Tips to collaborate in Calendar

On this page

• Add co-workers' time zones to your calendar
• Check someone's availability for an event
• Simplify invitations using a group
• Manage responses for large events
• Notify guests about schedule changes
• Let someone else manage your event
• Reply to invitations on the go
• Let guests modify events
• Control who sees your calendar and events
• Check if a meeting room is available

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Add co-workers' time zones to your calendar

If you work with people all over the world, you need to know when they’re available.

See the time in other countries by adding world clocks to your calendar. Add time zones to your calendar so you know when to organize events with team members across the globe.

Learn how

Add world clocks to Calendar

Show the current time in time zones of your choice at the left of your calendar:

1. On your computer, open Google Calendar.
2. In the top right, click Settings Settings.
3. In "World clock" click Show world clock.
4. Click Add time zone  choose the time zones you want to see. 

Add a time zone to your Calendar

Display time zones as columns in your calendar, to help schedule events across time zones.

1. On your computer, open Google Calendar.
2. In the top right, click Settings Settings.
3. In the "Time Zone" section, click Display secondary time zone.
4. Click Secondary time zone choose your time zone.

Change your time zone for all your calendars

1. On your computer, open Google Calendar.
2. In the top right, click Settings Settings.
3. In "Time Zone," click Primary time zone choose your time zone.

 

Learn more at the Google Calendar Help Center

 

 

Check someone's availability for an event

To co-ordinate schedules with people in Google Calendar, use suggested meeting times so you can see when everyone is available.

Learn how

Get suggested meeting times

If someone has shared their calendar with you, or is part of your work, school, or other organization, you can check if they're free or busy when adding them to an event.

1. On your computer, open Google Calendar.
2. On the left, click Search for people.
3. Start typing someone’s name and choose the person you want to meet with.
4. At the top left, click Create .
5. Click Suggested times. If the guest you invited has shared their calendar with you, you'll see when they can attend.

Learn more at the Google Calendar Help Center

 

 

Simplify invitations using a group

If you send email or event invites to the same people all the time, create a Google Group for them. The next time you compose a message, send email to the group to reach everyone at once. You can use the same group to schedule Google Calendar meetings.

Learn how

Create a group

1. Sign in to Google Groups.
2. At the top, click Create group.
3. Enter information and choose settings for the group.
4. Click Create group.
5. Wait a few minutes for your new group to become active before sending a message to it. Otherwise, you might get a notification that your message couldn't be delivered.

Email a group

1. In Gmail, click Compose.
2. Next to To, enter the label name for the group.
3. Compose your message and click Send.

Schedule a meeting with a group in Calendar

Current members of a group can view an event on their calendar.

1. Go to Google Calendar.
2. Enter the email address for a group the same way you’d add any guest.

Tips:

• If you have "View members" access to a group and create a group event, each member receives an invitation email.
• If you don't have “View members” access, the group receives an invitation. For the event to display on a user’s calendar, each user has to accept the invite from the invitation email.
• If you invite large groups of guests to an event, in the event, you’ll see an invitation in progress message until each guest is invited.

 

 

Manage responses for large events

Organizing an event with a lot of attendees? Use Google Calendar and Google Sheets to effectively manage events of any size. When you create an event for a large group, you can see and download guest replies, email addresses, and any added notes.

• If you’re planning a conference, check your RSVPs to make sure you have the right space for the event.
• Review your guest list to see if specific people, such as executives or important clients, will be attending.
• Use a mailing list to invite large groups—Calendar will automatically invite any group members who join after the invite was sent, and automatically remove members who leave the group.
• Track attendance at events, such as attendees' names, time spent at the event, and contact information. Share the sign-in/sign-out sheet to let remote team members view collected information.

Learn how

View and export an RSVP list for a large group

Important: To follow these steps, you must have edit rights to an event of 200 people or more.

Note: You can only view RSVP status of members of groups that you have permissions to see.

1. On your computer, open the event on the original calendar from which the event was created.
2. Select Export guest responses to Sheets. Google Sheets will make a list from the most current RSVP list. 
3. To update the information, repeat step 2 above. The export will create a new tab at the beginning of the original Sheet with the most up to date information.

Create a digital sign-in sheet

1. In Google Drive, click New and select Google SheetsBlank spreadsheet.
2. Add headers to the top row, such as Name, Email, and Signed in (Y/N).
3. Bring a public-use computer with this spreadsheet open to your event. Guests can then enter their information as they arrive.

Learn more at the Google Calendar Help Center

 

 

Notify guests about schedule changes

Notify all your guests at once with an email or chat message.

• Let your guests know about event changes, such as new times, updated locations, or cancellations.
• Send your guests reminders or to-dos before an event.
• After an event, send a follow-up message asking for feedback or recapping action items.

Learn how

Update guests with event changes

Important: The chat feature is only available if you use Google Calendar through a work or school account.

1. On your computer, open Google Calendar.
2. Click an event.
3. Next to the number of guests, select an option:
   • Chat with guests : A new or existing chat opens. Only Chat-enabled guests in your work or school organization are included in the chat.
   • Email guests : A new email opens. All invited guests are included in the email.

