The Google Calendar User Guide
Part II: Events, Notifications, and Tasks

Overview / Getting Started

Each Google account holder is provided with a primary calendar and a Task calendar. Additional calendars can be created, and events (appointments), notifications (reminders), and tasks can be created for each calendar.

The Google Calendar window displays events and tasks from all calendars that have been selected. Each calendar is assigned a color and its events display in that color. This is how the user can identify the tasks and determine which events belong to which calendar. A sample Google Calendar window is shown below.

How Do I Sign in to Google?

From the Google homepage, click Sign in in the upper right corner. Enter your email address and password, and click the Sign in button.

How Do I Access the Google Calendar?

From the Google homepage, click more... from the top row of links, and click Calendar. The calendar displays in its default view, which can be changed (see How do I specify the default calendar view below.) There are other ways to access the calendar more quickly. For example, set "igoogle.com" as your homepage and add the Calendar gadget, or add the calendar webpage to your browser's Favorites toolbar.

The Google Calendar Window

An example of the Google Calendar window is shown below. The Calendar Index, located on the left sidebar, always displays the primary calendar first. In the example below, the primary calendar was renamed "My Public Calendar." The "Tasks" window and user-created calendars are listed alphabetically below the primary calendar.

The red arrows on the image below draw attention to what events and tasks look like on the Month View of the calendar, and also point to some of the links and menus that assist in managing tasks and events.

Working With Events (Appointments)

How do I add an event (appointment) to a calendar?

What we may call "appointments," Google Calendar calls Events. There are several ways to add events to a calendar:

- Direct entry into the calendar

An easy way of entering an event is to click directly on the calendar, enter information in the window that displays (shown at right), and click Save. The event is given a duration of one hour by default. If you click on the calendar while in Month View, you must enter a start time in the "What" text box.

If you want to enter a different time duration or more information about the event, click Edit Event Details. If necessary, uncheck the "All day" box to enter a start and end time.

- The "Quick add" link

The "Quick add" link is the fastest way to enter an event, but it only adds events to the primary calendar. The "Quick add" link is located at the top of the left sidebar (see image below). When clicked, a small text box opens near the link. Type the day, time, and event title, and press Enter (or click Add.).

To specify the day, you may enter the date, the day, or words like "today" or "tomorrow." Hint: To enter events for the current day, just enter the time and event title. If you want to enter an event for a time that has already passed, then enter "today" or the date. If you enter the current day name (e.g. entering "Monday" when today is Monday), the event will be scheduled on that day in the following week.

- The Event Details window

The Event Details window provides every available option for an event - including event reminders, repeating events, and inviting others to events. This window can be accessed by:

• Clicking the Edit Event Details link (see above image).
• Clicking the "Create event" button (see image at right).
• Clicking the small arrow following a calendar name in the calendar index, and clicking Create event on this calendar from the action menu (see image below).

How do I schedule Repeating Events?

For a new or existing event, access the Event Details window as discussed in the previous question. At the bottom of the Events Detail window, click in the box by "Repeat," enter the required data in the Repeat popup window, click Done and click Save.

How do I invite Guests to an event?

For a new or existing event, access the Event Details window as discussed above. On the right side of the Events Detail window, under "Add guests," enter the email addresses of the invitees, check or uncheck options in the "Guests can" section, and click Save.

How do I delete a calendar event (appointment)?

Click on the event on the calendar and click Delete.

How can I view a list of my events instead of a calendar?

Click the Agenda button on the list of Calendar View Tabs located on the top of the calendar window. The Agenda view just shows your scheduled appointments.

How do I specify if I want the calendar to display Events that I have declined?

Click the wheel in the upper right corner of the window, and click Calendar Settings. On the General tab, click the radio button for Yes or No for "Show events you have declined" and click Save.

How do I specify if I want invitations added to my calendar, and which invitations?

Click the wheel in the upper right corner of the window, and click Calendar Settings. On the General tab, find the section titled "Automatically add invitations to my calendar." Select either: 1) Yes,   2) Yes, but don't send event reminders unless I have responded "Yes" or "Maybe"  or 3) No, only show invitations to which I have responded. Then click Save.

Setting Event Reminders (Notifications)

How do I set Event Reminders for events (appointments)?

