Tag Archives: Google Calendar

Google Vault now supports Google Calendar

What’s changing 

Google Vault now supports Calendar, which means customers can take the following actions around Calendar data: 
  • Manage retention with default and custom rules. 
  • Search and preview events with a number of filters, such as keyword search across description, title, guests, locations and invite response status which can be used to quickly refine your search. 
  • Search for historical versions of events, which allows Vault Admins to search and export events as they appeared on a specific date. 
  • Export data in multiple formats, including ICS, PST (MSFT format) and CSE-decryptable formats. 
  • Apply holds to prevent purging of data which must be retained for legal purposes.


Selecting Calendar as a service from the Vault user interface

Who’s impacted

Admins


Why it matters

Vault is an information governance and eDiscovery tool for Google Workspace. Now customers’ Calendar events can be retained, held, searched, and exported. This integration makes it easier for customers to comply with regional and legal mandates surrounding Calendar data, all from a central tool. 


Vault’s integration with Calendar rounds out support for critical Workspace apps such as Gmail, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Chat and Meet, providing customers with a consistent experience across all products that are managed within Vault.


Getting started


Rollout pace


  • Rapid and Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on November 29, 2023.
  • Updates for the API rollout will immediately follow the Vault user interface updates.

Availability

  • Available to Google Workspace Business Plus, Enterprise Essentials, Enterprise Essentials Plus, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Standard, Education Plus customers or customers with the Vault add-on license.

Resources


Read and write out of office and focus time events using the Calendar API

What’s changing 

In addition to reading and writing working location data, we’re expanding the Calendar API functionality to encompass out of office and focus time data. Developers can use the API to read and write this information and synchronize users’ availability with external systems. For example, you can use the API in conjunction with HR systems to automatically add OOO entries to a user’s calendar when they submit vacation time. Or the API can be used to automatically block focus time on a user’s calendar to complete training courses. 

  • Reading and writing out of office and focus time is helpful in a variety of situations such as: 
  • Creating and updating OOO and Focus Time events (Events.Insert, Events.Update, Events.Patch). 
  • Specifying OOO and Focus Time specific features, such as auto-declining meetings, and setting do-not-disturb statuses. 
  • Selecting any combination of event types to read from a calendar (Events.List). 

Further, reading and writing this information eliminates the need for users to enter the same information into multiple systems, helping to cut down on manual churn.


Who’s impacted

Developers


Why you’d use it

Out of office and focus time event support joins support for working location, which was announced earlier this year, to round out API functionality for calendar events. Each specific event type can be synced throughout your organization's IT ecosystem, creating seamless user journeys and helping to connect users with resources and each other. This includes things such as:


  • Mapping working location data to better adapt on-site resources and update other third-party surfaces, such as hot desk booking tools. 
  • Automatically blocking OOO based on vacation or PTO requests.
  • Blocking off focus time events to give users time to go through onboarding or other company training programs.


Additional details

Prior to this update, if you requested to read a user’s calendar via API v3, out of office and focus time events were returned with [email protected] in the organizer field, and without their specific features. With this update, these events will return with all their properties and the specific user as organizer. Please check your code to ensure it does not make implicit assumptions about the previous API return values, and use the eventType parameter to perform different operations with regular, OOO, Focus Time, or Working Location events 


Getting started


Rollout pace

Availability

  • The Calendar API is available to all. 

  • Out of Office events are available to Google Workspace Essentials, Enterprise Essentials, Frontline, Enterprise Starter, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Nonprofits, Business Starter, Business Standard, Business Plus, Education Fundamentals, Education Standard, and Education Plus customers.

  • Focus Time events are available to Google Workspace Enterprise Starter, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Nonprofits, Business Standard, Business Plus, Education Fundamentals, Education Standard, and Education Plus customers.

Resources


View full screen tasks lists on Google Calendar

What’s changing 

We recently completed the migration of Reminders from Google Calendar and Google Assistant to Google Tasks in order to provide an easy way to view and manage all your to-dos in one place. To build upon this, we’re providing you with a full screen desktop experience to view all tasks together. Starting today, you will be able to see all your tasks and task lists in a single full screen view on Calendar web.
View full screen tasks lists on Google Calendar


Who’s impacted 

End users 


Why it matters 

In addition to an optimized desktop layout, this update makes it easier for you to stay on top of and organize your tasks. 


