How to Schedule a Google Meet: Calendar Steps and Access Types

Sending a client a link five minutes before a call is stressful for both of you. Scheduling a Google Meet ahead of time means everyone gets a calendar invite, a reminder and a link that's ready to go. It takes about a minute once you've done it before.

There are two routes: through Google Calendar, which most people use, and through the Meet website. I'll walk you through both using Google's own help pages, explain the access settings that decide who can walk straight in, and flag the account limitation that stops some people from scheduling at all.

Scheduling a Google Meet from Google Calendar

This is the route most people want, because the invite goes out with the link already attached. Google's help gives these steps on a computer:

1. Open Google Calendar.
2. Select Create, then Event.
3. Add Google Meet video conferencing from the event options, and add your guests.
4. Select Save.
5. Optionally, select Send to notify your guests.

Your guests see the Meet link in the invitation and in their own calendars. If you work with clients in other time zones, check the time on the event before you send, because calendars will show each person their own local time.

Creating a Google Meet link from the Meet website

If you'd rather start from Meet, Google's help describes this route:

1. Go to meet.google.com on your computer.
2. Click New Meeting.
3. Choose what you'd like to do.

The options are to create a meeting for later, start an instant meeting, or schedule in Google Calendar. Creating one for later gives you a link you can copy and share yourself, which is handy when you want to drop it into a chat or an email. Choosing the Calendar option simply takes you to Google Calendar to finish the job there.

Who can't schedule a Google Meet from Calendar

This catches out more people than you'd think. Google's help says Google Workspace Essentials users can't schedule meetings in Google Calendar. If you're on that type of account and the option doesn't appear, the fix isn't something you did wrong. You'd use the Meet website route for a link instead, or ask your admin what your account allows.

Workspace users can also add a dial-in number to the event, which is useful for anyone who joins from a car or a poor connection.

Choosing who can join your scheduled Google Meet

Scheduling is half the job. The other half is deciding who gets in without knocking. Google calls this meeting access, and there are three types:

Access type	What Google's help says
Open	Anyone with a meeting link can join, and no one has to knock
Trusted	People in the host's organisation can join without knocking, and invited outside guests can too
Restricted	Only people invited through a Calendar event, or by a host in the meeting, can join; everyone else must knock

To set it, go to Google Calendar, then Create, Event, Add Google Meet video conferencing, Video call options and Host controls, then scroll to Meeting access. You can also change it during a meeting from the host controls at the bottom right. Restricted isn't available for consumer users, according to Google.

For client calls I like Restricted when it's available, because it means a forwarded link doesn't let a stranger wander in. Google's help adds that uninvited people who try to join when knocking is required need approval.

Google Meet recurring calls and settings that stick

Here's a detail that saves headaches. According to Google, settings apply per meeting, and recurring meetings keep the settings of the first meeting. If you set up a weekly team call, get the access type right the first time, because you won't be changing it for each occurrence.

There's also a Host must join before anyone else option. If it's on, participants can't enter before you do. Google notes that Workspace users with the waiting room feature won't see it.

What recording and notes do on a scheduled Google Meet

If you plan to record or take AI notes on the call, Google's help says recording, transcription and note-taking features start automatically only after the host or a co-host joins, and participants see an on-screen warning if the host enables them. Be open about it in the invite. My piece on the AI meeting notes habit explains why it's worth thinking twice before you automate that part, and if you do record, where to find a webinar recording after a call will help you track the file.

Google Meet meeting codes and links in other calendars

Every Meet link carries a meeting code. Google's help warns that if you create a Calendar event with a Meet code in Apple Calendar or another calendar app, a new meeting code might be generated automatically, and you'll get an email if that happens. Check which link your guests received.

Google also advises checking when meeting codes expire so nobody tries to join with a stale one, and it has a separate article on that. If you're changing or removing a video link from an event, Google has a help page about adding or removing a video conference from a Calendar event.

Google Meet scheduling habits for small businesses

• Put the Meet link in the event rather than in a separate email, so it's always in the same place.
• Add a short description of what the call is for and what the person should bring.
• Decide the access type before you send, not after a stranger knocks.
• Send the invite with a clear title that includes your business name, so it's easy to spot.

If you can't schedule a Google Meet

• No Meet option in the event: check you're signed in to the right Google account and that your account can schedule from Calendar.
• Guests can't join: check the access type, and whether they need to knock.
• Link looks different: you may have created the event in another calendar app, which can generate a new code.
• Nothing works: Google's help centre has the current steps for your device, so start there.

Frequently asked questions

How do I schedule a Google Meet?

Open Google Calendar, select Create, then Event, add Google Meet video conferencing and your guests, then select Save. You can also click New Meeting at meet.google.com and choose Schedule in Google Calendar.

Can I create a Google Meet link for later?

Yes. At meet.google.com, click New Meeting and choose Create a meeting for later, then copy the link to share.

Why can't I schedule a Google Meet in Google Calendar?

Google's help says Google Workspace Essentials users can't schedule meetings in Google Calendar. Check what your account allows, or ask your admin.

What are the Google Meet access types?

Open, Trusted and Restricted. Open lets anyone with the link join, Trusted covers your organisation and invited guests, and Restricted admits only people invited through Calendar or by a host.

Do recurring Google Meet calls keep their settings?

Google says settings apply per meeting and recurring meetings keep the settings of the first meeting, so set them up carefully.