Calendar only creates a group chat with guests invited to an event when there are no more than 50 guests (including the organizer). External guests aren't added to group chats.

 

 

Let someone else manage your event

If you’re no longer responsible for an event you created, assign it to someone else to keep the event in place. They can then change the event as needed.

Note: You can only transfer ownership of an event to someone who has a Google Account.

Learn how

Transfer ownership of your event to someone else in Calendar

Current members of a group can view an event on their calendar.

1. Go to Google Calendar.
2. Enter the email address for a group the same way you’d add any guest.

Tips:

• If you have "View members" access to a group and create a group event, each member receives an invitation email.
• If you don't have “View members” access, the group receives an invitation. For the event to display on a user’s calendar, each user has to accept the invite from the invitation email.
• If you invite large groups of guests to an event, in the event, you’ll see an invitation in progress message until each guest is invited.

Note: The new owner needs to accept the transfer of ownership of the event by clicking a link in an automatic email. Until they accept, you’re still the owner. If you create a Calendar event with a meeting link on someone's calendar, or transfer an event to their calendar, make sure you understand the video conferencing policies.

 

 

Create a team calendar

In addition to your own calendar, you can create other calendars to track schedules and manage projects.

• Track team members’ vacations schedules and business trip dates.
• See who’s in the office or working remotely at any time.
• Check when everyone is available for team-wide events and meetings.
• See what projects, deadlines, and other events people are working on.

Learn how

Create a team calendar

You can only create new calendars from a browser and not from the Google Calendar app. Once the calendar is created, you can find it on your browser and in the app.

1. On your computer, open Google Calendar.
2. On the left, next to "Other calendars," click Add other calendars  Create new calendar.
3. Add a name and description for your calendar.
4. Click Create calendar.
5. If you want to share your calendar, click on it in the left bar, then select Share with specific people.

Share a team calendar

1. On your computer, open Google Calendar. You can’t share calendars from the Google Calendar app.
2. On the left, find the “My calendars” section. To expand it, click the Down arrow .
3. Hover over the calendar you want to share, and click More Settings and sharing.
4. Under “Share with specific people,” click Add people.
5. Add a person’s or Google group’s email address. Use the drop-down menu to adjust their permission settings. Learn more about access permissions.
6. Click Send.
7. The recipient will need to click the emailed link to add the calendar to their list. Learn how to add someone else’s calendar.

Tip: To share a calendar that you don’t own, you need to ask the owner to give you “Make changes and manage sharing” permission.

Delete a calendar

1. On your computer, open Google Calendar.
2. In the top right, click Settings   Settings.
3. In the left column, find the calendar you want to delete.
4. Click the name of the calendar.
5. Click Remove calendar  Delete  Delete permanently. 

 

 

Reply to event invitations on the go

Android devices only

Running late to an event and need to update everyone quickly?

Send event guests a pre-written or customized email from your mobile device's Google Calendar app.

Learn how

Edit Quick responses

1. On your Android device, open the Calendar app.
2. Tap Menu SettingsGeneralQuick responses.
3. Touch one of the current responses to edit or replace the text.
4. Tap Ok.

Send a Quick response

1. On your Android device, open the Calendar app.
2. Open an event.
3. Click More Email guests.
4. Choose one of your quick responses, or write a customized message.

 

 

Let guests modify events

To avoid a lot of emails back and forth discussing the availability of guests for your meetings, let the guests modify the event so they can pick a time that suits them.

Learn how

Let guests modify an event

1. On your computer, open Google Calendar.
2. Click an eventEdit event .
3. At the right, under “Guests can,” check “Modify event.”
4. Click Save.

Note: When you check “Guests can modify event,” they can edit all fields, view the guest list, book rooms, and manage the event as you can.

Let guests modify events by default

1. In Calendar, click Settings Settings.
2. In the Event settings section, click Default guest permissions and select Modify event.

 

 

Control who sees your calendar and events

If you haven't actively shared your calendar with your co-workers, they can still view it. Your administrator has full access to your calendar, regardless of how you share your calendar or events. You can change your default settings so only the people you choose can see your calendar.

Learn how

Manually select who can see your calendar

1. In Calendar, on the left, go to My calendars.
2. Next to your calendar, click More Settings and sharing.
3. For Access permissions for events, select your preferred sharing settings.
   You can still invite people to see your calendar by using the Share with specific people or groups settings.

Check if a meeting room is available

If you frequently use a meeting room, add it to your calendar. Then, you can check if it's busy when you're planning meetings.

Learn how

Add a meeting room to your calendar

1. On your computer, open Google Calendar. 
2. Next to "Other calendars," click Add Browse resources.
3. Next to the meeting room that you want to add, check the box.
4. (Optional) To rename a meeting room:
   1. Next to "Settings for other calendars," click the meeting room that you just added.
   2. For "Name," enter a new name.
5. At the top, click Back  to return to your Calendar homepage.

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