To create a Google Calendar invite, make an event and add guests to it. On a computer, click Create in Google Calendar, add a title and time, type your guests’ email addresses under Guests, and click Save, then choose to send the invitations. In the Google Calendar app, tap Create > Event, tap Add people (Android) or Add guests (iPhone), then tap Done and Save.
Your guests get an email invitation and can reply Yes, No, or Maybe, even if they don’t use Google Calendar. This guide walks through each device, plus how to add a Google Meet link, control what guests can do, and turn a Gmail message into an invite.
Quick Answer
- Open Google Calendar on your computer or phone.
- Create an event: click Create (computer) or tap Create > Event (app).
- Add a title, date, time, and any location or description.
- Add guests by name or email address.
- Optional: add a Google Meet link and set guest permissions.
- Save the event and send the invitations.
In This Guide
- Before you start
- Create an invite on a computer
- Create an invite on Android
- Create an invite on iPhone or iPad
- Add a Google Meet video link
- Choose what guests can do
- Create an invite from a Gmail message
- After you send: responses, changes, and reminders
- What your guests see and how they RSVP
- Tips for an invite people will act on
- Which way should you use?
- Troubleshooting
- Frequently Asked Questions
Before You Start
A Google Calendar “invite” isn’t a separate feature; it’s an ordinary event with guests added. When you save an event that has guests, Google Calendar can email each guest an invitation, and the event appears on their calendar if they use Google Calendar.
What you need:
- A Google Account. A personal Gmail account or a work or school Google Workspace account both work.
- Google Calendar in a web browser at calendar.google.com, or the Google Calendar app for Android or iPhone and iPad.
- Your guests’ email addresses. Guests don’t need Google Calendar or a Gmail address. Anyone with an email address can receive the invite.
Limits worth knowing, from Google’s help page on inviting people:
- You can invite up to 200 people to one event.
- To invite more, invite a Google Group (a shared group email address). Google says you can invite groups with up to 100,000 members this way.
- In the mobile apps, the guest list is hidden for events with more than 50 guests.
- You can’t create events on the Birthday or Holiday calendars, and you can’t add guests to events Gmail created automatically (such as flight reservations).
This guide reflects Google Calendar on the web, Android, and iPhone as of September 2026. Google updates Calendar often, so a few labels may look slightly different on your screen.
Create an Invite on a Computer
The computer version gives you the most options in one place, including guest permissions and a scheduling helper.
- Go to Google Calendar and sign in.
- Click Create in the top left corner. You can also click an empty time slot on your calendar. Expected result: A small event box appears.
- Type a title for the event, such as “Project kickoff.”
- Set the date and time. For an all-day event, check All day under the date and time.
- To see every option, open the full event details. In the quick box, click More options if you see it. Expected result: The full event editing page opens.
- Under Guests, type a name or email address and choose the person from the suggestions, or type the full address and press Enter. Repeat for each guest.
- Optional: hover over a guest and click Mark optional if their attendance isn’t required.
- Optional: add a location, a description or agenda, and a Google Meet link (see Add a Google Meet video link).
- Under Guest permissions (shown as Guests can in some views), check or uncheck Modify event, Invite others, and See guest list.
- Click Save. Expected result: Google Calendar asks whether to email invitations to your guests.
- Click Send to email the invitations. Expected result: Each guest gets an email invite, and the event appears on your calendar with your guests listed.
If you choose not to send emails at step 11, guests who use Google Calendar may still see the event on their calendar, but they won’t get an email about it. Send the invitations whenever guests need a heads-up.
Use Find a time to pick a slot that works
When you add guests who share their calendar availability with you (common inside a company or school), the event page shows a Find a time option. Click it to see everyone’s schedules side by side, then pick a time when everyone is free. For personal accounts, you usually won’t see other people’s schedules unless they’ve shared their calendars with you.
Make it a repeating invite
For a weekly meeting or monthly check-in, use the repeat option on the event page (it usually reads Does not repeat until you change it). Choose a pattern such as weekly, and every occurrence goes to your guests with one invitation.
Create an Invite on Android
- Open the Google Calendar app.
- Tap Create in the bottom right corner (it looks like a plus sign), then tap Event.
- Add a title and set the date and time. Turn on All-day if it lasts the whole day.
- Tap Add people.
- Type a name or email address and tap the person in the suggestions. Add as many guests as you need. Expected result: Each guest appears in a list.
- Optional: mark a guest as optional, or tap View schedules to check when guests are free if their calendars are visible to you.
- Tap Done.
- Optional: add a location, notes, or a video conferencing link.
- Tap Save. Expected result: Google Calendar sends an email invitation to your guests.
Add people to an event you already made
- In the Google Calendar app, tap the event to open it.
- Tap Edit (the pencil icon).
- Tap Add people, add the new guests, and tap Done.
- Tap Save. Expected result: The new guests get an email invitation; existing guests keep theirs.
