineers have been redistributing traffic, increasing available server capacity and applying configuration changes to improve stability. The company has reported positive results from some of these measures, but is continuing to monitor performance as services recover.

Microsoft has also extended email delivery timeouts to help protect delayed messages while the affected systems are restored.

The company has stated that there is no indication the incident was caused by malicious activity. However, a full explanation of the underlying cause will only be available once its investigation is complete.

For now, businesses should rely on Microsoft’s official updates rather than attempting unnecessary fixes to their own systems.

How Is the Microsoft Outage Affecting UK Businesses?

For a small business, the problem might be as simple as a quotation sitting unanswered in an Outlook inbox. For a larger organisation, it could mean hundreds of employees struggling to access emails, arrange meetings or complete everyday administrative tasks.

The disruption has already affected several UK sectors. The Guardian has reported problems across NHS organisations, police forces, schools and other public services, with some asking people to use alternative contact methods.

For example, some police forces have experienced difficulties receiving reports submitted through their websites, while healthcare organisations have reported interruptions to email communication and administrative work.

However, the impact hasn’t been the same for everyone. Some organisations have continued operating using alternative communication methods or unaffected systems, even while parts of Microsoft 365 remain unavailable.

For UK SMEs, the immediate priority is understanding which services are affected, keeping important conversations going and making sure customer enquiries aren’t overlooked.

How Could the Microsoft Outage Affect Your Digital Marketing?

Your website could still be working, your advertising campaigns might be running as normal and customers may continue finding your business online. But if the systems handling those enquiries depend on Microsoft 365, there could still be delays behind the scenes.

The impact depends on how your marketing tools are connected and which parts of those systems rely on affected Microsoft services.

Customer Enquiries, Email Marketing and CRM Workflows

Say someone visits your website and fills in a contact form asking for a quote. The form goes through successfully, but the notification is sent to an Outlook inbox that isn’t loading. The customer assumes their enquiry has reached you, while your team may have no idea it’s waiting.

Depending on how your website is set up, the enquiry might still be saved in your website dashboard or CRM. But if your team relies entirely on email alerts, it could be missed until Outlook starts working again. The same issue can affect automated responses, sales follow-ups and certain email marketing or CRM workflows that depend on Microsoft’s services.

This is why it’s worth understanding where enquiries are actually stored, rather than relying only on the notification that tells you they’ve arrived.

PPC Campaigns and Business Websites

The good news is that the Microsoft outage doesn’t automatically stop Google Ads, Meta Ads or websites hosted independently of the affected Microsoft infrastructure.

Your campaigns can continue running, people can still visit your website and customers may still submit enquiries. However, there’s a difference between generating a lead and being able to respond to it.

A Google Ads campaign might still bring someone to your landing page, but if the enquiry notification relies on Outlook, your team could be unaware that a potential customer is waiting.

That doesn’t mean you need to pause your advertising. It means checking that the journey from someone clicking an advert to your business receiving their enquiry is working as expected.

Reporting, Automation and AI Tools

Many businesses use Microsoft services alongside their other marketing and reporting platforms, often without thinking about how closely those tools are connected.

A Power BI report might depend on Microsoft data services, an automated workflow might send updates through Outlook, or an AI assistant might need access to documents stored in Microsoft 365. If those connections are interrupted, certain reports, notifications and automated tasks may be delayed or fail to run.

The disruption has also affected some AI integrations. ITPro reported problems with Microsoft 365 connections used by OpenAI and Anthropic. This doesn’t mean ChatGPT or Claude have stopped working, but certain features that rely on Microsoft services may be temporarily unavailable.

This doesn’t mean the AI platforms themselves have stopped working. It means certain features that depend on Microsoft’s affected services may be unavailable.

For marketing teams, it’s worth checking whether important reports and automated workflows have completed, particularly those involving Outlook, SharePoint or other Microsoft applications.

Does the Microsoft Outage Affect Gmail, Google Ads or Other Services?

No, the Microsoft outage doesn’t directly affect Gmail, Google Workspace, Google Ads or Meta Ads because these platforms operate independently of Microsoft’s affected infrastructure.

So, if your business uses Gmail for email and Google Workspace for documents and collaboration, those services should continue working unless they experience their own separate problems.

There is one thing to keep in mind, though. If you send an email from Gmail to someone using an affected Outlook or Exchange Online account, that person may still have trouble receiving or accessing your message.

