How to import Google Calendar when marking availability

You should not have to flip between Google Calendar and a scheduling grid. Free2Meet can overlay your busy times as hints while you mark when you are free — read-only, visible only to you, and optional. Your group still answers the poll the normal way; nobody else needs Google connected.

This guide covers Google Calendar import on a datetime or dates-only poll. For Outlook, Apple, or any subscribe link, use the ICS import guide. Already running a poll? Open the link, start marking availability, and look for Import your calendar above the grid.

Calendar import is a hint layer — you still drag your free times and press Save. Nothing is shared with the group until then.

What calendar import does (and does not do)

• Does — show busy blocks as dotted hints on your personal grid while you respond.
• Does — work read-only; Free2Meet does not create or edit events in Google Calendar.
• Does not — auto-fill your answer or share meeting titles with the group.
• Does not — require respondents to connect Google; only the person importing needs it.

Privacy copy in the import modal: Only you see meeting details; nothing is shared with the group until you press Save. Full policy: Privacy Policy.

Method 1 — Connect Google Calendar (OAuth)

When calendar sync is enabled on the site, open a poll and tap Import your calendar. Choose Google Calendar and sign in in the popup. After authorising read access, busy times for the poll’s date window load onto your grid.

1. Open the poll link and start the availability flow (name → grid).
2. Click Import your calendar.
3. Select Connect Google Calendar and complete sign-in.
4. Wait for the “Calendar loaded” toast — busy slots appear as dotted hints.
5. Paint your free times on top of the hints, then Save.

Method 2 — Paste Google’s secret ICS link

Prefer not to OAuth, or Google connect is unavailable? Use Google’s Secret address in iCal format — same subscribe link Google gives for read-only feeds.

1. In Google Calendar: Settings → select your calendar → Integrate calendar.
2. Copy the Secret address in iCal format (often starts with https:// or webcal://).
3. In Free2Meet’s import modal, paste under Calendar subscribe link (ICS).
4. Click Import — hints appear on the grid for the poll window.

Reading the grid after import

On datetime polls, busy cells show a dotted pattern; hover for details (only on your screen). On dates-only polls, all-day conflicts can block whole days from selection. The legend labels calendar-busy vs unavailable.

Hints cover the poll’s candidate dates and daily time window — not your entire calendar. If nothing loads, you may have no conflicts in that range (the toast will say so).

What gets imported

• Events with times — mapped to busy slots in the poll window.
• Google Tasks on calendar — may appear if shown on your Google Calendar (per Google’s feed).
• All-day events — treated as day-level busy on dates-only polls.
• Outside the poll window — ignored; only the organiser’s selected dates/hours matter.

Troubleshooting

• No import button — calendar sync may be off on this deployment; use manual painting or ask the host.
• Empty import — no events in the poll date range; try widening your test or check the right Google calendar.
• OAuth popup blocked — allow popups for the site and retry connect.
• ICS URL fails — use the secret iCal URL, not the public HTML link; see our ICS import guide.

Related reads

Create a poll · Read the heatmap · Time zones · When2Meet alternative (calendar import on mobile).

Questions we get

We import hints to save tab-flipping — the answer you submit is still the green slots you chose. — The Free2Meet team