Open Gmail and go to Google Calendar

To send a calendar invite from Gmail, you need to use Google Calendar, which is the scheduling tool built into your Google account. Open a new browser tab and go to calendar.google.com, or click the grid icon in the top right corner of Gmail and select "Calendar" from the menu.

You do not need a separate account or login — if you are already signed into Gmail, you are already signed into Google Calendar. The two services share the same Google account.

Key Takeaways

  • Google Calendar is accessed through the same account as Gmail and lets you send invites directly to other people's email addresses.
  • You create an event, add attendees by typing their email addresses, and click "Send" — the invite goes to their inbox as an email they can accept or decline.
  • Attendees see the event on their own calendar only after they accept the invite; declining removes it from their view.
  • You can edit an event after sending it, and changes automatically notify attendees if you choose to send an update.

Create a new event in Google Calendar

Click the blue "Create" button on the left side of Google Calendar. A small menu will appear with options including "Event". Click "Event" to open the event creation form.

Fill in the event title in the text field at the top. Then set the date and time by clicking on the date and time fields. Google Calendar defaults to the current date and a one-hour duration, so you only need to change these if your event is different.

Add attendees and their email addresses

Look for the "Add guests" field in the event form. Click on it and type the email address of the person you want to invite. As you type, Google Calendar may suggest email addresses from your contacts — click on a suggestion to add that person, or finish typing the full address and press Enter.

You can add multiple people by typing each email address and pressing Enter after each one. Each person you add will appear as a separate line in the guest list. If you want to remove someone, click the X next to their name.

Set permissions and notification options

Below the guest list, you will see options for "Modify event" and "Invite others". By default, "Modify event" is turned off, which means guests can see the event but cannot change it. If you want attendees to be able to edit the event details, click the toggle to turn "Modify event" on.

"Invite others" is also off by default, meaning only you can add more people to the event. Turn this on if you want attendees to be able to invite additional guests themselves. Most people leave both of these off for regular meetings and work events.

Add event details and send the invite

You can add a description, location, or video conference link in the additional fields below the guest list. Click "Add description" to type details about the event. Click "Add location" to enter a room number, address, or building name. These details will appear on the invite that attendees receive.

When you are ready, click the blue "Save" button at the bottom of the form. Google Calendar will send an email invite to each person you added. They will receive it in their inbox as a calendar invite they can accept, decline, or mark as "Maybe".

What happens when someone receives your invite

When you send a calendar invite, the other person gets an email with the event details and three buttons: "Yes", "No", and "Maybe". They can click one of these buttons to respond, or they can open the email and click "View event" to see more details first.

If they click "Yes", the event appears on their Google Calendar automatically. If they click "No", the event does not appear on their calendar. If they click "Maybe", it shows up in a different color or section so they can decide later. You will see their response in your own calendar — a small icon next to their name shows whether they accepted, declined, or have not responded yet.

Edit an event after you have sent invites

If you need to change the time, location, or details after sending invites, click on the event in your calendar to open it, then click the pencil icon to edit. Make your changes and click "Save".

Google Calendar will ask whether you want to "Notify guests" about the change. If you click "Notify guests", everyone who received the invite will get an email telling them the event has been updated. If you click "Don't notify", the change happens silently and only people who check their calendar will see the new information. For important changes like time or location, it is better to notify guests.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I send a calendar invite from Gmail itself, without going to Google Calendar?

Not directly from the Gmail inbox. You have to go to Google Calendar to create and send invites. However, you can reply to a calendar invite you received by clicking the response buttons in the Gmail email itself — you do not have to open Google Calendar to say yes or no.

What if someone does not have a Google account?

They can still receive and respond to your invite. The invite arrives as a regular email, and they can click "Yes", "No", or "Maybe" without logging into Google. If they do not have a Google account, the event will not automatically appear on their calendar, but they will have the details in their email.

Can I see if someone has read my calendar invite?

You can see whether they have responded (yes, no, or maybe), but not whether they have actually opened the email. Google Calendar shows you their response status next to their name on the event details.

What if I accidentally sent an invite to the wrong person?

Open the event, click edit, and remove their email address from the guest list. Click "Save" and choose "Notify guests". They will get an email saying they have been removed from the event. Alternatively, you can leave them on the list and send them a separate message explaining the mistake.

Do I need to do anything special to send a video conference link with the invite?

Click "Add video conference" in the event creation form and select either Google Meet or another service. Google Calendar will generate a meeting link and include it in the invite automatically. Attendees will see the link in the email and can click it to join.