The basic steps are the same across all calendar apps
To send a calendar invite, you create an event, add the other person's email address, and hit send. The person receives an email with the event details and can accept, decline, or tentatively accept. Their response updates your calendar automatically. The exact buttons and menu locations differ between Google Calendar, Outlook, and Apple Calendar, but the core action—typing an email, choosing a time, and sending—works the same way in all three.
You do not need the other person to use the same calendar app as you. Someone on Google Calendar can receive an invite from someone on Outlook. The invite travels as an email attachment that any calendar app can read.
Key Takeaways
- Create a new event, add attendees by typing their email address, and click send or save—the person receives an email invitation they can accept or decline.
- In Google Calendar, click "Add guests" in the event details; in Outlook, click "Invite attendees"; in Apple Calendar, click "Add Invitees".
- The other person does not need to use the same calendar app—invites work across Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail, and most other email services.
- When someone accepts or declines, their response appears in your calendar app automatically, and you can see who is attending at a glance.
- If you need to change the time or add someone after sending, you can edit the event and resend the invite to all attendees or just the new person.
How to send an invite in Google Calendar
Open Google Calendar and click the plus sign to create a new event, or click directly on the time slot where you want the meeting. Type the event title in the "Event title" field. Then click "Add guests" and type the person's email address in the box that appears. You can add multiple people by typing each email and pressing Enter after each one.
Set the date and time using the fields below the title. If you want to add details—like a Zoom link, agenda, or location—click "Add description" and type what you need. When everything looks right, click the blue "Save" button. Google Calendar sends the invite when ready to everyone you added.
If you want to add a note that only appears in the invite email (not on the calendar event itself), click "Add description" and type your message there. The person will see it when they open the invite.
How to send an invite in Outlook
Open Outlook and click "New Event" or "New Meeting." Type the event name in the title field. Then click "Invite attendees" and type the person's email address. Outlook shows matching contacts as you type—click the name to add them, or just keep typing and press Enter.
Set the date and time in the fields on the right side of the screen. If you want to add location details or a video call link, click "Add location" or look for a "Teams meeting" or "Video call" option depending on your version of Outlook. Click "Send" when you are ready. Outlook sends the invite to all attendees when ready.
Outlook also lets you set a response important date—click "Response requested by" and choose a date. The person will see that you want their answer by that date, though they can still respond after.
How to send an invite in Apple Calendar
Open Apple Calendar and double-click the time slot where you want the meeting, or click the plus sign to create a new event. Type the event title. Then click "Add Invitees" and type the person's email address. Apple Calendar suggests contacts as you type—click to add them or finish typing the full email address.
Set the date and time using the fields in the event details. If you want to add a location or notes, click those fields and type. When everything is set, click "Send" or "Done" (depending on your version of macOS). Apple Calendar sends the invite to everyone you added.
If you are using iCloud and the other person also uses an Apple device with iCloud, they may see the invite appear directly in their Calendar app instead of as an email. Either way, they can accept or decline, and you will see their response.
What happens after you send the invite
The person receives an email with the event details and three buttons: Accept, Tentative, or Decline. When they click one of those buttons, their response goes back to your calendar app automatically. You will see their name with a checkmark (accepted), a question mark (tentative), or an X (declined) next to the event.
If multiple people are invited, you can see at a glance who has responded and who has not. In Google Calendar, click the event to see the full list of attendees and their responses. In Outlook, the attendee list shows response status in the event details. In Apple Calendar, click the event to see who accepted.
If someone does not respond within a few days, you can send a reminder. In Google Calendar and Outlook, click the event and look for a "Send reminder" or "Send update" option. In Apple Calendar, you can edit the event and resend the invite to prompt a response.
How to edit an invite after you send it
If you need to change the time, add someone, or fix a detail after sending, open the event in your calendar and click "Edit." Make your changes, then save. Your calendar app will ask whether you want to notify attendees of the change. Click yes, and everyone receives an updated invite with the new information.
If you only want to notify new people you added (not everyone), some calendar apps let you choose "Notify only new guests" or similar. This prevents sending a "meeting changed" notification to people who already accepted the original time. Check your calendar app's menu when you save the edited event.
If someone declines and you want to reschedule for a different group, you can delete the original event and create a new one with the new attendees. This is cleaner than editing if the attendee list changes significantly.
Troubleshooting: when the invite does not go through
If someone says they never received your invite, first check that you typed their email address correctly. A single typo will send the invite to the wrong address. Open the event in your calendar and look at the attendee list to confirm the spelling.
If the email address is correct but the person still did not receive it, the invite may have landed in their spam folder. Ask them to check there, or resend the invite from your calendar app. Some email providers block calendar invites from unfamiliar senders, so the person may need to whitelist your email address.
If you are using a work calendar (like Outlook through your employer), your organization may have rules about who you can invite or how many people you can add at once. If you get an error message, contact your IT department or calendar administrator.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I send a calendar invite to someone who does not have email?
No. Calendar invites travel through email, so the person needs an email address to receive one. If someone does not use email, you can tell them the meeting details directly and add them to your own calendar, but they will not receive an automated invite or be able to respond through the calendar system.
What if someone accepts the invite but then cannot make it?
They can open the original invite email and click "Decline" to change their response. Their updated response goes back to your calendar automatically, and you will see the change. You can then decide whether to reschedule or find a replacement attendee.
Do I have to use my work email to send invites?
No. You can send invites from any email address attached to your calendar app—personal Gmail, work Outlook, iCloud, or any other email provider. The person will receive the invite from whatever email address you use to send it, so make sure they recognize it or they may think it is spam.
Can I send a calendar invite to a group email address?
Yes, but the group members will not automatically see each other's responses. If you type a group email like "team@company.com," everyone in that group receives the invite, but only the group administrator sees who accepted. For better visibility into who is attending, add individual email addresses instead.
What if I want to send an invite but keep it private from my coworkers?
Calendar invites are private between you and the attendees—your coworkers cannot see them unless you add them as attendees. If you want to hide an event from your calendar view entirely, some apps let you mark events as "private" or create a separate personal calendar and keep sensitive meetings there.