Google Calendars provides the ability to set one or more notification methods for each calendar, and for individual events. The reminder methods are email, pop-up, or SMS (if activated). Before using a calendar, review the default settings or you may find yourself inundated with unwanted emails and popup windows. Choosing default settings for each calendar eliminates the need to specify notification details for each event for most folks.

- Set a default Event Reminder method for a calendar

In "My Calendars," click the small arrow following the calendar name and click Notifications (see image). On the Notifications tab for that calendar, select the Event Reminder method, and a time and unit. You can choose to be reminded via email, pop-up window, or SMS (cellphone text message). To add another method, click Add a reminder, and to delete a method, click the remove link after the method.

Also, in the section "Choose how you would like to be notified," select which events for which to receive notification: New invitations, Changed invitations, Canceled invitations, Invitation replies, or Daily agenda.

Click Save, and repeat for remaining calendars.

- Set an Event Reminder method for a single event

To override the default Event Notification settings for a specific event, access the "Event Details" window for the event as described above, and under "Reminders," change the method and/or add an additional method by clicking Add a reminder. When finished, click Save.

How do I specify which invitations I want to be reminded of?

See the previous question, "Set a default Event Reminder method for a calendar."

How can I receive text message Event Reminders on my mobile phone?

Click the wheel in the upper right corner of the window, and click Calendar Settings. Then click the Mobile Setup tab. On the "Mobile Setup" window, select your country, enter your phone number, and click Send Verification Code. Keep this window open and check your cellphone for a text message containing a verification code. When received, enter the verification code in the area indicated on the Mobile Setup window and click Finish Setup. The status should now say "√ Phone number successfully validated." Click Save.

To receive alerts via text on your mobile phone, follow the directions above for setting Event Reminders and make sure to change or add a reminder type of SMS.

Creating Tasks

Each Google Calendar User is also provided with a Task Calendar. When selected, a Task List displays in the right column of the calendar window, and tasks with due dates display on the calendar. To close the Task List, either deselect the Task Calendar, or click the X in the top right corner of the Tasks List window.

If you have many tasks and/or multiple Task Lists, view them in a separate window via the Task Canvas View. Be sure to bookmark this link.

How do I display or hide the Task List?

To display the Task List on the calendar window, click Tasks under My Calendars. Click on Tasks again to hide the Task List.

How do I add a task?

To add a task without a due date, or with a due date other than today, click in an empty area of the Task List, or click the + icon at the bottom of the Task List. Click inside the empty task box that appears and type a task name. Click the > sign to the right of the task name to enter additional task details, such as a due date or task notes.

A quick way to enter a task to be completed on a particular day is to click on that day while in Month View, or click in the white area at the top of the calendar below the day label when in Day View or Week View. Then, from the small window that pops up, click Task, enter the task name, and click Create Task. The task will have that day's due date and display on the calendar for that day.

How do I edit task details?

To edit the details of a task, hover over the task in the Task List and click the arrow following the task name, or click on the task and click Edit details from the Actions menu (see image). The task details will display in the Task List below the task name. Make desired changes and click the < Back to list link above the task name.

How do I delete a task?

To delete a task, select the task from the Task List and click the trash can icon on the bottom of the Task List (see image). Or you may click the task on the calendar and click Delete.

How do I reorder tasks?

To change the order of the tasks in the Task List, click on a task and either press the Ctrl key + up / down arrow key, or click Move Up or Move Down from the Actions menu (see image).

How do I mark a task completed?

To mark a task completed, click in the checkbox next to the task. A checkmark displays in the box and a line crosses through the task name. Click again to uncheck.

How do I remove completed tasks from the Task List without deleting them?

To remove completed tasks from the Task List, click Clear completed tasks from the Actions menu (see image).

How do I view a list of completed tasks?

To view the completed tasks, click View completed tasks from the Actions menu (see image).

How do I create subtasks?

The "Indent" and "Un-indent" options on the Actions menu provide the ability to create indented subtasks below a primary task. Notice the keyboard shortcuts for indent and un-indent on the menu (see image).

How do I sort by Due Date?

To sort the Task List by due date, click Sort by due date on the Actions menu. Tasks without a due date display last.

How do I print the Task List?

To print the Task List, click Print task list from the Actions menu. The Print window displays so that a printer can be selected.