Notion is designed to be your all-in-one tool for keeping everything in one place. However, calendar features have some limitations. The Notion calendar is a list of pages shown in a calendar format and lacks some functionalities, like task management, setting reminders, sending meeting invites, or creating meeting notes.
If you’re interested in maximizing productivity, it’s worth exploring how to sync Google Calendar to your productivity app. You can bring in some features for scheduling, reminders, and event management by linking Google Calendar with Notion or another tool.
Losing track of tasks without scheduling? Don’t worry. Notion released their dedicated calendar product this year, named Notion Calendar. It’s early in development, so it doesn’t yet have the range of features that tools like Google Calendar or Apple Calendar offer. However, it does come with unique advantages. More on this tool is below.
How to Sync Google Calendar to your Productivity App with Notion?
Here are the 4 main ways to make Google Calendar work with Notion. Pick the one that best matches your needs and goals.
- One-Time Import: The first way is to import the dataset from Google Calendar into Notion once. This method copies all your events over but doesn’t update when something changes in either app. This approach is helpful if you need a quick data dump, but it lacks ongoing sync.
- 2-Way Sync: A two-way sync is ideal for a full Google Calendar integration 2024. With this setup, any changes you make in Notion will also appear in Google Calendar and vice versa. This two-way sync lets you relax, knowing you won’t miss an update or event. This integration works through clever algorithms and sometimes machine learning to ensure both calendars stay in sync.
- Google Calendar Embed: You can also embed Google Calendar directly into Notion. Using a Google Calendar embed block, you’ll view your Google Calendar within Notion, although it’s a bit basic and may not allow all Google Calendar features.
- Trigger-Based Automations: With trigger-based automations, you can level up your productivity. Using tools with machine learning and smart algorithms, this setup lets you create custom calendar functions in Notion, such as real-time calendar sync and meeting notifications, making it function much like regular calendar apps.
Let’s get to know about each method below and find the best option for how to sync Google Calendar to your productivity app!
1. Import All Google Calendar Events to Notion
Let’s start with the simplest way to connect Google Calendar and Notion: by transferring all your events from Google Calendar to Notion at once. This option is perfect if you want all your events to quickly move to Notion’s calendar.
The best part? It’s free and only takes a few clicks with Bardeen, a tool that automates tasks without needing any coding. Here’s how it works:
- Make a Calendar in Notion: First, set up a calendar database in Notion. This is where all your Google Calendar events will go. You can create a new Notion calendar or duplicate a ready-made template if you have one.
- Open the Automation in Bardeen: Click “Pin It” to save the automation in Bardeen. Then, hover over the card in the extension window and select “Open in Builder” to set up the integration.
- Choose Which Events to Import: Want only certain events in Notion? Bardeen lets you filter events based on dates, keywords, or even participants, so only the ones you want will appear.
- Match Google Calendar Data to Notion: Now it’s time to map the information from Google Calendar to Notion. This is like a matching game: you connect each Google Calendar field to a Notion field, like matching the title to the Notion page name, and the description to the description field.
- Run the Automation: Finally, hit “Run.” This is a one-time import, so only current events will move to Notion. If you want updates every time something changes, try a two-way sync instead!
Real-case Example: Imagine you’re organizing a big science fair with your class and have all your schedules in Google Calendar. Using AI, you can import all your events to Notion, so your project timelines, deadlines, and event days show up there.
Thanks to artificial intelligence and neural networks behind the automation, all this happens smoothly in the background, saving you time and helping you focus on what matters!
2. Way Sync for Google Calendar and Notion
Two-way sync is perfect if you want Notion to be the one place for all your important information. With two-way sync, anything you add or change in Google Calendar shows up in Notion, and anything you update in Notion reflects back in Google Calendar. That’s how to sync Google Calendar to your productivity app and make it your single source of truth!
Think of it like quantum-entangled particles—two things that are far apart but always connected. When you change something in one, the other reacts too. That’s exactly how two-way sync works!
Setting Up 2-Way Sync
You can set this up in about 10 minutes using the Notion Automations web app. It costs $5 a month or $50 for a whole year. Once it’s set up, you’ll have the power of two-way sync to align your calendars, making your Notion the main place for all your planning.
1. Connect Your Google Calendar Account
Start by going to the Notion Automations website.
Click on Try the 2-Way Sync and sign up using your Google Calendar account. Once you’re signed in, select the specific calendars you want to sync.
2. Connect Your Notion Account
Next, choose the Notion workspace you want to use and select the pages you’d like to connect.
You can give or remove access to specific Notion databases anytime. Just go to the database settings, find “Notion Automations” in the share options, and add or remove it. Make sure to authenticate the app first so everything works smoothly.
3. Connect to Your Notion Calendar Database
To set this up, just copy the link to your Notion calendar database and paste it into the Notion Automations tab.
If you don’t have a calendar database in Notion yet, no worries—you can simply duplicate a ready-made one.
