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How to Share a Google Calendar Step by Step

Written by Paulina Major | Oct 9, 2024 8:34:28 AM

If you're trying to figure out how to share your Google Calendar, you’re in the right place.

Google Calendar offers powerful features to keep you organized. You can create multiple calendars, color-code events for better clarity, and share your schedule with others seamlessly. It’s a great tool loved by millions of people for managing both personal and professional schedules.

In this practical guide, you’ll learn:

  • How to create a Google Calendar if you don’t have one yet.
  • How to create and share calendar events.
  • Four different ways to share your Google Calendar with others.

Let’s jump right in and get started!

How to create a Google Calendar

Before you can share your Google Calendar, you’ll need to make sure you have one set up. Already have a calendar? Feel free to jump to the next section! If not, here’s how to get started:

Step 1: Log in to your Google account
Head over to Google Calendar and sign in with your Google account. If you don’t have one yet, creating a Google account is quick and free.

Step 2: Create a new calendar
On the left side, find the "Other Calendars" section. Click the plus sign (+) next to it, then select Create New Calendar.

Step 3: Add calendar details

Name your calendar, add a description if you’d like, and set the correct time zone. Once you’ve filled in the details, click Create Calendar.

Step 4: Customize your settings
After creating your calendar, you can personalize it by adjusting the permissions, sharing options, and notifications under the Settings menu on the left.

And you’re all set! Now, you’re ready to start adding events and sharing them with others.

How to create a Google Calendar event

Once your Google Calendar is set up, the next step is to start creating events. This functionality is particularly useful for scheduling business meetings, client appointments, or even family gatherings.

Just follow these simple steps:

Step 1: Open your Google Calendar
Navigate to Google Calendar and select the calendar where you want to create the event. For the purpose of this guide, we’ll be creating an event within the Work Calendar I just set up.

Step 2: Click on the desired date and time when you want to create the event. A small window will pop up where you can enter event details.

Step 3: Add event details
In the pop-up window, type the event name (e.g., “Team Meeting” or “Client Call”). You can also adjust the time, set it as an all-day event, or even make it a recurring event by clicking “More Options.”

Step 4: Customize your event
You can add a location, video conferencing link (via Google Meet), event description, and invite attendees by adding their email addresses. Google Calendar will send them an invitation automatically.

Step 5: Save the event
Once you’ve added all the details, click Save. The event will now appear on your calendar.

And that’s it. In just five steps, you’ve created your first event. In the next section, we’ll teach you how to share it with others.

How to share a Google Calendar event with others

There are several ways to share your Google Calendar event with people. Let’s go through each option together.

Option 1: Share your Google event from the calendar

Step 1: Open the event you want to share
Find the event on your calendar and double-click on it to open the event details.

Step 2: Add guests to the event
In the event window, look for the Add Guests section on the right. Type in the email addresses of the people you want to invite. You can add multiple guests by separating their email addresses with commas.

Step 3: Customize guest permissions
Below the guest list, you’ll see options to adjust guest permissions. You can allow guests to modify the event, invite others, or see the guest list. Choose what works best for your event.

Step 4: Send the invitation
Once you’ve added your guests, click Save. Google Calendar will ask if you want to send email invitations to your guests. Click Send to notify them.

Step 5: Track guest responses
After the invitations are sent, you can track RSVPs. Google Calendar will automatically update you as guests accept or decline the invite.

Option 2: Share your Google event via Gmail

Another easy way to share a Google Calendar event is by sending an invitation through Gmail. Here’s how you can do it:

Step 1: Open the event on your calendar
Click on the event you want to share from your Google Calendar.

Step 2: Click the email icon
Look for the email icon in the event pop-up window and click it. This will open a new Gmail message.

Step 3: Enter the recipient’s email address and add your message
In the new email, add the recipient’s email address in the To field. Also, fill out the subject line and write a short meeting invitation message if needed.

Step 4: Click Send
Once you're ready, click Send to share the event.

Option 3: Publish your event using a shareable link

A third way is share your Google Calendar event is by generating a shareable HTML link. Here’s how to do it:

Step 1: Open the event you want to share
Click on the event in your Google Calendar to open the details.

