How to Set Up Google Appointment Scheduler (with Screenshots)

So, word on the street is you’re curious about how to set up and use Google Appointment Scheduler. Well, you’ve come to the right place!

We’ll walk you through everything you need to know—what the tool offers, what it costs, how to set it up, and whether it’s really the right fit for your business. (Spoiler: there’s a better option we think you’ll love!)

Ready? Let’s get into it. 👇

Google Appointment Scheduler is a feature tucked inside Google Calendar that lets you create bookable time slots for meetings. 

With this tool, you simply share a booking link with your clients, colleagues, or anyone you need to meet with. They click the link, see your available times, and choose a meeting slot that works best for them.

If you’re interested in a paid Google Workspace account, the plans start at $6/month. 

Does Google have a free scheduler?

Yes, Google's scheduling tool is included in all Google Calendars, even on free accounts. 

But there’s a catch—Google’s free appointment scheduler is more limited than the paid version.

If you use Google Calendar on a free account 👉 you can create a single booking page with one appointment type.

If you use Google Calendar on a paid account 👉 you’ll get access to premium features—but the specific features available will depend on your subscription plan.

Source

1. The first step is pretty self-explanatory—head over to calendar.google.com and sign in!

2. Next, click the “Create” button at the top left-hand corner and choose “Appointment schedule” from the drop-down menu.

4. Start editing the first set of options you see in the photo above, which are:

• Add title—which will be the event/appointment name.
• Appointment duration—click “1 hour 🔽 ” to view a drop-down menu with different meeting lengths, including a custom duration.

• General availability—specify when you are open to meet each day of the week. 
  • In the first drop-down menu, you can set your schedule to…
    • Repeat weekly
    • Does not repeat
    • Or Custom, where you specify when it repeats.
  • Next, you can set a standard range of hours for every weekday or add multiple periods in one day.

For example, if you want to add availability on Mondays from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM, simply click the ➕ symbol next to Monday’s existing timeframe and adjust the hours as needed.

• If you are unavailable all day, simply click the 🚫 symbol next to the day in question to block it out. 
• And if you want to copy your availability from one weekday to the entire week, click the copy symbol (the double rectangles) to the right of the ➕ to apply it across all your available days. 

Side note: don’t worry; copying your availability won’t override any days you’ve marked as unavailable!

• Lastly, you can edit your time zone by clicking on the last section in General availability, and choosing from the drop-down list. 

• Scheduling window—This feature lets you control when appointments can be booked. There are three options:
  • Set “start and end dates”: This lets you define a booking window. For example, allow appointments only between December 15, 2024, and January 15, 2025.
  • Limit how far in advance appointments can be booked: For example, set it to 60 days, so people can’t schedule with you more than two months ahead.
  • Set a minimum notice period: Require appointments to be booked at least a certain amount of time before they start—for example, a 4-hour notice.

• Adjusted availability—If you are available at a different time on a particular day, say December 18th, you can add that exception here. 
• Booked appointment settings—Customize options like buffer times between appointments, the maximum number of bookings allowed per day, and whether guests can invite others to the meeting.
• Calendars—Choose which Google Calendars to check for conflicts, ensuring you don’t get double-booked.

6. When you’re done, click the blue “Next” button. You’ll now see new options to customize your booking page.

It’s time to get into the next batch of settings! You should see the following options on your screen. 👇

1. First, you can edit your Booking page photo and name. Google automatically uses your main Google account photo and name for your booking page. If you want to change these, you’ll be directed to your Google account settings to update them.

2. Next, you’ll move on to Location and conferencing, where you’ll select how and where to meet.

3. Add a Description that explains your service/appointment type. This will appear both on your booking page and in your confirmation emails. 

4. It’s time to edit your Booking form. Decide what information you want to collect when someone books with you. The default fields are First Name, Last Name, and Email Address, but you can click “➕ Add an item” to include additional fields, like a Phone Number or a custom question.

