How to Add an Optional Guest to Google Calendar

Are you trying to juggle multiple things at once and need a better way to organize? Google Calendar puts all your upcoming events together in one place so you can manage your work and private matters efficiently.

Google Calendar also allows you to make a guest optional. Unlike with mandatory guests, optional guests have to RSVP and don’t automatically get the event added to their calendars.

This article will show how to add optional guests to your Google Calendar events.

Add Optional Guest When Creating an Event

You can add optional guests during event creation. Here’s how:

1. Select “Create new event,” and a pop-up window will appear.
   
2. Add the details for the event.
   
3. Add attendees by selecting them from your contacts or inputting their email addresses.
   
4. Hover over or tap the guest’s name or email from the guest list.
   
5. Click on the gray person icon to mark them as an optional guest.
   

Add Optional Guest After Creating an Event

You can follow these instructions if you want to add an optional guest after you have created an event:

1. Choose the event on your Google Calendar to open the details window.
   
2. Select the pencil icon to edit the event.
   
3. In the “Guests” section, select the attendee you want to make optional.
   
4. Click on the filled-out person icon. The guest should have “Optional” under their name, and the icon will be white.
   
5. Select “Save” at the top to apply.
   

Add Optional Guest to Google Calendar From Your PC

These are the steps for you to follow to add an optional guest to your Google calendar from your computer:

1. Go to Google Calendar on your browser.
   
2. Select the event you want to edit from the schedule.
   
3. Find “Guests” on the right and start to type the guest’s name.
   
4. In the list of guests, select the new attendee.
   
5. Press on the filled-out guest icon to make them optional.
   

The guest should have the “Optional” status below their name and a while profile icon.

How to Create a New Calendar

You can create calendars to keep track of many different types of events. You can only create a new calendar from a browser but not from the Google Calendar app. Once the calendar is created, you will be able to find it in the browser and the app.

To create a new calendar from your browser, you will first need to go to Google Calendar and sign into your account. After that, here’s what you’ll need to do:

1. Click the down arrow next to the other calendar(s).
   
2. Click on “add by URL” from the menu.
   
3. Enter the address in the box.
   
4. Select “Add calendar.” On the left hand side there will be a list of calendars and your new calendar will be added to that.  
   

How to Add a Shared Calendar to Google Calendar

People can share their calendars with you, and you can add them to your Google Calendar. The following instructions will tell you how:

1. In the email you receive, click on the “Add this calendar” link.
   
2. When Google Calendar opens, a pop-up window will appear to confirm your choice. Click “Add.”
   

How to Change From Required to Optional Guest

Sometimes someone that is required to attend an event ends up not being required at all. This is how you can change an attendee from a required guest to an optional guest:

1. Select the event you need to change.
   
2. Find the guest you need to make optional from the list.
   
3. Click on the name of the person and then click ”optional.”
   

How to Remove Someone From the Optional List

If you need to remove someone from the optional guest list, you can follow the steps below:

1. Select the name of the person you want to remove.
   
2. Click on “Remove” next to their name.
   

What Other Users See

When you make a guest optional to attend an event, the word optional will be displayed below their name and all other guests will be required to attend. Optional guests can request for a new time for the event as well.

FAQs

What is the difference between a required guest and an optional guest?

When you are required, you have to attend the event, but if you’re an optional guest you can decide whether or not to attend the event.

Can you add more than one calendar?

Yes, you can create multiple calendars, but to prevent spamming, it is recommended to not add more than sixty calendars in a short period.

Is there a limit on how many invitations a user can send to external guests to events?

You can send 10,000 invites in a short time (the exact period is never specified) before your ability to send external invitations is throttled.

Can you transfer events from different calendar apps or your Google account to Google Calendar?

Yes, you can. You can create a Google calendar account on any email address. You don’t need to have a Gmail account.

Can you invite a guest who doesn’t use Google Calendar?

You can invite people who don’t use Google Calendar by typing their mail when adding them. You can also invite people using other Google groups and forward calendar invitations by email.

Optional Guest

A guest list is one of the most important parts of any event you plan. Google Calendar is an easy way to keep track of these guests by allowing you the option of making them required to attend or giving them the option to attend and RSVP.

Have you used Google Calendar to add an optional guest? Is there something that the Google Calendar interface needs? Tell us about your experience in the comments section below.