How to Share a Google Calendar: A Comprehensive Guide

By Neeraj Shukla | May 6, 2024 7:06 am

Sharing a Google Calendar is an incredibly effective method for synchronizing schedules, organizing events, and ensuring everyone is on the same page. Whether you're overseeing a team's project deadlines, arranging family gatherings, or planning outings with friends, leveraging Google Calendar's sharing capabilities can significantly enhance communication and organization. By integrating this tool into your workflow automation, you not only streamline planning processes but also improve overall productivity and coordination among participants. In this comprehensive guide, we'll delve into the steps required to share a Google Calendar, manage user permissions, and troubleshoot common issues that might arise. Additionally, we'll explore how Google Calendar integrations can further optimize your scheduling efforts and highlight some of the standout Google Calendar Features that make it a versatile tool for any collaborative endeavor. From setting up shared calendars for team projects to automating event reminders, the goal is to equip you with the knowledge to fully utilize Google Calendar to its maximum potential, thereby enhancing your workflow automation and collaborative efficiency.

Here's how to share your Google Calendar and view other calendars:

Step 1: Access Your Google Calendar

First, sign into your Google account and navigate to Google Calendar by typing "calendar.google.com" into your browser's address bar. Make sure you're logged into the account that holds the calendar you wish to share.

Step 2: Identify the Calendar to Share

Look for "My calendars" on the left side of your screen. If you've already created the calendar you want to share, it should be listed here. If not, you can quickly create a new one by clicking the "+" sign next to "Other calendars" and selecting "Create new calendar."

Step 3: Open Calendar Settings for Sharing

Find the calendar you wish to share, hover over it, and click on the three vertical dots that appear. Select "Settings and sharing" from the dropdown menu to enter the sharing settings of your chosen calendar.

Step 4: Share with Specific People

In the settings menu, scroll to the "Share with specific people" section. Click on "Add people" and enter the email addresses of the individuals you want to share the calendar with. Here, you can add multiple people simultaneously.

Step 5: Determine Permission Levels

For each person you're sharing the calendar with, you'll need to set permissions. Options range from view-only access ("See only free/busy") to full editing rights ("Make changes and manage sharing"). Choose the level of access that suits your needs for each person:

Step 6: Send Invitations

After setting permissions, click "Send" to email the invitations. The recipients will need to accept the invite to view or edit your calendar based on the permissions you've set.

Step 7: Share Your Calendar Publicly (Optional)

For broader sharing, you can make your calendar public. In the "Access permissions" section, check "Make available to public." Note that this will allow anyone to view your calendar, so use this feature with caution.

Step 8: Integrate with Other Apps

Google Calendar can be integrated with various apps and services, enhancing its functionality. For instance, linking Google Calendar with project management tools or communication platforms can automate reminders and updates, further streamlining your workflow.

How to View a Google Calendar Shared with You?

To view a Google Calendar that has been shared with you, follow these organized steps:

Step 1: Accept the Invitation

Look for an invitation in your email. If required, open the email and click the link to accept the invitation. In some cases, the calendar may automatically be added to your Google Calendar without needing to click an acceptance link. If you did not receive an email or cannot find it, the shared calendar might already be accessible to you. Move to the next steps to check within Google Calendar.

Step 2: Access Google Calendar

Navigate to Google Calendar by typing the address into your browser's address bar. Ensure you are logged into the Google Account to which the calendar was shared.

Step 3: Find the Shared Calendar

Look under "My calendars" or "Other calendars" on the left side of the Google Calendar interface. If the calendar sharer gave you permission to edit or manage the calendar, it might appear under "My calendars." If your permission is view-only, it is likely listed under "Other calendars."

Step 4: Add the Calendar to Your List

If the shared calendar does not appear in your list, click the "+" button next to "Other calendars" on the left-hand side.
Select "Subscribe to calendar."
Enter the email address of the person who shared the calendar with you or the name of the calendar if you know it. The shared calendar should then appear in your list.

Step 5: Customize Your View

To differentiate the shared calendar from your own, click the three dots next to the calendar's name.
Choose to change its color or adjust other settings, like notifications.

What are the Benefits of Sharing Your Google Calendar?

Sharing your Google Calendar has numerous advantages, streamlining communication, enhancing collaboration, and improving time management for both individuals and groups. Here are the key benefits:

Improved Coordination: Sharing calendars allows for better coordination of meetings, events, and projects. It makes it easier to find mutual availability, reducing the back-and-forth often necessary when planning.

Enhanced Transparency: By sharing your calendar, you provide a clear view of your availability to colleagues, family, or friends. This transparency helps in managing expectations and planning interactions more effectively.

Increased Productivity: Access to shared calendars cuts down on the time spent organizing and rescheduling. Everyone involved can see available slots in real time, allowing for quicker scheduling of meetings and events.

