Integrating Google Calendar into your Slack workspace is a great way to streamline communication, collaboration, and scheduling. With this integration, you and your team can easily stay up-to-date on events, respond to meeting invites, set reminders, and more—all without leaving Slack.
As a digital marketing professional with over 10 years of experience, I highly recommend setting up this integration to boost productivity. In this comprehensive guide, I’ll walk you through the entire process step-by-step.
Table of Contents
- Benefits of Integrating Google Calendar and Slack
- Step 1: Install Google Calendar App in Slack
- Step 2: Connect Your Google Calendar Account
- Step 3: Set Up Automatic Status Updates
- Step 4: Add the Google Calendar Slack App to More Channels
- Key Features and How to Use the Integration
- Slack Tips to Boost Productivity
- Key Takeaways and Next Steps
Benefits of Integrating Google Calendar and Slack
Here are some of the key benefits of connecting Google Calendar to your Slack workspace:
- Improved communication and collaboration: With calendar updates and reminders directly in Slack, it’s easier for teams to stay aligned on schedules.
- Enhanced productivity: Less time spent switching between apps means more time for meaningful work.
- Automatic status updates: Your Slack status can update automatically when you’re in a meeting, saving you time.
- Streamlined scheduling: You can easily create, edit, and respond to events right in Slack without disrupting your workflow.
- Centralized platform: Slack becomes your all-in-one hub with calendar access, conversations, and tools.
Step 1: Install Google Calendar App in Slack
The first step is to install the Google Calendar app in your Slack workspace. Here’s how:
- Click on the workspace name in the top left corner of Slack.
- Select “Apps” from the left sidebar menu.
- In the search bar, type “Google Calendar”.
- Click on the Google Calendar app.
- Click “Add to Slack”.
- Authorize the integration by clicking “Allow”.
It takes just a minute or two to install the app. You’ll then be redirected back to your Slack workspace with Google Calendar enabled.
Step 2: Connect Your Google Calendar Account
Once Google Calendar is installed, you need to connect your Google account:
- In Slack, click on the Google Calendar app icon in the left sidebar.
- Click the blue “Connect Account” button.
- Select the Google account you want to connect.
- Click “Allow” to authorize access again.
After a few seconds, your calendars will sync automatically. All set!
Step 3: Set Up Automatic Status Updates
You can also enable automatic Slack status updates based on Google Calendar events:
- In the Google Calendar Slack app, click the gear icon to access Settings.
- Turn on “Change my Slack status when events start”.
- Customize the status emoji and text if desired.
- Click “Save Changes”.
Your Slack status will now automatically change when meetings begin or end in Google Calendar. This saves you time and keeps your team informed when you’re unavailable.
Step 4: Add the Google Calendar Slack App to More Channels
To allow more teammates to access Google Calendar integrations, you can add the app to additional channels:
- In each channel, click the channel name to open Channel Details.
- Click “Add apps” and search for “Google Calendar”.
- Select the Google Calendar app to finish adding it.
Now all channel members can take advantage of the integration without switching channels.
Key Features and How to Use the Integration
With Google Calendar and Slack connected, here are some of the top features available:
Daily calendar summaries
Get a summary of the day’s calendar events delivered right to a Slack channel every morning.
Event reminders
Receive Slack notifications when an event is about to start so you never miss a meeting.
Respond to event invites
Reply “yes”, “no”, or “maybe” to Google Calendar invites right within Slack conversations.
Join video calls
Launch video calls instantly from calendar reminders for events like Zoom meetings.
Create new events
Easily add new Google Calendar events from any Slack channel or direct message.
Update personal settings
Customize connected accounts, syncing preferences, notifications, and more.
Take a few minutes to explore all of the options available after integrating. The functionality completely transforms Slack into a productivity powerhouse for you and your team!
Slack Tips to Boost Productivity
Beyond the Google Calendar integration, here are some quick Slack tips to work even smarter:
- Use Slack keyboard shortcuts to navigate faster and multitask with ease.
- Set up Do Not Disturb to limit notifications during focus time.
- Customize channel notifications so you’re only alerted when critical.
- Take advantage of Slack apps like Trello, HubSpot, and Gmail to centralize even more tools.
- Organize channels with custom names, descriptions, and groups to fit your team’s needs.
- Search across messages, files, and channels to quickly find what you need.
The more you customize Slack to match your workflow, the more useful it becomes over time.
Key Takeaways and Next Steps
Connecting Slack and Google Calendar takes just a few minutes but provides immense value for years to come. With your calendar integrated directly into channels and conversations, you can eliminate unnecessary task switching.
To recap, follow these steps to get set up:
- Install the Google Calendar app in your Slack workspace.
- Connect your personal or team Google account.
- Consider enabling automatic status updates.
- Add the app to more channels for teamwide access.
- Explore features like event invites, reminders, and video calls.
As next steps, take some time to customize notifications, keyboard shortcuts, DND hours, and any other settings tailored to your preferences. The more you mold Slack and Google Calendar to your exact needs, the more powerful this integration becomes.
With that, you’re ready to improve communication, collaboration, and productivity tenfold! Let me know if you have any other questions.