How to Add Someone to Google Calendar (Event or Calendar)

'Add someone to Google Calendar' can mean two different jobs, and mixing them up wastes a surprising amount of time. Either you want a person at an event, as a guest on a call or workshop, or you want their whole calendar showing up next to yours so you can see when they're busy.

Both are easy once you know where Google puts them. Everything below follows Google Calendar's own help pages, and I've flagged the spots where the app on your phone behaves differently from a computer.

Adding a guest to a Google Calendar event

This is the one most people want. Google says you can add anyone with an email address to an event, even if they don't use Google Calendar themselves. On a computer:

1. Open Google Calendar and click the event.
2. Click Edit event (the pencil).
3. On the right, under Guests, start typing the person's name and choose them from your contacts.
4. If they aren't in your contacts, type their full email address instead.
5. Click Save.

Google then offers to email the guests an invitation. They can reply with the Yes, No or Maybe links in the email, and that reply shows up on your event.

Marking a Google Calendar guest as optional

Not everyone needs to be there. Next to the guest's name, click Mark optional. If you can't see the icon, hover your mouse over the name and it appears. I use this for colleagues who'd like the recording but don't need to be live.

Why you can't add someone to some Google Calendar events

Google is clear that you can't add people to events that are automatically created from Gmail, nor to birthdays, holidays or events on sports calendars. If the Guests box is missing, check where the event came from. The workaround is to create your own event for the same time and invite people to that.

Adding someone's calendar to your Google Calendar

The second meaning is subscribing to a colleague's or business partner's calendar. Google says you have to do this in a computer web browser, because you can't subscribe to a calendar in the Google Calendar app for Android, iPhone or iPad.

1. On a computer, open Google Calendar.
2. On the left, find Other calendars and click the plus icon next to it.
3. Choose Subscribe to calendar.
4. Type the person's name or email address in the Add calendar field.

If they have already shared their calendar with you, Google sends you an email with a link to add it. If they haven't, you can ask for access to their primary calendar. Once the owner approves, Google says the calendar automatically appears in your Google Calendar app on your phone too.

Approving a request when someone wants to add you

Flip it round: a colleague asks to see your calendar and you get an email. Google's steps for approving are short.

1. On a computer, open the email that asks for access to your calendar.
2. Click the link in the email.
3. On the Settings page that opens, select the person.
4. Choose what they can do: See only free/busy (hide details), See event details, Make changes to events, or Make changes and manage sharing.
5. Click Send.

If you'd rather start the sharing yourself, the route is More next to your calendar, then Settings and sharing, then Shared with, then Add people and groups. Pick the smallest permission that does the job, and free/busy is usually enough for clients.

What Google Calendar can't do when you add someone

A few limits are worth knowing before you promise anything to a client:

• Google says you can't subscribe to calendars that aren't from Google.
• If you subscribe to more than 400 calendars, Google warns you can run into performance problems when you browse them.
• If you use Google Calendar with a non-Google email address, Google says you may have issues sending invitations and receiving RSVPs.
• Guests who opt out of email notifications for changes to their calendar won't get update emails.

Using a shared calendar to plan work with the people you add

Adding people is only half the value. Once a colleague or freelancer is on the same calendar, you can see clashes before they happen. If you're planning posts and launches together, my guide to building a content calendar shows how to lay the dates out so nobody is guessing who is doing what.

Adding a person to a Google Calendar meeting with AI help

Some people ask a chatbot to do the typing for them. I've covered what works and what doesn't in my piece on whether Gemini can add events to your Google Calendar, and it's worth knowing the manual route first so you can check what the assistant did.

If you can't add someone to your Google Calendar

Work through these in order:

1. Check the event isn't one Google creates automatically, such as a birthday or an event made from a Gmail message.
2. Check you typed the full email address with no stray spaces.
3. For a calendar request, ask the owner to look for the email and click its link, then approve with a permission level.
4. On a phone, switch to a computer browser for subscribing, as Google says the app can't do it.
5. On a work or school account, ask your administrator, because they decide what sharing is allowed.

Frequently asked questions

How do I add someone to a Google Calendar event?

On a computer, click the event, choose Edit event, then under Guests type their name or email address and click Save. Google can email them an invitation.

Can I invite someone who doesn't use Google Calendar?

Yes. Google says you can add anyone with an email address. They get an email invitation and can reply Yes, No or Maybe from it.

How do I add someone else's calendar to mine?

Use a computer. Click the plus next to Other calendars, choose Subscribe to calendar and enter their name or email address. If they haven't shared it, you can ask for access.

Can I add someone's calendar on my phone?

Google says you can't subscribe to a new calendar in the Google Calendar app for Android, iPhone or iPad. Do it in a computer web browser, then it appears in the app.

Why can't I add guests to my event?

Google says you can't add people to events created automatically from Gmail, or to birthdays, holidays and sports calendar events. Create your own event instead.