Managing appointments is exhausting. Endlessly emailing to find a time that works for everyone is a drain. It’s even more frustrating when someone cancels last minute after all that work.

Calendly is here to save the day.

This comprehensive guide will show you how to set up Calendly from the very beginning. It’s perfect for freelancers, consultants, teachers, or sales professionals.

This guide goes beyond the basics. Learning to set up Calendly correctly from day one helps you avoid common beginner mistakes. You’ll get professional tips on customizing your availability, setting up automatic reminders to reduce no-shows, and creating different meeting types.

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Before You Start

βœ“ Active Email Account - You'll need a valid email address to create your Calendly account
βœ“ Calendar Access - Access to Google Calendar, Outlook, Office 365, or iCloud calendar
βœ“ About 15-20 minutes of focused time.
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Video Tutorial

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Step-by-Step Instructions

Sign Up and Connect Your Calendar

Go to the Calendly website and sign up for a free account. During the signup process, Calendly will immediately prompt you to connect your primary calendar (Google, Outlook, etc.). This is the most important step, as it allows Calendly to see your busy times and prevent double-booking.

πŸ’‘ Note: Always grant the permissions Calendly asks for. It needs to "See when you are busy" and "Make changes to your calendar" to work correctly. Don't worry, it's very secure.

Create Your First Event Type

An “Event Type” is what people will book (e.g., “30-Minute Meeting,” “Initial Consultation”). Click “Create” in the top right corner of your Calendly dashboard. Select “One-on-One.” Name it something clear, like “Introductory Call,” and set the duration (e.g., 30 minutes).

πŸ’‘ Note: Keep it simple for your first one. You can always create more complex types later.

Configure the Event Details

Now, fill in the details for your event.

Location: For virtual meetings, select “Zoom,” “Microsoft Teams,” or “Google Meet.” Calendly will automatically generate and add the meeting link to the invitation.

Description: Write a brief note about what the invitee can expect from the meeting.

Invitee Questions: Add a custom question like “What would you like to discuss?” to gather context beforehand.

πŸ’‘ Note: Using the integrated video conferencing is a huge time-saver. It automatically populates the video link in the calendar event for both you and your invitee.

Set Your Availability

This is where you tell Calendly when people can book you. Don’t just use a 9-5, 7-day-a-week schedule. Set specific hours for specific days. For example, you might set “Meetings” from 10 AM – 12 PM on Tuesdays and Thursdays only. This protects your focus time.

πŸ’‘ Note: Be protective of your time. It's better to start with limited, consistent availability and expand later than to be available 24/7.

Share Your Calendly Link

Your booking page is now live! Go to your Calendly homepage to find your personal scheduling link (e.g., calendly.com/yourname). You can now copy this link and share it anywhere: in your email signature, social media bios, or directly via text or email.

πŸ’‘ Note: For a more professional look in emails, you can use a "Book a Meeting with Me" button that links to your Calendly page.
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Key Takeaways

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Eliminate Back-and-Forth Emails
Calendly automates the entire "finding a time" process, saving you and your contacts countless emails.
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Never Double-Book Again
By connecting to your live calendar, Calendly only shows available slots, making scheduling conflicts a thing of the past.
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Look Professional 24/7
Your Calendly link allows people to book meetings with you anytime, from anywhere, making you accessible even when you're offline.
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Pro Tips

✨ Pro Tip
Buffer Time: Add a 5-15 minute buffer before and after events to give yourself time to prepare or take a break.
✨ Pro Tip
Secret Event Types: Create a specific event type with a unique link for high-priority clients or partners that shows more availability than your public one.
✨ Pro Tip
Customize Your Page: Use the "Appearance" tab to add your logo and brand colors to your scheduling page for a seamless professional experience.
✨ Pro Tip
Connect Multiple Calendars: If you use multiple calendars (e.g., a work and a personal one), connect them all to Calendly so it can see your true availability across all of them.
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Common Mistakes to Avoid

βœ• Not Connecting Your Calendar Properly
Users sign up for Calendly but skip or incorrectly connect their primary calendar (like Google or Outlook). This means Calendly can't see your busy times, leading to double-bookings and scheduling conflicts.
Instead: Go to your Calendly Settings > Connections. Ensure your main calendar is listed and connected. If it's not, or if you see a sync error, click "Disconnect" and then "Connect" again to re-authenticate it. This is the most critical step.
βœ• Setting 24/7 Availability
Leaving the default availability settings, which often show you as free from 9 AM to 5 PM every single day. This burns you out and doesn't protect your time for deep work.
Instead: Be strategic. In your Event Type > Availability settings, define specific, limited windows for meetings. For example, set "Available for Meetings" only on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 AM to 2 PM. This forces scheduling into your preferred times.
βœ• Ignoring Time Zone Settings
Not configuring time zone settings can lead to confusion, especially when scheduling with people in different parts of the world. You might think a meeting is at 3 PM your time, but the invitee books it for their 3 PM.
Instead: In your Account Settings, confirm your personal time zone is correct. For each event type, check the Scheduling Options and enable "Detect invitee's time zone" so the time automatically adjusts for the person booking.
βœ• Forgetting to Add Buffer Time Between Meetings
Booking meetings back-to-back without any breaks. This leads to you running late all day, having no time to prepare for the next call, and feeling fatigued.
Instead: In your Event Type settings, navigate to the Scheduling Options section. Find "Buffer time before event" and "Buffer time after event" and add at least 5-15 minutes. This creates a essential cushion in your day.