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New Google Calendar: Appointment Slots

New Google Calendar: Appointment Slots

google calendar appointment slots

Make Appointment Slots in Google Calendar

I’m really digging the new layout for Google Calendar. It’s mostly just a new look not a loss of features. So good news, appointment slots are still there for G Suite for Education users. Appointment slots allow you to create available slots of people to sign up. In other words, instead of YOU manually adding each appointment to the calendar, people do it themselves. I used Google Calendar Appointment slots to meet with students to review their student portfolios. I created the slots of time on the calendar that I was available and the students clicked on the link and chose the spot that worked for them.

View Matters

If you are not finding appointment slots in the new Google Calendar it is because you’re on the wrong view… or you are in your Gmail. You can not make appointment slots in regular personal Gmail. It has to be an education account. Notice in the upper right next to the settings wheel is a drop down menu for the view. You want to be in Week view (press W) or Day view (Press D).
week view create an appointment slot

day view appointment slots

NOT Month View

If you are in Month view (Press M) you will NOT be able to create Appointment slots.
Month View Appointment Slots

Red Add Events Button

It might seem like you could create Appointment slots by clicking the red plus button. NO! This creates an event, not an appointment.
No appointment slots in the red plus icon

Create Appointment Slots

You must click on the actual calendar itself and be in Day, Week, or 4 day view. Click on the “Appointment slots” button.
Create appointment slots by clicking on the calendar in day view

Clicking on “Appointment slots” switches from creating an event to creating Appointment slots, it should now be blue. Notice next to “Slots with duration” is a tiny triangle. Click on that to switch from making multiple slots to a single appointment slot. The default slot time is 30 minutes. This is editable. Click on the 30 and change it.
Make an appointment



More Options

Click on the “More options” text to further edit.
more options

Calendar Appointment Page

There is only ONE calendar appointment page. There is NOT one created per appointment slots. You have an appointment calendar; one. You can put the link to this in your email signature if you regularly create parent appointment meeting slots. It’s subtle, but in the middle of the appointment slot editing screen is a blue link to “This calendar’s appointment page.” Click on the link to open the appointment page. You will want to copy this link and share it with whoever needs to make appointments with you.
appointment calendar link



8 thoughts on “New Google Calendar: Appointment Slots

  1. I am not sure if this changed but when we played with appointment slots for parent teacher meetings a few years ago it worked great
    EXCEPT
    the parents signing up had to have a Google account. Without a Google account they were unable to make an appointment.
    It may have changed

      1. Not that it is ideal but you can give parents a link to make their current email into a Google account. It’s a short form to fill out and then gives them all Google apps access except Gmail.

  2. If you have recurring appointment slots, is there a way to block off one of those slots if you have a conflicting event? Like if on the same calendar you have a different meeting during one of your appointment slots will it block off that appointment?

  3. Are the appointments private? Meaning, when a parent or staff member clicks on my appointment calendar, can they see everyone else’s appointments? I can see everyone’s appointment details when I click the link, but it’s my calendar. I’m curious what a 3rd party scheduling an appointment sees.

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