Google Calendar basics
How to use Google Calendar in Google Workspace — creating events, inviting people, viewing teammates' calendars, and managing your schedule.
Google Calendar is the scheduling and calendar tool included with Google Workspace. It's where you create meetings, set reminders, and see what your teammates are doing — all connected to Gmail and Meet.
Quick summary
Open Calendar at calendar.google.com. Click any time slot to create an event. Add guests by typing their email. Google will offer to add a Meet video link automatically. Events sync across all your devices instantly.
Getting to Calendar
- On a computer: Go to calendar.google.com or click the grid icon in Gmail and choose Calendar.
- On your phone: Install the Google Calendar app from the App Store or Google Play.
Creating an event
Click on any day or time slot in the calendar view. A quick-create popup appears.
Type the event name and click More options to add details, or Save for a quick event.
In the full event editor, you can:
- Set the date and time
- Add a location or a Google Meet video link
- Add a description or notes
- Add guests by typing their email addresses
- Set a reminder (notification)
Click Save. If you added guests, they'll receive an email invitation. They can accept, decline, or mark as "maybe."
Inviting people to a meeting
When you create or edit an event, add people in the Guests field. Type a name or email address — Google will suggest contacts as you type.
Once you've added guests, click View schedules (or look for the "Suggested times" feature) to see when everyone is free. This saves a lot of back-and-forth.
Google Meet links
Google Calendar can automatically add a Google Meet video link to every event. Look for the "Add Google Meet video conferencing" button when creating an event. This creates a unique link that guests can join directly from the calendar invite.
Viewing your calendar
Use the buttons in the top right to switch between views:
- Day — see your schedule hour by hour for a single day
- Week — the most popular view for planning your work week
- Month — a high-level overview of the whole month
- Schedule — a scrollable list of upcoming events
Seeing teammates' calendars
One of the most useful features of Google Calendar for teams: you can view your colleagues' calendars alongside your own.
In the left sidebar, find "Other people's calendars."
Type a colleague's name or email in the search box. Their calendar appears.
Their events appear on your calendar in a different color. You can see when they're free or busy (though you may not see the details of their events unless they've shared them).
Setting reminders and notifications
To never miss an event, add a reminder. When editing an event, look for Add notification and choose:
- Email — sends you an email at a certain time before the event
- Notification — sends a pop-up notification (browser or phone)
You can add multiple reminders, like 1 day before and 30 minutes before.
Creating a recurring event
For weekly team meetings, monthly check-ins, and other repeating events:
Create an event and click More options.
Under the date and time, click the "Does not repeat" dropdown.
Choose a recurrence pattern — daily, weekly, monthly, or custom.
Click Save.
Common questions
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