Efficient Time Management: With shared calendars, you can overlay multiple calendars to see how schedules align. This visibility enables more strategic planning and helps avoid overcommitment and scheduling conflicts.

Seamless Collaboration: Teams can work more cohesively by sharing calendars. Everyone stays informed about deadlines and upcoming tasks, ensuring that projects move forward smoothly and efficiently.

Flexible Accessibility: Google Calendar's cloud-based platform means you can access shared calendars from anywhere, on any device. This flexibility is invaluable for people on the go or working remotely.

Customized Sharing Options: Google Calendar allows you to control the level of detail others see. You can choose to share all event details or limit visibility to free/busy statuses, offering a balance between openness and privacy.

Automated Reminders: Shared calendars in Google Calendar come with the option to set automated reminders for events. This ensures that all participants are aware of and prepared for upcoming commitments.

Integration with Other Tools: Google Calendar integrates well with various productivity tools, enhancing the utility of shared calendars. Google Calendar integrations include syncing with other apps, automating tasks, and connecting to project management platforms.

Resource Management: Beyond personal and team schedules, shared Google Calendars can be used to manage resources like conference rooms or equipment. This helps in avoiding double bookings and ensures optimal use of resources.

Automate Google Calendar with Appy Pie Connect

Automating Google Calendar with Appy Pie Connect involves creating seamless integrations between Google Calendar and various platforms, enhancing productivity and streamlining workflow. Below, we explore how to integrate Google Calendar with several popular services, unlocking a wide range of functionalities that can optimize your scheduling, project management, and social media planning.

Integrate Google Calendar with Notion

Purpose: By integrating Google Calendar and Notion, you can sync your schedule with project notes and tasks in Notion, ensuring all deadlines and meetings are reflected in your project management workspace.

How it Works: Automatically create or update Notion database entries based on new or updated events in Google Calendar, linking calendar entries with project tasks or notes.

Integrate Google Calendar with Instagram

Purpose: Integrate Google Calendar with Instagram to plan and schedule Instagram posts by creating calendar events, perfect for content creators and social media managers.

How it Works: Set up calendar events as triggers to remind you when to post on Instagram, or use more sophisticated tools to auto-schedule posts through third-party apps that link Google Calendar events with Instagram posting schedules.

Integrate Microsoft Teams with Google Calendar

Purpose: Integrate Microsoft Teams with Google Calendar to enhance team collaboration by syncing Google Calendar events with Microsoft Teams, automatically creating meetings or notifying team members of upcoming events.

How it Works: Use Appy Pie Connect to create Teams meetings directly from new Google Calendar events, or update Teams meeting details when a Google Calendar event is modified.

Integrate Wix with Google Calendar

Purpose: Integrate Wix with Google Calendar to automatically add events or bookings made through your Wix website to your Google Calendar, ideal for managing appointments, classes, or reservations.

How it Works: Set up a connection that adds new Wix bookings as events in Google Calendar, ensuring your schedule always reflects your latest bookings.

Integrate GoHighLevel LeadConnector with Google Calendar

Purpose: Streamline client onboarding and follow-ups by integrating GoHighLevel LeadConnector with Google Calendar events.

How it Works: Automatically create Google Calendar events for new leads or appointments scheduled through GoHighLevel, ensuring prompt follow-ups.

Integrate Google Calendar with ServiceNow

Purpose: Integrate Google Calendar with ServiceNow to manage IT service schedules, project deadlines, or operational tasks directly from your calendar.

How it Works: Create ServiceNow incidents, tasks, or events based on Google Calendar events, facilitating better IT service management and project tracking.

Ninja Forms and Google Calendar Integrations

Purpose: Create a Ninja Forms and Google Calendar integration Automatically create events in Google Calendar based on form submissions via Ninja Forms, great for appointment booking or event registration.

How it Works: When a form is submitted through Ninja Forms, Appy Pie Connect can create a new event in Google Calendar, capturing the date, time, and details submitted by the user.

Explore More Google Calendar Integrations

Conclusion

Google Calendar stands out as an indispensable tool for enhancing organization, communication, and productivity across personal and professional spheres. Through the comprehensive guide provided, we've navigated the processes of sharing your Google Calendar, managing permissions for collaborative efficiency, and exploring the vast potential of Google Calendar integrations to automate and optimize your scheduling tasks. Integrating Google Calendar with platforms such as Notion, Instagram, Microsoft Teams, Wix, GoHighLevel, ServiceNow, and Ninja Forms, opens up a realm of possibilities for streamlining workflows, ensuring seamless project management, and boosting social media engagement. The benefits of sharing your Google Calendar cannot be overstated, with improved coordination, increased productivity, and seamless collaboration at the forefront. By embracing these practices and exploring the potential of automation with Appy Pie Connect, users can significantly enhance their scheduling efficiency, ensuring that they remain on top of their tasks and engagements.

Neeraj Shukla

Content Manager at Appy Pie