Open Google Calendar and create a new event

The fastest way to add an event is to go to calendar.google.com in your web browser and look for the Create button on the left side of the screen. Click it, and a small window will pop up asking what you want to create. Select Event from the dropdown menu.

If you do not see the Create button, you may be logged out of your Google account. Sign in with the email address and password you use for Gmail, and the button will appear. Once you click Create and select Event, a form will open where you enter the details.

Key Takeaways

  • Click the Create button on calendar.google.com, select Event, and fill in the event name, date, and time in the form that appears.
  • You can set a specific time or mark an event as all-day by toggling the "All day" switch before you save.
  • Add a location, description, or notification reminder by clicking "More options" to open the full event editor.
  • Google Calendar syncs across all your devices, so an event you add on your phone appears on your computer automatically.
  • You can add other people to an event by typing their email address in the "Add guests" field, and they will receive an invitation.

Fill in the event name, date, and time

In the form that opens, the first field is for the event name. Type what you want to call the event — for example, "Team meeting" or "Doctor appointment." This is the text that will show up on your calendar.

Below the name, you will see fields for the date and time. Click on the date field to open a small calendar picker, then click the date you want. The time fields let you set when the event starts and when it ends. If your event does not have a specific time — like a birthday or a holiday — click the toggle switch that says All day, and the time fields will disappear.

Once you have entered the name, date, and time, you can click Save to add the event to your calendar right away. The event will appear on the calendar view, and you can edit it later if you need to change anything.

Add location, description, and reminders

If you want to include more details — like where the event is happening or notes about what to bring — click More options at the bottom of the quick-add form. This opens the full event editor with additional fields.

In the full editor, you can add a location by clicking the location field and typing the address or venue name. You can also add a description in the larger text box below, which is useful for notes like "Bring the quarterly report" or "Zoom link: [URL]." If you want to be reminded about the event, click Add notification and choose how long before the event you want to be notified — for example, 15 minutes before or 1 day before.

You can add multiple reminders if you want. Some people set one reminder 1 day before and another 30 minutes before so they do not forget. Once you have filled in everything you need, click Save at the top right of the editor.

Invite other people to your event

If the event involves other people, you can send them an invitation directly from Google Calendar. In the full event editor, look for the field that says Add guests. Click it and type the email address of the person you want to invite.

Google Calendar will suggest email addresses as you type if those people are in your contacts. You can add as many people as you need by typing each email address and pressing Enter. Once you click Save, Google Calendar will send each person an email invitation. They can respond to say whether they are coming, and their response will show up on your calendar.

If someone declines or does not respond, you will see that status next to their name. You can also remove someone from the event by clicking the X next to their email address before you save.

Add the same event to multiple dates

If you have an event that happens regularly — like a weekly team meeting or a monthly bill payment — you do not have to create it over and over. In the full event editor, look for the Does not repeat dropdown near the top. Click it and choose how often the event repeats: daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly.

When you select a repeat option, new fields appear where you can set when the repetition should stop. For example, if you have a weekly meeting that runs for three months, you can set it to repeat every week until a specific date. Once you save, Google Calendar will create all the instances of that event automatically.

If you need to change just one instance of a repeating event — like moving next week's meeting to a different time — click on that specific event on the calendar, and Google Calendar will ask whether you want to change just that one or all events in the series.

Access your calendar from your phone

Any event you add on your computer will show up on your phone automatically, as long as you are signed into the same Google account. On an iPhone, read the Google Calendar app from the App Store. On an Android phone, it is usually already installed, but you can read it from the Google Play Store if you need to.

Open the app and sign in with the same email address you use on your computer. Your calendar will load, and you will see all the events you created. To add a new event from your phone, tap the + button at the bottom right of the screen, fill in the details the same way you would on a computer, and tap Save.

Troubleshooting common problems

If an event you created is not showing up on your calendar, check that you are looking at the right calendar. Google Calendar lets you create multiple calendars — for work, personal use, or other purposes — and you can hide or show them by clicking the eye icon next to each calendar name on the left side. Make sure the calendar where you added the event is visible.

If you invited someone to an event and they did not receive the invitation email, ask them to check their spam folder. Sometimes invitation emails get filtered there by mistake. You can also resend the invitation by opening the event, clicking Edit event, and clicking Save again — Google Calendar will send the invitation again.

If you are having trouble signing into Google Calendar, make sure you are using the correct email address and password for your Google account. If you have forgotten your password, go to accounts.google.com and click Forgot password? to reset it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add an event by typing it out in plain language?

Yes. On the calendar view, click on the date where you want to add the event, and a quick-add box will appear. Type something like "lunch with Sarah at noon on Friday" and Google Calendar will parse the details automatically. This is faster than filling out a form if you just need to add a straightforward event.

What happens if I add an event to the wrong date?

Click on the event to open it, then click Edit event. Change the date in the date field and click Save. The event will move to the correct date. If you accidentally deleted an event, you can undo it by pressing Ctrl+Z (or Command+Z on a Mac) right after you delete it.

Can I color-code my events?

Yes. Open an event and click the colored circle icon next to the event name. A palette will appear with color options. Pick the color you want, and that event will display in that color on your calendar. This is useful for separating work events from personal ones at a glance.

Do I need to be online to add events to Google Calendar?

On a computer, you need an internet connection to add events. On the Google Calendar app for phones, you can add events offline, and they will sync to your account once you are back online. Make sure offline mode is turned on in the app settings if you want to use it without internet.