Step 2: Click on “More options”
In the event pop-up window, click on the More options button (three vertical dots) and choose Publish event from the dropdown menu.

Step 3: Copy the event link
Once the event is published, you’ll see a generated link. Copy the Event URL or the HTML code.

Step 4: Share the link
You can now share the scheduling link by pasting it into an email, a message, or even embedding it on a website. Anyone with the link can view and add the event to their own calendar.

💡 Bonus Tip: This option works great if you want to share an event publicly, like a webinar or open meeting, without sending personal invitations.

Four different ways to share your entire Google Calendar

Sometimes, sharing individual events is enough—like when you need to invite someone to a one-time meeting or event.

However, sharing your entire calendar can be more efficient when you have ongoing projects, recurring meetings, or need full transparency for work, clients, or family members. Individual events are great for one-off scheduling, but they can become time-consuming to manage if you’re coordinating with the same people regularly.

Here are four different ways you can share your entire Google Calendar:

1. Share/sync your calendar

Step 1: Open Google Calendar, and click on the three dots next to the calendar you want to share.

Step 2: Select Settings and Sharing.

Step 3: Under Share with specific people, click Add people and enter their email address.

Step 4: Choose the permission level (view-only, make changes, etc.).

Step 5: Click Send to share the calendar.

2. Create a joint calendar

A shared Google Calendar is perfect for collaborative efforts like managing business teams or organizing family activities. For example, businesses might use a joint Marketing Calendar for project deadlines, while families can create a shared calendar for soccer practices or school events.

The process of creating a joint calendar is very similar to creating a brand-new calendar. If you need visual instructions, simply refer to the first section of this guide. 

The only difference is that after creating the new calendar—whether it's for a specific team at work (e.g., "Marketing Team") or for your family (e.g., "Family Schedule")—you'll need to go to the calendar’s settings and click Share with specific people or groups.

Then, add the email addresses of your collaborators and choose their permission levels. Now, everyone added can view and edit the calendar, making it easy to collaborate.

3. Add someone else's calendar to yours

Need to keep track of someone else’s schedule? Google Calendar lets you add someone else’s calendar to yours so you can view their availability.

Step 1: Open Google Calendar and, in the Other Calendars section on the left, click the + sign.

Step 2: Select Subscribe to Calendar.

Step 3: Enter the person’s email address, and if they’ve shared their calendar with you, it’ll appear in your list.

Step 4: You can now view their calendar alongside yours to easily compare schedules.

This is a great option for managers, colleagues, or family members who need to stay in sync with each other’s availability.

4. Connect to YouCanBookMe and share your scheduling link

If you’re a business owner who needs to schedule appointments with clients or team members, integrating Google Calendar with YouCanBookMe is by far the superior option.

YouCanBookMe automates meeting scheduling, allowing your clients, colleagues, team members, or anyone who needs to book a meeting with you to simply select a time from your calendar that suits them best. Appointments are then automatically added to your Google Calendar, with notifications for new bookings, changes, or cancellations.

Moreover, you can create branded booking pages to embed in your website or emails, set appointment durations, and add custom fields for clients. Plus, YouCanBookMe sends automated reminders, so your attendees won’t forget their meeting with you!

So, how do you go about sharing your scheduling link?

Step 1: Create your free YouCanBookMe account.

Step 2: During the booking page setup, connect your Google Calendar.

Step 3: Follow the on-screen integration instructions.

Step 4: Once your Google Calendar is integrated with YouCanBookMe, it's time to share your scheduling link. Go to the top right corner of your booking page, click on Share, and choose the option that works best for you. Voila!

🤔 Need ideas on how to share your online booking link? Check out this blog post packed with real-life examples you can easily apply to your own business.

Make Google Calendar sharing hassle-free with YouCanBookMe

However you decide to share your Google Calendar, choose the method that works best for you.

That said, if you’re looking for a powerful and easy-to-use scheduling tool, YouCanBookMe is perfect for small business owners and entrepreneurs. Sign up for free (no credit card required) and get more organized today!