Similarly, a business using Google Workspace for email might still experience disruption if its CRM, reporting tools or other applications depend on Microsoft 365.

The important thing is knowing which platforms your business uses and how they’re connected, rather than assuming that every digital service is affected.

What Can UK Businesses Do While Microsoft Services Are Disrupted?

When a service your business relies on stops working, it’s tempting to start changing settings or looking for an immediate fix. But with a widespread infrastructure outage, the most useful approach is usually to focus on what you can still access and keep essential work moving.

Here are a few practical things businesses can do:

1. Check Microsoft’s official updates: Use the Microsoft Service Health Status page to find out which services are affected. This can help you avoid spending time troubleshooting something Microsoft is already working to resolve.
2. Use communication channels that are still available: If Outlook isn’t working, Teams chats, calls or other approved communication methods may still be available for urgent conversations.
3. Review customer enquiries directly: Check website form submissions, CRM dashboards and advertising platform lead forms, where accessible, rather than relying entirely on email notifications.
4. Keep track of important automated tasks: If a scheduled report, notification or workflow hasn’t been completed, make a note of it. Once services recover, check its status before running it again to avoid duplicate messages or actions.
5. Be cautious about unexpected IT support messages: Scammers may use the outage as an excuse to send fake password reset links or offer technical fixes. If something looks suspicious, contact your IT provider through a trusted channel.
6. Check for outstanding work after recovery: Review delayed emails, missed enquiries, meeting invitations and any workflows that might need attention once the affected services are available again.

There’s no need to overhaul your systems because of a temporary outage. A few sensible checks can help reduce the disruption and prevent important customer conversations from being missed.

When Will Microsoft Services Be Back to Normal?

Microsoft has not confirmed a time for full service restoration. Although the company has reported improvements in server stability, recovery may vary between affected services and regions.

Some users may regain access before others, while delayed emails and connected workflows could take additional time to return to normal. Businesses can follow the latest developments through Microsoft’s official Service Health Status page.

Keeping Your Business Moving When Technology Doesn’t

The Microsoft outage is a reminder of how closely connected the tools we use for everyday business have become. Your website might still be bringing in enquiries and your advertising could be running normally, but a problem with one connected service can still affect what happens next.

Knowing where customer enquiries are stored, how your systems work together and what alternatives are available can make situations like this easier to manage.

At Loop Digital, we help businesses make more of their websites, digital marketing and lead generation. And making those efforts count means looking beyond the initial click or enquiry to understand how everything works together.

After all, bringing in new customers matters, but so does making sure their enquiries reach the right people.

FAQs

Is Microsoft Teams Down During the Outage?

Not completely. Microsoft has reported that core Teams functions, including chats, calls and joining existing meetings, remain largely available. Calendar access, meeting scheduling and certain connected features may be affected.

Why Is Outlook Email Not Working?

Outlook is experiencing problems because Microsoft’s Exchange Online infrastructure has been affected by server and connectivity issues. This can prevent users from accessing inboxes or sending and receiving emails across desktop, mobile and web applications.

Was the Microsoft Outage Caused by a Cyberattack?

No evidence currently suggests a cyberattack. Microsoft has stated that it has found no indication of malicious activity causing the disruption. The full technical cause is still under investigation.

Does the Microsoft Outage Affect Gmail?

No, Gmail itself is not directly affected. It operates independently of Microsoft 365. However, emails sent to people using affected Outlook or Exchange Online accounts may be delayed or temporarily inaccessible.

Should I Reset My Outlook Password or Reinstall the App?

No, not solely because of this outage. The reported problems are with Microsoft’s infrastructure, so changing your password or reinstalling Outlook is unlikely to help. Follow your organisation’s IT guidance before making account changes.

Are Microsoft 365 Files and Emails at Risk of Being Deleted?

Microsoft has reported service connectivity and infrastructure problems, not widespread data deletion. Being unable to access a file or email doesn’t necessarily mean it has been lost, although Microsoft has not guaranteed that every delayed message will be delivered.

Will Emails Sent During the Microsoft Outage Arrive Once Services Are Restored?

Many delayed emails may arrive as services recover, but delivery isn’t guaranteed for every message. It depends on how the sending and receiving systems handle delays. Check for delivery failure notifications and follow up on important messages once access returns.