If you use Google Calendar for work or school, Google says a Meet video meeting is added automatically when you add invitees and tap Save. On a personal account, check the conferencing option before saving if you want a video link.
To stop guests from forwarding the invite, edit the event and turn off Guests can add others. The Guests can section also lets you control whether guests can modify the event or see the guest list.
Create an Invite on iPhone or iPad
These steps are for the Google Calendar app, not Apple’s built-in Calendar app.
- Open the Google Calendar app.
- Tap Create (the plus sign), then tap Event.
- Add a title and set the date and time.
- Tap Add guests.
- Enter each person’s name or email address and select them. Expected result: Guests appear in the list.
- Optional: tap Mark optional next to anyone whose attendance isn’t required.
- Tap Done.
- Add any other details you need, such as location, notes, or video conferencing.
- Tap Save. Expected result: Your guests receive email invitations.
To edit an existing event and add more people, open the event, tap Edit, then Add guests. As on Android, you can edit the event and turn off Guests can add others to keep the guest list under your control.
Add a Google Meet Video Link
Adding a Meet link turns your invite into a video meeting invitation. Guests get a join link in the email and in the event.
On a computer
- Create or edit the event.
- Click Add Google Meet video conferencing. Expected result: A Join with Google Meet link appears on the event.
- Optional: open Video call options to adjust host controls and other meeting settings.
- Add your guests and click Save, then Send.
On a phone
For work or school accounts, a Meet link is added automatically when you add guests and save. On other accounts, look for the video conferencing option in the event details before you tap Save; the label can vary by app version.
According to Google Meet Help, Google Workspace Essentials users can’t schedule a Meet from Google Calendar. If you don’t see the option on a work account, your administrator may have limited it.
Using a school Chromebook? See how to make a Google Meet on a school Chromebook.
Choose What Guests Can Do
Guest permissions control what invited people can change. Set them before you send, or edit the event later.
| Permission | What it allows | When to turn it on |
|---|---|---|
| Modify event | Guests can change the time, title, details, and guests | Small teams planning together; co-organizers |
| Invite others | Guests can add more people to the event | Open meetings where people may bring colleagues |
| See guest list | Guests can see who else is invited | Most meetings; turn off for large or private events |
On a computer, these appear as checkboxes under Guest permissions. In the apps, look for the Guests can section when editing the event. Turning off Invite others (or Guests can add others in the apps) is a good default if you’re inviting people outside your organization and want to control who attends.
Create an Invite from a Gmail Message
If you’re already discussing a meeting by email, you can turn the message into a calendar invite. According to Gmail Help, this copies the email’s subject and text into the event and adds the message’s recipients as invitees.
- On a computer, open Gmail and open the email.
- Above the message, click More (three dots).
- Click Create event. Expected result: Google Calendar opens with a new event pre-filled from the email.
- Check the date, time, and guest list. Add or remove people as needed.
- Click Save, then choose to send invitations.
Google’s help page covers this on a computer. The Gmail mobile apps may not show the same option. For other ways to get emails into your calendar, see how to add an email to Google Calendar.
After You Send: Responses, Changes, and Reminders
See who’s coming
Open the event to see each guest’s response in the guest list. According to Google’s help page on responding to invitations, the organizer gets a notification when someone responds.
Email all your guests
On a computer, open the event and click the Email guests icon next to the guest count. A new email opens with all invited guests included, which is handy for sending an agenda or a last-minute update.
Change the time or details
Open the event, edit it, and save. When you save changes to an event with guests, Google Calendar gives you the option to email the update to them. Send it for anything that affects attendance, such as a new time or location.
Add or remove guests later
Edit the event and add names under Guests, or remove someone from the list, then save. If a guest says they never got the invite, you can remove them and add them again to trigger a fresh invitation.
Set your own reminders
You can add up to 5 notifications for each event. These reminders are yours; they aren’t shared with guests, who get reminders based on their own calendar settings. To change the reminder time that new events start with, see how to change the default notification time in Google Calendar.
Cancel the invite
Before you delete: deleting an event you organized removes it for your guests. Open the event and delete it. If Google Calendar offers to email your guests about the change, send it so nobody shows up to a canceled meeting.
What Your Guests See and How They RSVP
Guests receive an email with the event title, time, location, description, and any Meet link. From there:
- Anyone can respond with Yes, No, or Maybe from the email, even without Google Calendar.
- Google Calendar users also see the event on their calendar and can respond from it in the app or on the web.
- Propose a new time. Guests can suggest a different time. On Android, it’s under the arrow next to Maybe. Google notes this isn’t available for all-day events or events with more than 200 guests.
- Add a note. Guests can include a message with their reply. Google says the note is visible to all invitees, so it’s not the place for private comments.
Google Calendar generally shows events in each viewer’s calendar time zone, which helps with meetings across regions. Double-check the time zone on your own event before sending if you’ve been traveling.