Optional: Filter Events You Don’t Want to Sync
Want to avoid syncing certain events? You can set filters to leave out specific types, like daily reminders for your gym time or bedtime. This way, your calendar stays neat and only shows important events.
Optional: Add Notion Page Links to Google Calendar Events
This part is super cool! 🤯 If you take notes in Notion as well as use it for scheduling, you can set it up so each Notion event link appears in your Google Calendar event descriptions. Imagine being able to click on a Google Calendar event and instantly open the related Notion page for all your notes!
That’s how to sync Google Calendar to your productivity app and keep everything organized in one place!
4. Test the Sync
Now it’s time to test the sync with accuracy! Only events from the past week and the next week will be synced during the test. This should only take about a minute.
5. Subscribe and Sync All Events
The final step on how to sync Google Calendar to your productivity app is if you have many past events, this might take around 20 minutes.
By default, Notion Automations will bring in all past events and events one week ahead. You can change this setting in options to go up to 3 months.
The subscription costs $5 per month or $50 for the whole year—a great price if you want a reliable two-way sync! You’ll also get access to their calendar template, which can work as a weekly planner.
Just note, Notion Automations has changed the order of some steps, so double-check as you go!
How Can You Embed Google Calendar in Notion?
Here’s a simple trick: instead of using a complicated API-based integration, you can just embed Google Calendar in Notion! This way, you can view your Google Calendar directly in Notion. However, keep in mind that this solution has some limits.
Embedding isn’t perfect because you can only view events from Google Calendar. You won’t be able to edit events, and there’s no separate Notion page for taking notes on each meeting. Plus, for the calendar to show up, it must be public, so anyone with the link can see your events.
But embedding can still work well for some cases. For example, if you’re sharing a class schedule on a public Notion page, this setup is perfect!
Embed Google Calendar in Notion
Here’s how to set it up:
- Open Google Calendar Settings
Use a desktop computer to access the settings. This won’t work on mobile. - Select a Calendar to Embed and Make It Public
Pick the calendar you want to embed and make it public. If it’s private, events won’t display. - Copy the “Embed Code”
Scroll down in the settings to find the “integrated calendar” section. Copy the embed code to your clipboard. - Paste the Code in Notion’s Embed Block
In Notion, use the /embed command to create an embed block, then paste the Google Calendar <iframe> code into it.
Alternatives for Google Calendar Syncing Options If you’re looking for other Google Calendar sync options, tools like Bardeen.ai, Zapier, and Make.com offer more powerful ways to link Google Calendar and Notion with natural language processing (NLP) and custom prompts for even smoother integration.
What Are Triggered Automations for Google Calendar and Notion?
Triggered automations are smart setups that connect Google Calendar and Notion by starting an action whenever a specific event, or “trigger,” occurs. With triggered automations, you can do some cool things. Here are a few examples:
- Automatically send a Notion meeting page to Slack: When you set up an automation, it can instantly share a Notion page for an upcoming meeting with your Slack team. This way, everyone can access meeting notes, tasks, and details without needing manual updates.
- Send a Notion page to event participants: Another handy option is to send specific Notion pages to event participants in Google Calendar. This helps share agendas or background notes before a meeting.
- Automatically open a Notion page before a meeting starts: One of the most useful automations is setting up a Notion page to open one minute before your next meeting so you’re prepared right when it begins.
Examples of Triggered Automations
Here are some powerful use cases for triggered automations:
- Create a Notion page when you email yourself: If you email yourself a task or reminder, automation can automatically create a matching Notion page, so you always have a record in your workspace.
- Send a “Running Late” Slack message to event participants: If you’re running late, triggered automation can send a quick Slack message to all meeting participants, keeping everyone informed without any hassle.
- Look up participants’ social profiles: You can even set up automations that pull in social profile links for meeting participants, helping you understand more about who you’ll be meeting with.
Top Tools for Notion-Google Calendar Integrations
For the best collaboration and scheduling tools that sync with Google Calendar, try options like Bardeen, Zapier, and Make.com.
These services allow you to sync Google Calendar with reminders app, Slack, and more. With these options, you can explore Google Calendar automation ideas that boost your productivity and keep Notion as your all-in-one workspace.
FAQs
Do I need to make my Google Calendar public to embed it in Notion?
Can I use two-way sync with Google Calendar and Notion for free?
How do triggered automations help improve my workflow?
Can I sync Notion with Outlook Calendar?
What are the best Notion integrations for scheduling?
Conclusion
Syncing Google Calendar with Notion opens up a whole world of productivity possibilities, merging events, tasks, and schedules in one workspace. With options like one-way data import, two-way sync, Google Calendar embedding, and triggered automations, you have many choices for how to sync Google Calendar to your productivity app and beyond.
By trying out these Google Calendar syncing options, you can import events, set up reminders, send meeting invites, and more, making your workflow smoother and more organized.
Now it’s your turn to experiment on how to sync Google Calendar to your productivity app and discover which ones work best for your productivity needs!