Google Calendar just got an interesting new feature, appointment slots. Like the name suggests, it enables users to set aside a time frame for others to make appointments. For those with a busy schedule that need to make the best use of their little free time, it's a great feature, and it also works great if you want to know when you can set a meeting with someone without interrupting their existing schedule.
"Google Calendar has become indispensable for organizing my own time and sharing my schedule with friends and coworkers. But what about letting others know about my preferred availability?," Irene Chung, Software Engineer at Google,
wrote.
"Likewise, when I look at my hairdresser's online calendar, I wonder why I can't just book the open slot instead of remembering to call during regular business hours. Now, with appointment slots in Google Calendar, any individual or business can manage appointment availability online 24/7," she announced.
Creating an appointment slot is just as easy as creating a regular event, in fact, it's done from the same spot. Just click on the time slot you want to use and then switch to "Appointment slots" from the event creation popup.
You can leave the appointment slot a single block, enabling whoever wants to schedule it to take up the whole time, or you can split the slot into several equal length blocks.
In order to enable others to schedule appointments, there is now an appointments sign-up page for each individual calendar, with an unique URL. You can share the URL with friends and colleagues, depending on who should make use of it, but you can also embed the page on your own website, giving clients quick access.
When someone visits the sign-up page, the available appointment slots are displayed along with a simple button to make it easy to schedule a meeting. When someone signs up for an appointment, an event is created for both people involved.
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