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How to Connect Google Calendar to Slack (Step-by-Step Guide)

Francesco



minutes reading

November 21, 2025

Modern teams spend their entire workday jumping between apps. Messages arrive in Slack, meeting invites pop up in Google Calendar, reminders appear in email, and suddenly, half the day is lost to switching tabs. This constant jumping makes it easy to miss meetings, overlook reminders, or show up late simply because notifications never surfaced where you were already working.

Connecting Google Calendar to Slack fixes this by bringing your schedule directly into your team’s communication hub. Instead of checking multiple tabs, Slack becomes the place where you see upcoming events, get timely reminders, and automatically update your status when you are in a meeting. It keeps you aligned, reduces stress, and gives coworkers instant visibility into your availability.

In this step-by-step guide, you’ll learn exactly how to connect Google Calendar to Slack, set up auto-status syncing, and manage meetings and reminders without leaving your workspace. Whether you work remotely or in a hybrid setup, this integration creates a smoother, more focused workflow for you and your team.

TL;DR (Key Takeaways)

Connecting Google Calendar with Slack eliminates context switching by merging your communication and scheduling in one place.
Automatic reminders, daily summaries, and synced statuses ensure you never miss a meeting or overlap events.
Custom slash commands like /gcal today or /gcal create let you manage events without leaving Slack.
Status sync helps protect focus time and signals availability across teams — especially valuable for remote or hybrid work.

Why Integrate Google Calendar with Slack?

For professionals who live in Slack, calendar notifications often get lost among messages. Integrating Google Calendar ensures that key events appear where your team already communicates.

Key benefits:

Automatic meeting reminders directly in Slack, so you never miss a call or stand-up.
Status auto-updates when you join a meeting, showing “In a meeting 📅.”
Daily summaries that display your upcoming schedule every morning.
Fewer distractions since you no longer need to switch to browser tabs or mobile apps.
Improved visibility across remote or hybrid teams.
Imagine you’re a marketing lead. Instead of checking your calendar repeatedly, you receive a Slack reminder five minutes before each meeting, complete with the Google Meet link. One click, and you’re in.

Also read: Workplace Productivity Hacks for Efficient Performance

How to Connect Google Calendar to Slack (Step-by-Step)

The Google Calendar for Slack app makes it easy to manage meetings, join calls, and adjust schedules without leaving your workspace. Below is a simple setup process you can follow in minutes.

Step 1 – Install the Google Calendar App in Slack

Go to the Slack App Directory.
Search for Google Calendar.
Click Add to Slack.
Choose your workspace and confirm installation.
Sign in to your Google account and grant the requested permissions to view and manage events.

Once complete, Slack will confirm the connection with a quick message showing your next calendar event.

Tip: If you use Microsoft Outlook instead of Google Calendar, Slack also supports an Outlook Calendar for Slack integration with similar features.

Step 2 – Connect Your Google Account and Choose a Default Calendar

After installation, Slack will prompt you to choose which Google account and calendar you want to sync.

Select your primary calendar (work, personal, or shared).
Approve access permissions.
Confirm your integration by running /gcal today in Slack to view your next event list.

You can add more calendars later, such as a shared team calendar or departmental schedule, to keep all events visible in one place.

Step 3 – Customize Notifications and Permissions

Once connected, you can fine-tune how Slack and Google Calendar communicate.
This ensures that you receive relevant updates without overwhelming your workspace with notifications.

Here’s how to customize your settings:

Type /gcal settings in any Slack channel or DM.
Choose when to get reminders: 10 minutes before meetings, 30 minutes, or a custom time.
Select which types of notifications to receive:
- Event invitations
- Updates or cancellations
- Daily schedule summaries
Adjust privacy and visibility settings for shared channels if you manage sensitive information.

The integration will now deliver alerts directly in Slack instead of your inbox, perfect for users who want fewer email interruptions.

Step 4 – Sync Your Slack Status with Google Calendar

This is one of the most powerful features of the integration.
When enabled, your Slack status automatically updates to show when you’re in a meeting or focus block.

How to turn it on:

Open Slack and type /gcal settings.
Scroll to “Sync your Slack status with Google Calendar.”
Toggle it on.
Choose whether to show custom emojis (for example, 📅 or 🟢).

Now, whenever your calendar shows you as “busy,” Slack sets your status to “In a meeting.”
When the meeting ends, it resets automatically.

This automation prevents interruptions, signals focus time to colleagues, and helps remote teams stay aligned.
It also works beautifully with time-blocking workflows; if you block two hours for deep work, your status reflects it in real time.

How to Use Google Calendar Inside Slack (Everyday Workflows)

Once setup is complete, Slack becomes a lightweight scheduling

hub. You can check your agenda, join meetings, and even create new events, all through simple commands.

1. Get Event Reminders Directly in Slack

Before each event, Slack sends a message reminder in your DMs from the Google Calendar app.
You’ll see:

The event title and time
Attendees
The Google Meet or Zoom link
Buttons to Join, Snooze, or Decline

You can also run /gcal today anytime to see your remaining meetings

2. Create or Modify Events from Slack

You don’t have to open a browser tab to schedule meetings anymore.
Just type /gcal create in Slack, and you can:

Add event titles, participants, and meeting links
Pick date and time using dropdowns
Choose which calendar to save it to

This feature is especially useful during team discussions when new meetings need to be booked on the fly.