5. Now, it’s time for Booking confirmations and reminders. In this section, you simply agree that Google Calendar will send a confirmation email with a calendar invite on your behalf.  

7. From this screen, you have two options:

• “Open booking page” button—Curious to see what your page looks like? Click this button to preview it.
• “Share” button—Wondering how to share your Google Calendar link to accept bookings? Click this button to copy your booking link or grab the embed code to add the scheduler to your website.

And that’s it—you’re ready to start booking appointments! 🎉

So, is Google’s scheduling tool right for you? Let’s break it down. 

Pros ✅

• Easy to use: If you already use Google Calendar, it’s an easy add-on.
• Integrates seamlessly with Google:  As it’s part of the Google suite, it syncs smoothly with Gmail, Google Meet, Google Drive, etc. 
• Quick setup: You can get a booking page up and running in just a few clicks.
• Made for simple scheduling needs: If you need a basic booking tool and can do without advanced features or robust integrations, Google Scheduler will do the trick.

Cons ❌

• Lacks branding and customization options: If you’re looking to incorporate your branding, logo, photos, and colors, Google Appointment Scheduler falls flat.
• Limited integrations: Google’s scheduler only syncs with other Google tools, so if you want to hold meetings via Zoom or MS Teams, or integrate another calendar like Apple or Microsoft, you’re out of luck.
• No advanced features: If you need features like automated meeting follow-ups, round-robin meetings, booking analytics, SMS notifications, promo codes for bookings, or team management (just to name a few), you’ll need to consider other scheduling apps.

If you need a scheduling tool that goes beyond what Google Appointment Scheduler offers—one that’s powerful, customizable, and still incredibly easy to use—try YouCanBookMe (YCBM). 

Built specifically for small businesses, YCBM helps you save time, attract more clients, and ultimately boost your bottom line.  It’s everything you need to manage your bookings and grow your business, all in one user-friendly tool.

Let’s take a look at a few reasons why YouCanBookMe might be the right scheduler for you.

Customize your booking page to fit your brand

Your booking page should look and feel like you, and not like a generic scheduler. With YouCanBookMe, you can customize every element of your booking page to truly make it your own:

• Add your colors, logo, and photos
• Add a custom background
• Create a personalized booking link
• Create a customized confirmation page
• Completely tailor your appointments: Including setting the name, photo, description, price, location, add-ons, booking form, and type (one-on-one, group, or round-robin)!

Sync multiple calendars at once

Unlike Google Appointment Scheduler, YCBM lets you connect as many calendars as you need, whether they’re Google, Apple, Microsoft, or Fastmail calendars. 

Connect with your favorite tools

You need a scheduler that fits seamlessly into your existing workflow, and doesn’t tie you down to one company’s tools. YouCanBookMe lets you integrate with:

• Video chat tools: Zoom, Google Meet, and MS Teams

• Analytics apps: Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel, LinkedIn Pixel, and Instagram Pixel

• Marketing tools: HubSpot, Mailchimp, and ActiveCampaign
• And 6,000 more via Zapier

Keep in touch with follow-up messages and SMS notifications

Do you want to reduce no-shows and improve client engagement after your meetings? SMS notifications and follow-up messages are key. With YouCanBookMe, you can:

• Send SMS confirmations and reminders to cut through the noise of your client’s crowded email inbox.
• Send as many meeting follow-ups as you need to encourage repeat bookings, ask for reviews and referrals, send exclusive offers, share helpful resources, or just thank clients for their time. 

Google Scheduler works—But you deserve better

Google Appointment Scheduler is a decent tool for basic scheduling, especially if you’re already using Google Calendar. But for small businesses that need advanced features, flexibility, and professional branding, it just doesn’t measure up. 

That’s where YouCanBookMe comes in. Packed with features that help you save time, impress clients, and grow your business, it’s the smarter choice for scheduling.

Try YouCanBookMe for free (no credit card required!) to finally take control of your time and bookings. ✨