Getting started 

  • Admins: There is no admin control for this feature. 
  • End users: To view full screen tasks on Calendar web, go to Calendar.google.com > click on the task icon in the top bar. Visit the Help Center to learn more about Google Tasks. 

Rollout pace 


Availability 

  • Available to all Google Workspace customers and users with personal Google Accounts 

Resources 

Improvements for scheduling large scale meetings on the web

What’s changing 

We’re making several changes which will make scheduling large scale meetings (up to 100k guests per event) easier and guide schedulers through the process with more context. Once you’ve created and saved a Calendar event which contains a large group of attendees, you can open the event to check on the invitation progress. As groups are successfully added, they will appear in the guest list and you will see an “invitation in progress” message as invitations are being sent.

Note the “invitation in progress” message as invitations are being sent.

As groups are successfully added, they will appear in the guest list



You’ll see these updates when using Calendar on the web and as such we recommend using Calendar on the web to schedule larger events.




Who’s impacted

End users



Why it’s important

Coordinating events with a large number of attendees can be complex — including ensuring that all attendees have been successfully invited. We've introduced these updates to help you more confidently schedule large group events. Specifically, you will now have clarity whether the event was successfully saved and invitations sent to all participants, or still in progress. If the scheduling fails, you’ll be informed of the exact status including who has been invited and who has not, to make it easy for you to fix the issue. We hope this improved experience helps you confidently schedule larger meetings, like all-hands meetings or town halls. 



Additional details

If there’s a problem inviting guests, you’ll see an error message when you open the Calendar event, as well as a notification via email. In both cases, we’ll share more context regarding the error and how to fix it. For example, we’ll let you know if you’ve exceeded the Calendar event limit of 100k guests and recommend that you add smaller groups or duplicate the event to accommodate more attendees.



Getting started

  • Admins: There is no admin impact or action required for this update.
  • End users: You’ll notice these improvements automatically. Visit the Help Center to learn more about inviting groups to calendar events.

Rollout pace

  • Rapid Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on November 10, 2023
  • Scheduled Release domains: Extended rollout (potentially longer than15 days for feature visibility) starting on November 20, 2023


Availability

  • Available to all Google Workspace customers

Resources



A more consistent experience for the guest list in Google Calendar

What’s changing 

We’re updating the way meeting attendees names are displayed in Calendar invites and invite updates sent via email. Currently, you may notice only email addresses or in some cases, a mix of email addresses and names within a calendar invite. Going forward, you’ll see more names included in the calendar invite, including the names of those in your organization, and those guests whom you have interacted with previously.

Before

After




Getting started


Rollout pace


Availability

  • Available to all Google Workspace customers and users with personal Google Accounts 

Resources





New Google Calendar appointment scheduling features

What’s changing

Appointment scheduling allows you to manage your availability and let customers and partners book time with you directly within Google Calendar via a personal booking page. To improve upon the current experience, we’re adding: 

  • Five to fourteen minute appointment slots that are customizable. Previously, the minimum duration was fifteen minutes. 
    Five to fourteen minute appointment slots that are customizable.

  • The option to hide or show Appointment schedules within the Calendar view on web. 
The option to hide or show Appointment schedules within the Calendar view on web.


We hope these highly requested features help you to set more relevant meeting durations and tailor your Calendar view to match your preferences. 


Getting started 

  • Admins: There is no admin control for this feature. 
  • End users: 
    • To set up your appointment schedule, open Calendar > at the top left, click Create > select Appointment schedule > Set up the schedule. 
    • To customize appointment slot durations, create or edit an Appointment Schedule. Under Appointment duration, select the dropdown > click Custom > Enter a duration. Visit the Help Center to learn more about setting your appointment duration. 
    • Appointment schedules will show by default. To hide Appointment schedules, go to the View Switcher and deselect Show appointment schedules. Visit the Help center to learn more about creating an appointment schedule. 
      • Note: if Appointment schedules are hidden and you create a schedule or add time to an existing schedule, appointment schedules will reappear in your Calendar view.

