How to Send Meeting Reminders from Google Calendar to Slack with Make

Dashboard > Create scenario > Add module

Create new scenario

Start a blank scenario in Make. This will house your entire meeting reminder workflow from trigger to Slack notification.

1. 1Click 'Create a new scenario' from your Make dashboard
2. 2Click the white circle with + to add your first module
3. 3Type 'Google Calendar' in the search box
4. 4Select 'Google Calendar' from the app list

Scenario > Google Calendar > Watch Events

Set up Google Calendar trigger

Configure the Watch Events trigger to monitor your calendar. This polls Google Calendar every 15 minutes for new or updated events.

1. 1Select 'Watch Events' from the Google Calendar trigger options
2. 2Click 'Create a connection' and authenticate with your Google account
3. 3Choose your primary calendar from the 'Calendar ID' dropdown
4. 4Set 'Limit' to 50 to handle busy calendars

Scenario > Filter settings

Add time-based filter

Filter events to only trigger reminders for meetings starting within the next 15-20 minutes. This prevents spam from past or distant future events.

1. 1Click the wrench icon between modules to add a filter
2. 2Name the filter 'Meeting starting soon'
3. 3Set condition to 'Start time' 'Is greater than' and use formula: now
4. 4Add second condition 'Start time' 'Is less than' with formula: addMinutes(now; 20)

Scenario > Add module > Slack > Create Message

Add Slack connection

Set up the Slack module to send your reminder message. This connects to your workspace and prepares the message format.

1. 1Click + to add a new module after the filter
2. 2Search for and select 'Slack'
3. 3Choose 'Create a Message' action
4. 4Click 'Create a connection' and authorize Make to access your Slack workspace

Slack module > Channel settings

Configure target channel

Select which Slack channel receives the meeting reminders. Most teams use a general channel or dedicated meetings channel.

1. 1Click the 'Channel' dropdown in the Slack module
2. 2Select your target channel from the list (e.g., #general or #meetings)
3. 3Leave 'As User' set to 'False' to send as the Make bot
4. 4Set 'Parse' to 'Full' to enable link formatting

Slack module > Text field > Mapping panel

Build reminder message template

Create the message content with meeting details. This pulls data from Google Calendar and formats it for Slack.

1. 1Click in the 'Text' field of the Slack module
2. 2Type: '🔔 Meeting starting in 15 minutes:'
3. 3Add new line and type: '*' then map 'Summary' field from Google Calendar
4. 4Add another line with: 'Join: ' and map 'Hangout Link' field
5. 5Add final line: 'Attendees: ' and map 'Attendees: Email' field

📬 New entry: {{1.name}}
Email: {{1.email}}
Details: {{1.description}}

Slack module > Text field > Functions

Format attendee list

Clean up the attendees field to show names instead of email addresses. This makes the reminder more readable.

1. 1Click the function button (fx) next to the attendees mapping
2. 2Replace the attendees mapping with: join(map(1.attendees; 'displayName'); ', ')
3. 3Add fallback text: if(length(1.attendees) > 0; join(map(1.attendees; 'displayName'); ', '); 'No attendees listed')
4. 4Click 'OK' to save the formula

Slack module > Text field > Edit join line

Add meeting link handling

Format the meeting link properly for Slack. Handle cases where events have no video link.

1. 1Edit the 'Join: ' line in your message template
2. 2Replace hangout link mapping with: if(length(1.hangoutLink) > 0; 1.hangoutLink; 'No video link')
3. 3Add location as backup: if(length(1.hangoutLink) > 0; 1.hangoutLink; if(length(1.location) > 0; 1.location; 'Location TBD'))
4. 4Test the formula by clicking the function preview

Scenario > Module options > Error handling

Set up error handling

Configure what happens when the scenario fails. This prevents stuck executions and gives you visibility into issues.

1. 1Right-click on the Slack module
2. 2Select 'Add error handler'
3. 3Choose 'Break' directive from the error handler options
4. 4Enable 'Store incomplete executions' in scenario settings

Scenario > Run once > Execution history

Test with real data

Run a test execution using an actual calendar event. This validates your field mappings and message formatting.

1. 1Click 'Run once' at the bottom of the scenario
2. 2Create a test calendar event starting 16 minutes from now
3. 3Wait 2-3 minutes for Make to detect the event
4. 4Check the execution log for successful Slack message delivery

Scenario > Scheduling > Auto-execution

Schedule the scenario

Turn on automatic execution so your reminders run continuously. Set the frequency to check for upcoming meetings.

1. 1Click the clock icon at the bottom left of the scenario
2. 2Set scheduling to 'Every 5 minutes' for more responsive reminders
3. 3Toggle the scenario to 'ON' using the switch in the bottom bar
4. 4Click 'Save' to commit all changes

Drop this into a Make custom function.

{{if(length(1.attendees) > 1; ':busts_in_silhouette: ' + join(map(1.attendees; 'displayName'); ', '); if(length(1.attendees) = 1; ':bust_in_silhouette: ' + 1.attendees[1].displayName; ':calendar: Meeting set'))}}

{{if(length(1.attendees) > 1; ':busts_in_silhouette: ' + join(map(1.attendees; 'displayName'); ', '); if(length(1.attendees) = 1; ':bust_in_silhouette: ' + 1.attendees[1].displayName; ':calendar: Meeting set'))}}