Plan & hold meetings from anywhere

What you'll learn

How to plan, schedule, and hold productive video meetings with your team.

What you'll need

10 minutes

 Google Workspace account—Don't have one? Start your 14-day trial today.

In this tutorial

Plan the agenda Schedule the meeting Confirm attendance Share materials Hold the meeting Follow up

1. Plan the agenda

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1.1 Block off time in your Calendar to prepare for the meeting (example: Do not disturb - preparing for meeting)

1. On your computer, open Google Calendar.
2. Optional: If you want to add guests to your event, on the left click Search for people and start typing the names of your guests.
3. Click any time on the calendar that doesn't already have an event scheduled.
4. Add a title to the event, and any event details.
5. Click Save.

Tip: To create a longer event, drag your mouse down the page while you're selecting the time.

1.2 Create your agenda

From your computer, you can share meeting notes directly to a Google Calendar event.

Add meeting notes to events from Google Docs

1. On your computer, open a new or existing Google Doc you want to add to an event.
2. In the doc, type “@”.
3. In the pop-up menu, click Meeting notes.
4. Search for an event.
   1. Tip: You can type "next" to select the next meeting on your calendar. 
5. Select an event. Meeting notes are pre-populated with event details but aren't attached to the event.
   • If you’re the meeting organizer: A pop-up prompts you to share and attach the document to your event. To give access, click Share & attach.
   • If you’re not the meeting organizer: A pop-up prompts you to share the document. To give access, click Share. The document doesn't attach to the event.

Add meeting notes to a new event from Google Calendar

1. On your computer, open Google Calendar.
2. Create an event.
3. Optional: Enter the title, time, guests, and other details.
4. Click Add description or attachments Create meeting notes Save.
   • Your meeting notes, pre-populated with event details, are attached to your event and shared with your guests, including those outside of your organization.

Add attachments & notes to an existing event from Google Calendar

1. On your computer, open Google Calendar.
2. Select an option:
   • Click an event  Take meeting notes.
     Pre-populated meeting notes with event details are attached to your event.
   • Click an event  Menu   Attach a document.
     Selected meeting notes are attached to your event.
3. Meeting notes open in a new window. On the right, click Share.

2  Schedule the meeting

2.1 Create a new event

1. On your computer, open Google Calendar.
2. Optional: If you want to add guests to your event, on the left click Search for people and start typing the names of your guests.
3. Click any time on the calendar that doesn't already have an event scheduled.
4. Add a title to the event, and any event details.
5. Click Save.

Tip: To create a longer event, drag your mouse down the page while you're selecting the time.

2.2 Add guests

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.

Note: If you create an event in Calendar and do not give guests permission to modify the event, they will not be able to change the event's date or time on their own calendar.

2.3 Find a time that works for everyone across time zones

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.

2.4 Book rooms

Note: If you don’t see resources, room details, or automatic room suggestions, your administrator might not have set them up for your organization.

1. On your computer, open Google Calendar.
2. Create a new event or open an existing one.
3. If you are editing an existing event, click Edit event .
4. If your account is part of an organization with Rooms, click Rooms. Based on who you invite, you can choose from suggested rooms or search for a new one. Click the rooms or resources you want to add.
   • Important: If you can't add a room to an event, Google Calendar may suggest a shortcut to create a duplicate event where you can book a room. This shortcut creates a single event, without any guests.
5. Click Save.

Tip: Account administrators can add new rooms and resources for users to book by using the Admin console.

2.5 Set up video conferencing for remote guests

Add Google Meet video meetings to Calendar events

Schedule video meetings and invite guests using Calendar

It’s easy to schedule a Meet video meeting in Calendar—just add one or more guests to the event to automatically add a video meeting.

2.6 Add event details, such as the agenda or meeting instructions

1. Click the Add description or attachments field.
2. Add details, such as contact information, instructions, or links for your event.
3. (Optional) Format your description by bolding, italicizing, underlining, or adding lists and links.

2.7 Send email invitations

When you’re finished filling in the details, save your event and send invitations.

1. Click Save.
2. Choose an option:
   • Send to notify guests by email
   • Don’t send to skip notifications at this time
   • Dismiss to continue editing the invitation
3. If you’re inviting people from outside of your organization, click:
   • Invite external guests to notify them.
   • Continue editing to notify them later. 
4. (Optional) To open your event on the Edit event page, click More options.

Update an existing event:

You can invite more guests, change the meeting location, and more.

1. On your computer, open Google Calendar.
2. Click on the event you want to edit. If you see Edit event , click it.
3. Make changes to your event.
4. At the top of the page, click Save.

Note: If the event organizer hasn’t given you edit permissions, you can't make changes to the event time or its duration.

3  Confirm attendance

3.1 Check who accepted and declined your invite

If you need to track attendance for your event, you can instantly see who’s accepted or declined your invitation, and who’s proposed a new meeting time.

Check guest attendance:

1. In the Calendar grid, click the event.
2. Go to the Guests field to see a list of responses from your guests. You might have to click the Down arrow to see the responses.

Respond to a proposed new meeting time request:

1. On your calendar, click an event with a clock icon.
2. Under "Guests," find suggested times.
3. Under the time proposal you want to review, click Review proposed time.
4. To change the event to the proposed time, click Save.

4  Share materials

4.1 Create and share meeting materials

1. Select the file you want to share.
2. Click Share or Share .
3. Under Share with people and groups, enter the email address you want to share with.

   Note: If visitor sharing is on for your organization, you can invite someone who doesn't have a Google Account to collaborate on your Google Drive files and folders. See Share documents with visitors.

