Integrations

Google Calendar Integration

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Overview

The Google Calendar integration enables Gail to manage your scheduling seamlessly by syncing your availability and automating meeting bookings. This integration allows Gail to check your calendar in real-time, schedule appointments during available slots, and prevent double-bookings.

Key Benefits

Real-Time Availability
Gail automatically checks your Google Calendar to determine your availability before scheduling appointments. This ensures that meetings are only booked during your open time slots, eliminating scheduling conflicts.

Automated Scheduling
Say goodbye to the back-and-forth of finding meeting times. Gail can book appointments directly on your calendar during conversations, creating calendar events with all necessary details including meeting links and participant information.

Flexible Availability Management
Configure your default working hours, set day-specific availability, and add date overrides for holidays or special schedules. Your calendar settings adapt to your unique workflow.

Setup Requirements

Before you begin, ensure you have:

  • An active Gail account
  • A Google account with Google Calendar access
  • Admin or calendar management permissions in Gail

Setting Up the Integration

Step 1: Access Integrations Menu

  1. Sign into your Gail account
  2. Click the Integrations option from the main navigation

Step 2: Navigate to Calendar Settings

  1. Click on the Calendar section to view calendar-related integrations
  2. Select Gail to open its integration settings

Step 3: Add User to Calendar

  1. From the dropdown menu, select the Gail user whose calendar you want to configure
  2. Click Add User to Calendar to proceed with the setup

You can configure calendar integration for multiple users in your organization. Each user will need their own Google Calendar connection.

Step 4: Configure Default Schedule

In the calendar configuration section, you’ll set up your availability preferences:

  1. Event Setup: Configure default meeting length or allow bookers to select their own duration
  2. Availability: Set your working hours for each day of the week
    • Toggle days on or off to indicate which days you’re available
    • Set specific hours for each available day
    • Configure your timezone
  3. Assignment Rules: Define how meetings are assigned to team members
  4. Limits: Set maximum number of meetings per day or time period

Step 5: Add Date Overrides

For times when your availability changes from your regular schedule:

  1. Click Add an override at the bottom of the schedule section
  2. Set specific dates with different hours
  3. This is useful for holidays, vacations, or special events
  4. Click Save to apply your calendar configuration changes

Step 6: Connect Your Google Calendar

  1. Click Set your Calendar to begin linking your Google account
  2. Click Add Google Calendar to start the connection process
  3. An authorization window will appear from Google

Step 7: Authorize Google Account Access

  1. In the authorization window, select which Google account you want to connect
  2. Click on your Google account email to proceed with authentication
  3. Review the permissions that Gail is requesting (calendar read/write access)
  4. Click Continue to confirm your Google account selection

Make sure you select the correct Google account if you have multiple accounts. Gail will only have access to the calendar associated with the account you choose during this step.

Step 8: Verify Connection

After authorization, you’ll return to your Gail application. You should now see your Google Calendar successfully added to your Gail account with a connected status indicator.

How It Works

Once connected, the integration works automatically during customer interactions:

Availability Checking

  1. When someone requests a meeting, Gail queries your Google Calendar
  2. Available time slots are identified based on your configured schedule
  3. Only open slots that don’t conflict with existing events are offered

Appointment Booking

  1. Gail proposes available times to the caller or contact
  2. Once a time is agreed upon, Gail creates a calendar event
  3. The event includes:
    • Meeting title
    • Participant details
    • Meeting duration
    • Any relevant notes or context from the conversation

Calendar Sync

  • Existing events in your Google Calendar block off time in Gail
  • New appointments created by Gail appear immediately in Google Calendar
  • Updates or cancellations sync bidirectionally

Testing Your Integration

Before using the calendar integration with clients, test it to ensure proper functionality.

Step 1: Verify Calendar Connection

  1. In your Gail account, navigate to Integrations → Calendar
  2. Confirm that your Google Calendar shows as Connected
  3. Check that your availability settings display correctly

Step 2: Test Appointment Booking

  1. Create a test interaction where Gail needs to schedule an appointment
  2. Verify that:
    • Gail correctly identifies available time slots
    • Proposed times don’t conflict with existing calendar events
    • Time zone is displayed correctly

Step 3: Check Google Calendar

After booking a test appointment:

  1. Open your Google Calendar
  2. Verify that the new event appears with correct details
  3. Check that time, duration, and description are accurate

What Data Syncs

From Google Calendar to Gail

  • Existing calendar events (to block availability)
  • Working hours and timezone
  • Recurring meetings
  • All-day events

From Gail to Google Calendar

  • New appointments scheduled during calls
  • Meeting participant information
  • Call summaries and context
  • Meeting links and details

Managing Your Calendar Integration

Updating Availability

You can update your availability at any time:

  1. Go to Integrations → Calendar → Gail
  2. Modify your working hours, timezone, or default settings
  3. Add or remove date overrides
  4. Changes take effect immediately

Disconnecting Google Calendar

If you need to disconnect your calendar:

  1. Navigate to Integrations → Calendar
  2. Find your connected Google Calendar
  3. Click Disconnect or Remove
  4. Confirm the disconnection

Disconnecting your calendar will prevent Gail from checking availability or creating new events. Existing events in Google Calendar will not be affected.

Troubleshooting

Calendar Not Connecting

If you’re having trouble connecting your Google Calendar:

  • ✅ Verify you have admin permissions in your Google account
  • ✅ Check that you selected the correct Google account during authorization
  • ✅ Ensure pop-ups are enabled in your browser (the authorization window may be blocked)
  • ✅ Try disconnecting and reconnecting
  • ✅ Clear your browser cache and cookies

Events Not Syncing

If calendar events aren’t appearing correctly:

  • ✅ Confirm the integration still shows as connected in Gail
  • ✅ Check that the correct calendar is selected (if you have multiple calendars)
  • ✅ Verify timezone settings match between Gail and Google Calendar
  • ✅ Allow a few minutes for sync to complete
  • ✅ Refresh both Gail and Google Calendar

Wrong Availability Showing

If availability doesn’t match your expectations:

  • ✅ Review your configured working hours in Gail calendar settings
  • ✅ Check for date overrides that might be affecting availability
  • ✅ Verify timezone is set correctly
  • ✅ Ensure existing Google Calendar events are not marked as “Free” time

Appointment Times Are Incorrect

If scheduled appointments show incorrect times:

  • ✅ Verify timezone settings in both Gail and Google Calendar
  • ✅ Check that your browser timezone is correct
  • ✅ Confirm the caller’s timezone was captured correctly during the conversation

Best Practices

Calendar Hygiene

  • Keep your Google Calendar up-to-date with all commitments
  • Mark personal time blocks to prevent work meetings during those periods
  • Use clear event titles so Gail can provide better context during scheduling
  • Set working hours realistically to prevent burnout

Availability Configuration

  • Set buffer time between meetings to avoid back-to-back scheduling
  • Configure meeting limits to control daily appointment volume
  • Use date overrides well in advance for planned time off
  • Review and adjust availability settings regularly based on your needs

Team Management

  • If managing multiple users, establish consistent naming conventions
  • Ensure each team member connects their own Google Calendar
  • Set clear assignment rules for incoming meeting requests
  • Monitor calendar usage to optimize scheduling efficiency

Privacy Considerations

  • Be mindful of what information syncs between systems
  • Use private or confidential event settings for sensitive meetings
  • Review Gail’s access permissions periodically
  • Educate team members on data sharing implications

Need Help?

If you encounter issues or have questions about the Google Calendar integration:

First Gail

Set up and customize your first Gail agent

Call Logs

Review calls where appointments were scheduled

Use Cases

Design conversation flows that include scheduling