Booking appointments in Google Calendar (opens in new tab) just got even easier as Google is now rolling out a new appointment scheduling feature to its calendar app (opens in new tab).
First introduced for paid Google Workspace (opens in new tab) users last June, the company's appointment scheduling feature allows users to share their availability through a booking page.
This booking page can be used by external stakeholders, clients, partners and others to schedule time to meet in-person or over video through Google Meet (opens in new tab).
Creating a bookable appointment schedule in Google Calendar is just as easy as setting up a new event or task and on desktop, it can be done by clicking the plus icon. However, you will need a paid Google Workspace Individual (opens in new tab) account to test out this feature for yourself.
Appointment scheduling vs appointment slot
While Google Calendar's appointment scheduling may sound similar to its existing appointment slot (opens in new tab) feature, they have entirely different use cases.
The appointment slot feature in Google Calendar is intended for internal use cases where you don't know who needs to meet with you but want to make yourself available. For instance, professors can use it to hold their office hours while an IT department can make itself available for employees experiencing computer issues.
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Appointment scheduling on the other hand is suited for external use cases and allows for people outside of your organization, including those who don't have a Google account (opens in new tab), to schedule meetings. However, you won't have to worry about double bookings or rescheduling appointments as the feature also supports automatic conflict detection with existing Google Calendar events.
Now that businesses have begun implementing hybrid work (opens in new tab) policies, this additional flexibility makes it easier to schedule meetings and share your availability in a way that works for everyone.
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