3. Check Your Daily or Weekly Agenda

Use simple slash commands to stay on top of your schedule:

/gcal today → Shows all meetings for the day
/gcal week → Displays your weekly agenda

These commands make it easy to plan your day without switching apps or disrupting focus time.

Related: Daily Planner with Time Slots

How Teams Use Slack Calendar Integrations to Improve Collaboration

When teams integrate Google Calendar with Slack, they create a shared rhythm across meetings, focus time, and availability.

Here’s how different teams benefit:

Remote teams: Shared visibility reduces scheduling conflicts. When statuses show “In a meeting,” teammates know to message later.
Sales and client teams: Automatic reminders prevent missed calls or overlapping meetings.
Developers and designers: Status sync helps protect deep work blocks and reduces interruptions.

By connecting tools like Akiflow with Slack and Google Calendar, teams can also consolidate tasks, schedules, and meetings into one workspace.
That means fewer browser tabs and a clearer picture of your day.

Troubleshooting Common Google Calendar + Slack Issues

Integrations between Slack and Google Calendar are generally reliable, but minor sync errors or permission issues can happen.
Here’s how to handle the most common problems efficiently.

1. Calendar not syncing

If new events aren’t appearing in Slack:

Run /gcal disconnect, then reconnect your Google account.
Ensure you’ve selected the right calendar under /gcal settings.
Check if your Google Workspace admin has allowed external app integrations.

Tip: Refresh your Slack workspace or reauthorize Google access in your browser.

2. Duplicate notifications

If you’re getting reminders both in email and Slack:

Open Google Calendar → Settings > Notifications.
Disable email alerts for upcoming events.
Keep only Slack reminders active.

This prevents alert fatigue while keeping you updated in one channel.

3. Slack status not updating

If your status doesn’t change during meetings:

Type /gcal status sync on again to reset permissions.
Verify your calendar events are marked as “Busy” (not “Free”).
Reinstall the Google Calendar app in Slack if syncing remains inconsistent.

4. Permission or admin errors

If you see “access denied” messages:

Ask your Google Workspace administrator to enable API access for third-party apps.
In Slack, verify under Settings > Integrations that Google Calendar is approved for your workspace.

Best Calendar Apps and Alternatives for Slack Users

While Google Calendar is the most common choice, teams using Slack can benefit from additional scheduling tools that improve visibility and planning.

Here’s a quick comparison overview:

Tool	Best for	Key Feature	Why use it with Slack
Google Calendar for Slack	Most users	Auto reminders + status sync	Simple setup, real-time updates
Microsoft Outlook Calendar for Slack	Office 365 users	Cross-platform sync	Works across enterprise setups
Akiflow	Power users & hybrid teams	Unified calendar + task manager	Combines events, tasks, and focus blocks in one view

Why Akiflow stands out:
Unlike single-purpose integrations, Akiflow aggregates events from multiple calendars and syncs them with Slack. You can time-block, view tasks, and update reminders from one dashboard. This reduces context switching and improves time awareness for ADHD or high-interruption workflows.

Related: Best AI Time Blocking Tools

Conclusion

Your calendar and communication tools should work together, not compete for attention.
By integrating Google Calendar with Slack, you centralize scheduling, reminders, and focus time in one platform. It saves you from missed meetings, reduces constant tab-switching, and helps your team work in sync.

If you’re ready to go beyond reminders and build a smarter workflow, pair your Slack integration with Akiflow.

Akiflow unifies your tasks, calendars, and focus blocks, so you can plan your day visually, manage Slack notifications intelligently, and spend more time actually working.

Try Akiflow today to integrate calendars and Slack effortlessly, and turn your workspace into a productivity hub.

Also read: Time Management Tools

FAQs

1. Can you integrate multiple Google Calendars with Slack?
Yes. You can connect multiple Google Calendars by going to /gcal settings in Slack and adding additional calendars, such as shared or team calendars. This helps you keep personal, work, and team events visible in one place.

2. Why is my Google Calendar not syncing with Slack?
Common causes include outdated permissions or disabled API access. Run /gcal disconnect and reconnect your Google account. Ensure your workspace admin has approved Google Calendar integrations.

3. Can I receive meeting reminders from Google Calendar in Slack without email alerts?
Yes. Disable Google Calendar’s email notifications under Settings > Notifications and keep only Slack reminders active. You’ll get alerts in your workspace without inbox clutter.

4. How do I stop Slack from showing the wrong meeting status?
Ensure your Google Calendar events are marked as “Busy.” If your status still doesn’t update, type /gcal status sync on or reinstall the Google Calendar app in Slack.

5. Is there a way to manage both Slack and Google Calendar tasks together?
Yes. Tools like Akiflow integrate with Slack and Google Calendar to bring tasks, events, and reminders into one unified dashboard, allowing better time blocking and scheduling without switching between apps.