How to Send Google Calendar Event Notifications to Slack with Make

Scenarios > Create new scenario

Create New Make Scenario

Start by setting up a new automation scenario in Make. This creates the foundation for connecting Google Calendar to Slack.

1. 1Log into your Make account and click 'Create a new scenario'
2. 2Click the gray '+' circle in the center of the canvas
3. 3Search for 'Google Calendar' and select it from the results

Google Calendar Module > Watch Events

Configure Google Calendar Trigger

Set up the trigger to watch for new events in your shared calendar. This module fires whenever someone adds a meeting.

1. 1Select 'Watch Events' from the Google Calendar trigger options
2. 2Click 'Add' next to Connection and authenticate with your Google account
3. 3Choose your shared team calendar from the Calendar ID dropdown
4. 4Set 'Limit' to 10 to avoid overwhelming Slack during initial sync

Google Calendar Module > Run once

Test Calendar Connection

Run a test to verify Make can read events from your calendar. This confirms the authentication and permissions are working.

1. 1Click 'Run once' at the bottom of the Google Calendar module
2. 2Wait for the test to complete (usually 10-15 seconds)
3. 3Review the sample event data in the output panel

Add Module > Slack > Create a Message

Add Slack Module

Connect Slack as the destination for your notifications. This module will send the formatted message to your chosen channel.

1. 1Click the '+' icon to the right of the Google Calendar module
2. 2Search for 'Slack' and select it from the app list
3. 3Choose 'Create a Message' as the action type

Slack Module > Connection > Add

Connect Slack Workspace

Authenticate Make with your Slack workspace to enable message posting. You'll need admin permissions or pre-approval for the Make app.

1. 1Click 'Add' next to Connection in the Slack module
2. 2Select 'Slack' (not Slack Legacy) from the connection types
3. 3Click 'Continue' to open Slack's authorization window
4. 4Grant Make permission to post messages in your workspace

Slack Module > Channel

Select Target Channel

Choose which Slack channel receives the calendar notifications. Pick a channel where your team discusses scheduling or general updates.

1. 1Click the Channel dropdown in the Slack module
2. 2Select your target channel from the list (e.g., #general or #calendar)
3. 3If the channel doesn't appear, type the channel name manually with the # prefix

Slack Module > Text > Data Mapping

Map Event Title and Time

Build the notification message using calendar event data. Start with the event title and start time for basic context.

1. 1Click in the Text field of the Slack module
2. 2Type 'New meeting: ' then click the data picker icon
3. 3Select 'Summary' from the Google Calendar data (this is the event title)
4. 4Add a new line and type 'Time: ' followed by the 'Start' field from calendar data

Slack Module > Text > Data Mapping

Add Attendees and Location

Include attendee information and meeting location to make notifications more useful for team coordination.

1. 1Add another line in the Text field and type 'Attendees: '
2. 2Click the data picker and select 'Attendees > Email' from calendar data
3. 3Add a final line with 'Location: ' and map the 'Location' field
4. 4If location is often empty, add fallback text like 'TBD'

Scenario > Run once

Test Complete Workflow

Run the full scenario to verify Google Calendar data flows correctly to Slack. This catches any mapping or formatting issues.

1. 1Click 'Run once' at the bottom left of the scenario
2. 2Wait for both modules to execute (Google Calendar → Slack)
3. 3Check your Slack channel for the test notification message
4. 4Verify all mapped fields display correctly in the message

Module > Right-click > Add error handler

Configure Error Handling

Set up proper error handling so the scenario doesn't break if Google Calendar or Slack has issues. This prevents silent failures.

1. 1Right-click the Slack module and select 'Add error handler'
2. 2Choose 'Ignore' as the error handler type
3. 3Click the settings gear on the Google Calendar module
4. 4Set 'Processing error' to 'Break' to stop execution on API failures

Scenario > Schedule > Every 15 minutes

Set Scenario Schedule

Configure how often Make checks for new calendar events. More frequent polling catches events faster but uses more operations.

1. 1Click the clock icon at the bottom left of the scenario
2. 2Select 'Every 15 minutes' for good responsiveness without burning operations
3. 3For high-traffic calendars, consider 'Every 5 minutes'
4. 4Click 'OK' to save the schedule

Scenario > Toggle ON > Save

Activate and Monitor

Turn on the scenario and monitor initial performance. Watch for any unexpected behavior or high operation usage.

1. 1Click the 'ON' toggle switch in the bottom left
2. 2Save the scenario with a descriptive name like 'Calendar → Slack Notifications'
3. 3Monitor the execution history for the first few runs
4. 4Check operation usage in your Make dashboard after 24 hours

Drop this into a Make custom function.

{{formatDate(start.dateTime; "MMM D, YYYY at h:mm A"; "America/New_York")}}

{{formatDate(start.dateTime; "MMM D, YYYY at h:mm A"; "America/New_York")}}