Rollout pace 


Availability 

  • Available to Google Workspace Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Fundamentals, Education Standard, Education Plus, the Teaching and Learning Upgrade, Nonprofits, Workspace individual subscribers, and users with personal Google Accounts 

Resources 

Displaying Microsoft Outlook users as organizers in Google Calendar

What’s changing

Previously, if a Microsoft Outlook user invited a Google Calendar user to a meeting event, the Outlook user’s display name would not appear at all in the list of meeting attendees on Google Calendar. Starting today, we’re updating this experience so that the Outlook user who organized the meeting is listed amongst the other meeting attendees in Calendar as the meeting organizer. 


Getting started 

  • Admins and end users: No action required as you’ll automatically see these updates. Visit the Help Center to learn more about Calendar Interop. 

Rollout pace 

Availability 

  • Available to all Google Workspace customers and users with personal Google Accounts 

Resources 

Programmatically read and write working locations with the Calendar API, now generally available

What’s changing 

Previously available in beta through our Developer Preview Program, the ability to read and write a user’s working location using the Calendar API is now generally available. 


Reading a user’s working location helps better understand the flow and volume of people through physical campuses. Using this information, you can better adapt on-site resources and update other third-party surfaces, such as hot desk booking tools. 


Writing a user’s working location makes it easier to update a user's working location in their calendar based on when and where they’ve booked a hot desk, or if they’ve scheduled a trip via a travel booking tool, and more. 


Getting started 



Rollout pace


Availability 

All developers can use the API, however the working location feature is only available for eligible Workspace editions: 
  • Available to Google Workspace Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Fundamentals, Education Plus, Education Standard, the Teaching and Learning Upgrade and Nonprofits customers, as well as legacy G Suite Business customers 
  • Not available to Google Workspace Essentials, Business Starter, Enterprise Essentials, Frontline, G Suite Basic customers 

Resources 

Programmatically read and write working locations for a portion of the day with the Calendar API

What’s changing 

Recently, we introduced the ability for users to set working locations in Calendar that indicate where they’re working for specific portions of the day. Now, we’re adding the ability to programmatically read and write working locations for specific portions of the day. This update expands on the existing reading and writing functionality announced earlier this year. 


Getting started 


Rollout pace 

  • This feature is available now for all eligible Google Workspace editions. 

Availability 

All developers can use the API, however the working location feature is only available for eligible Workspace editions: 
  • Available to Google Workspace Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Fundamentals, Education Plus, Education Standard, the Teaching and Learning Upgrade and Nonprofits customers 

Resources 

Improved meeting room suggestions in Google Calendar

What’s changing 

Previously, there were two different room suggestion types based on a company’s Google Calendar settings. The first option lists frequently used rooms for you to pick from, while the second uses the structured meeting rooms feature to suggest rooms based on meeting attendees' self-selected working location. Note that structured meeting rooms refer to rooms that are assigned to specific buildings, with meeting hardware and capacity information. Use this article in our Help Center to learn more about structured meeting rooms. 


To better optimize meeting rooms and foster greater collaboration, especially in a hybrid work environment, we’re combining the two options in an updated structured meeting room setting. The working location set by a user is taken into account for all room suggestions, and in cases where location data is unavailable, proposed meeting rooms will be based on frequently used rooms. 




Who’s impacted 

End users 


Why it matters 


This update manages meeting rooms more efficiently by taking planned working locations into account. As a result, meeting rooms are only allocated for those who are most likely to need them. 


Additional details 


Google Calendar suggests rooms by taking the following into account: 
  • The main office building set by an admin or end user 
  • The working location set by the user
  • The user's response to an event:
    • Responding "Yes, virtually" or "No" suggests the user does not need a room 
    • Responding "Yes, in a meeting room" suggests the user needs a room 

Getting started 


Rollout pace 


Availability 

  • Available to Google Workspace Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Fundamentals, Education Plus, and Nonprofits 

Resources