The simplest way to share your calendar
To add someone to your Google Calendar, you share the calendar itself rather than individual events. The person you share with can then see all events on that calendar (or only the ones you choose, depending on your settings), and they can add their own events to it if you give them permission. Google Calendar has two main sharing options: you can let someone view your calendar, or you can let them edit it.
The fastest route is to open Google Calendar, find the calendar you want to share in the left sidebar, click the three dots next to its name, and select "Settings and sharing". From there, you add the person's email address and choose what they can do. The whole process takes about one minute.
Key Takeaways
- You share an entire calendar, not individual events, by going to the calendar's settings and adding the other person's email address.
- You can let someone view your calendar only, or view and edit it — choose based on whether you want them to add or change events.
- The person you share with gets an email invitation and must accept it before they can see the calendar.
- You can change or remove someone's access at any time by going back to the same settings menu.
Opening the calendar settings
Start by opening Google Calendar in your web browser. On the left side of the screen, you will see a list of calendars under "My calendars". Find the calendar you want to share — this might be "Calendar" if you only have one, or it might have a custom name like "Work" or "Family".
Hover your mouse over the calendar name until three vertical dots appear to the right of it. Click those dots. A small menu will pop up with several options. Look for "Settings and sharing" and click it. This opens a new page where you can control who sees this calendar.
Choosing what permission level to give
On the settings page, scroll down until you see a section called "Share with specific people". This is where you add the person's email address. Before you do, decide what you want them to be able to do.
Google Calendar offers three permission levels. See all event details means they can view every event and its details, but they cannot add or change anything. Make changes to events means they can view all events and also add new ones, edit existing ones, or delete them. Make changes and manage sharing is the highest level — they can do everything above, plus they can share the calendar with other people. For most situations, "Make changes to events" is the right choice if you want them to help manage the calendar, or "See all event details" if you just want them to see what you have scheduled.
Adding the person's email address
In the "Share with specific people" section, you will see a text box that says "Add people". Click on it and type the email address of the person you want to share with. This must be their actual email address — Google Calendar will not find them by name alone.
As you type, Google may suggest email addresses if it recognizes them from your contacts. If you see the right person in the dropdown, click on them. If not, finish typing the full email address.
Once you have entered the email address, a dropdown menu will appear asking what permission level you want to give them. Click on the dropdown and select one of the three options described above. Then click the "Send" or "Share" button (the exact wording depends on your Google account settings). Google will send them an email invitation.
What happens after you send the invitation
The person you shared with will receive an email from Google Calendar saying you have shared a calendar with them. They need to click the link in that email or accept the invitation in their own Google Calendar to see it. Until they accept, they cannot view the calendar.
Once they accept, the calendar will appear in their Google Calendar sidebar under "Other calendars". They can then view it, and if you gave them permission, they can add or edit events on it. Any changes they make will show up on your calendar too, so you will see if they add an event or change a time.
Changing or removing someone's access
If you need to change what someone can do on your calendar, or if you want to stop sharing with them, go back to the same settings page. Open the calendar, click the three dots, and select "Settings and sharing" again.
Scroll down to "Share with specific people" and you will see a list of everyone you have shared the calendar with. Next to each person's name, there is a dropdown showing their current permission level. Click that dropdown to change it, or click the trash icon to remove them entirely. The change takes effect when ready — they will no longer be able to see the calendar (if you removed them) or will have new permissions (if you changed them).
Sharing a single event instead of the whole calendar
Sometimes you only want one person to see one event, not your entire calendar. Google Calendar does not have a built-in way to share a single event with someone, but you can work around this by sending them the event details directly.
Open the event and click on it. A details panel will open on the right side. Look for a button that says "Add guests" or shows a person icon. Click it and type the person's email address. When you click "Save", Google Calendar will send them an email invitation to that specific event. They can accept or decline, and if they accept, the event will appear on their calendar. This method is useful for meetings or appointments where you want to invite specific people without sharing your whole schedule.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I share my calendar with someone who does not have a Google account?
No, the person must have a Google account (Gmail or a Google Workspace account) to accept a calendar share. If they do not have one, they can create a free Gmail account. Once they have an email address, you can share the calendar with them.
What if I want to share my calendar with a group of people at once?
You have to add each person individually by entering their email address. Google Calendar does not support sharing with a group email address or a distribution list. However, if you are using Google Workspace (a paid version for businesses), your administrator may have set up group calendars that work differently.
Can someone see my calendar if I do not share it with them?
No. By default, your calendar is private and only you can see it. The only way someone else can view it is if you explicitly share it with them using the method described above. Even if they know your email address, they cannot access your calendar without your permission.
What if I change my mind and want to stop sharing?
Go back to "Settings and sharing" for that calendar and click the trash icon next to the person's name. They will when ready lose access. If they had already added events to the calendar, those events will remain, but they will not be able to see or edit the calendar anymore.
Do I have to share my whole calendar, or can I share just certain events?
Sharing through the settings menu shares your entire calendar. If you want to share only specific events, use the "Add guests" method instead — open each event, click "Add guests", and enter their email address. They will only see the events you invite them to, not your whole calendar.