Tips for an Invite People Will Act On
The mechanics are simple, but a clear invite gets faster replies and fewer “what’s this about?” emails. A few habits help:
- Use a specific title. “Budget review: Q4 marketing” tells guests more at a glance than “Meeting.” The title is what shows in their calendar grid and in the email subject.
- Put the agenda in the description. List the two or three things you’ll cover and anything guests should read or bring. Paste links to shared documents here too.
- Add a location or a Meet link, not both unless it’s hybrid. If some people will be in a room and others remote, say so in the description so nobody guesses.
- Mark people optional when they only need to know the meeting exists. Required guests can then prioritize.
- Check the time zone on the event before sending, especially if you’ve traveled recently or your guests are in another region.
- Send a test first for anything important: invite a second email address you own and look at the invitation as a guest would.
Invite a whole group at once
If you regularly invite the same team, use a Google Group email address instead of typing each person. Add the group’s address under Guests just as you would a single person. The group’s members receive the invitation through the group address, so you don’t have to keep a long guest list up to date yourself. This is also the way past the 200-guest limit for individual invites.
Which Way Should You Use?
| Your situation | Best option | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Planning a meeting with several people | Computer | All permissions, Find a time, and Meet options on one page |
| Quick invite while away from your desk | Android or iPhone app | Fast; sends invites as soon as you save |
| Meeting came up in an email thread | Gmail’s Create event | Copies subject, text, and recipients for you |
| Video call | Any, with a Meet link | Guests get a join link in the invite |
| Ongoing access to all your events | Share your calendar instead | An invite covers one event; sharing covers the whole calendar |
Troubleshooting
A guest says they didn’t get the invite
- Check the email address for typos in the event’s guest list.
- Ask them to look in spam, junk, or promotions folders.
- Confirm you chose to send invitations when you saved. If not, edit the event, save again, and send.
- Remove the guest and add them again to send a fresh invitation.
I can’t add guests to an event
Events on the Birthday or Holiday calendars, and events Gmail created automatically, don’t accept guests. Create a new event on your own calendar instead. If it’s someone else’s event, you can add guests only if the organizer allowed guests to invite others.
I hit the guest limit
Individual invites are capped at 200 people. For larger events, invite a Google Group email address instead of individual addresses.
There’s no Google Meet option
If you’re on a work or school account, your administrator may have turned off Meet or you may be on a plan that can’t schedule it from Calendar. On a personal account, make sure you’re using the Google Calendar app or website, not a different calendar app that shows your Google events.
Guests see the wrong time
Open your event and check its time zone. If you created it while traveling, your calendar may have used a different zone. Correct it, save, and send the update.
I invited the wrong person
Open the event, edit it, and remove that person from the guest list. When you save, choose to send the update so the event is removed from their calendar and they know the invite was a mistake. Then add the right person and send their invitation.
I forgot to add the Meet link before sending
No need to start over. Edit the event, add Google Meet video conferencing, and save. Send the update to your guests so the join link reaches their inboxes and appears on the event in their calendars.
Guests keep changing my event
Edit the event and uncheck Modify event under guest permissions, then save.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I send a Google Calendar invite to someone without Gmail?
Yes. Add their email address as a guest. They’ll get an email invitation and can respond with Yes, No, or Maybe from the email.
How do I know if someone accepted my invite?
Open the event and look at the guest list, which shows each person’s response. You’ll also get a notification when a guest responds.
How many people can I invite?
Up to 200 people per event. To reach more, invite a Google Group; Google says groups with up to 100,000 members can be invited.
Can guests invite other people?
By default, they may be able to. To prevent it, uncheck Invite others on a computer, or turn off Guests can add others in the app.
What’s the difference between inviting someone and sharing my calendar?
An invite adds a person to one event. Sharing your calendar gives someone ongoing access to see (or edit) your events. Use an invite for a meeting and sharing for a partner or assistant who needs your schedule.
Can I book a meeting room in the invite?
On work and school accounts where your organization has set up rooms in Google Calendar, you can add a room while creating the event, alongside guests. Personal accounts don’t have rooms to book.
Do guests get my reminders?
No. The notifications you set on an event are yours alone. Guests get reminders based on their own calendar settings.
Summary
- A Google Calendar invite is an event with guests added.
- On a computer: Create, add details, add guests under Guests, Save, then Send.
- On Android: Create > Event > Add people > Done > Save.
- On iPhone: Create > Event > Add guests > Done > Save.
- Add a Meet link and set guest permissions before sending.
- From Gmail, use More > Create event to turn an email into an invite.
- Track responses in the event’s guest list.
Next step: open Google Calendar, create a test event, and invite yourself at another email address to see exactly what your guests receive.
Kermit Matthews is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with more than a decade of experience writing technology guides. He has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science and has spent much of his professional career in IT management.
He specializes in writing content about iPhones, Android devices, Microsoft Office, and many other popular applications and devices.