4. To change what people can do to your file, on the right, click the Down arrow Viewer, Commenter, or Editor.
5. Choose to notify people:
   • If you want to notify people that you shared a file with them, check the Notify people box. If you notify people, each email address you enter will be included in the email.
   • If you don't want to notify people, uncheck the Notify people box.
6. Click Share or Send.

Use this project plan template

4.2 Attach agendas and meeting materials to your invite

1. Click the Add description or attachments field.
2. Add details, such as contact information, instructions, or links for your event.
3. (Optional) Format your description by bolding, italicizing, underlining, or adding lists and links.

4.3 Discuss your agenda with targeted comments

1. In Docs, Sheets, or Slides, select the text you'd like to comment on.
2. Click Add comment .
3. Enter your comment in the box.
4. (Optional) To direct your task or comment to a specific person, enter a plus sign (+) followed by their email address. You can add as many people as you want. Each person will get an email with your comment and a link to the file.
5. (Optional) To assign the comment to a specific person, check the Assign to box.
6. Click Comment or Assign.

Note: If a file reaches the maximum number of comments, you can make a copy of the file without copying over any comments.

4.4 Send updates and notes to your guests, such as directions for your meeting location

1. In Calendar, click the name of the event in your calendar grid.
2. Click Edit  and make your changes to the event.
3. Click Save. 
4. Enter a message for guests.
5. Click Send.

5  Hold the meeting

5.1 Join your meeting

Join a meeting from Calendar

1. In Google Calendar, click the event you want to join.
2. Click Join with Google Meet.
3. In the window that opens, click Join Now. 

Join a meeting from Gmail

1. Open Gmail and in the sidebar, click Meet.
2. Choose an option:
   • Click Join a meeting and enter a meeting nickname or codeJoin.
   • To join a scheduled meeting, point to a meeting under My meetingsJoin now.

Join a meeting from Meet

In Meet, you can select a scheduled event or you can enter a meeting code or nickname.

Select a scheduled event:

1. In a web browser, enter https://meet.google.com/.
2. Select the meeting from your list of scheduled events. Only meetings scheduled through Google Calendar appear on Google Meet.
3. Click Join now.

Tip: A chime sounds as the first 5 people join. After that, you’ll receive a silent notification for new participants.

Enter a meeting code or nickname:

1. In a web browser, enter https://meet.google.com.
2. Click Enter a code or link > click Join.
3. Enter a meeting code or nickname.
   • The meeting code is the string of letters at the end of the meeting link. You don't have to enter the hyphens.
   • You can only use meeting nicknames with people in your organization. This feature is currently only available to Google Workspace users.

   • If your organization has purchased and installed a Meet hardware device, you can also type the meeting code or nickname into that device.

   • Leave the field blank to start a new meeting with a new code. 

4. Click Continue and then Join now.

Tip: If you're in an office meeting room—Join the meeting from your laptop using Companion mode to present and participate in activities. Your microphone and camera are off in Companion mode to reduce the risk of echo from your laptop. Learn more about Companion mode.

Use this Google Meet cheat sheet.

5.2 Present, discuss, and collaborate on materials

Meeting organizers with Google Workspace for Education can prevent participants from sharing their screen. 

1. In Google Drive, open the Google Docs, Google Sheets, or Google Slides file you want to share or present.
2. (Optional) To edit a document, spreadsheet, or presentation simultaneously with your guests:
   1. In the upper-right corner, click Share.
   2. Add a title to your document and click Save.
   3. Add your meeting guests and give everyone Editor access.
   4. Click Send.
3. Open Google Meet and join the meeting.
4. Click Present now and choose what to share:
   • Your entire screen
   • A window
   • A tab
5. Click Share.

Tip: If you're not using Chrome browser (which automatically hides any pop-up notifications), mute or turn off notifications so they don’t appear when you’re presenting.

5.3 Assign tasks

1. In Docs, Sheets, or Slides, select the text you'd like to comment on.
2. Click Add comment .
3. Enter your comment in the box.
4. (Optional) To direct your task or comment to a specific person, enter a plus sign (+) followed by their email address. You can add as many people as you want. Each person will get an email with your comment and a link to the file.
5. (Optional) To assign the comment to a specific person, check the Assign to box.
6. Click Comment or Assign.

Note: If a file reaches the maximum number of comments, you can make a copy of the file without copying over any comments.

6  Follow up

6.1 Send follow-up email

1. In Calendar, click the name of the event in your calendar grid.
2. Click Edit  and make your changes to the event.
3. Click Save. 
4. Enter a message for guests.
5. Click Send.

6.2 Track progress by assigning action items in your agenda

1. In Docs, Sheets, or Slides, select the text you'd like to comment on.
2. Click Add comment .
3. Enter your comment in the box.
4. (Optional) To direct your task or comment to a specific person, enter a plus sign (+) followed by their email address. You can add as many people as you want. Each person will get an email with your comment and a link to the file.
5. (Optional) To assign the comment to a specific person, check the Assign to box.
6. Click Comment or Assign.

Note: If a file reaches the maximum number of comments, you can make a copy of the file without copying over any comments.

6.3 Schedule follow-up meetings to get status updates

1. On your computer, open Google Calendar.
2. Optional: If you want to add guests to your event, on the left click Search for people and start typing the names of your guests.
3. Click any time on the calendar that doesn't already have an event scheduled.
4. Add a title to the event, and any event details.
5. Click Save.

Tip: To create a longer event, drag your mouse down the page while you're selecting the time.

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