> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.revdesk.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Real-time calendar booking

> Your AI books against your live calendar. Real availability, real bookings, no manual coordination after the call.

Calendar access turns the AI from a message-taker into a booking agent. RevDesk reads your real availability and writes appointments directly, so every call can end with a confirmed slot rather than a "we will call you back."

## Why this matters

The single most important sentence in any booking conversation is:

> I have availability tomorrow at 2pm or Thursday at 10am. Which works for you?

That sentence, said live on the call against your real calendar, is the difference between a lead that converts immediately and a lead that goes quiet before you can follow up.

***

## Supported calendars

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Google Calendar" icon="google">
    Personal and Workspace accounts
  </Card>

  <Card title="Microsoft Outlook" icon="microsoft">
    Outlook.com and Microsoft 365
  </Card>

  <Card title="Apple Calendar" icon="apple">
    iCloud Calendar
  </Card>

  <Card title="CRM" icon="briefcase">
    Custom CRM integrations
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

***

## How it works

### 1. Connect your calendar in one click

OAuth, 30 seconds. We request only what's needed:

* **Read** your free/busy windows, and look up a caller's existing appointment
* **Write** the appointments it books

To offer times, RevDesk reads only whether a window is busy. To find a caller's existing appointment, it searches your calendar for their email or phone number and reads that event's title, time, and attendees. If calendar sync is on for your workspace, RevDesk also stores upcoming events' title, time, description, and location to keep availability current.

### 2. Set your availability

Tell RevDesk when you're available for appointments:

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Business hours">
    Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm
  </Card>

  <Card title="Custom schedule">
    Different hours on different days
  </Card>

  <Card title="Buffer time">
    15 minutes between appointments
  </Card>

  <Card title="Appointment types">
    30-min consultations, 2-hour services
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

### 3. AI books in real-time

When someone wants to book:

1. AI checks your calendar for the next available slots
2. Offers options to the caller
3. Creates the appointment with all details
4. Sends confirmation to both you and the customer

***

## What gets created

When AI books an appointment, the calendar event includes:

* **Customer name and phone**
* **Service requested**
* **Any notes from the conversation**
* **Link to the full transcript**

You arrive to appointments fully prepared.

***

## Availability settings

### Booking windows

Control how far out people can book:

| Setting | Example |
| - | - |
| Minimum notice | At least 2 hours from now |
| Maximum advance | Up to 30 days out |
| Booking window | Only show next 2 weeks |

### Buffer time

Prevent back-to-back appointments:

* **Before appointments**: 15 minutes to prepare
* **After appointments**: 15 minutes to wrap up
* **Between appointments**: 30 minutes minimum gap

### Blocked times

Mark times as unavailable:

* Lunch breaks
* Personal appointments
* Team meetings
* Holidays

***

## Multiple calendars

If you have multiple team members or service types:

### Option 1: Shared calendar

One calendar that AI books into. Team figures out who takes it.

### Option 2: Round-robin

AI distributes bookings across team members' calendars.

### Option 3: Service-based

Different services book to different calendars:

* "AC Repair" → Technician calendar
* "Consultation" → Sales calendar

***

## Handling conflicts

What if someone books while you're updating your calendar?

RevDesk checks availability at the moment of booking. If a conflict occurs:

1. AI apologizes for the conflict
2. Offers the next available slots
3. Rebooks on the call

The customer never knows there was an issue.

***

## Calendar sync frequency

Your calendar syncs in real-time:

* **New events** appear within seconds
* **Cancellations** free up slots immediately
* **Changes** reflect instantly

No waiting, no stale data.

***

## Setting up calendar sync

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Google Calendar">
    <Steps>
      <Step title="Go to Settings">
        Navigate to Settings → Integrations → Calendar
      </Step>

      <Step title="Click Connect">
        Select "Google Calendar"
      </Step>

      <Step title="Authorize">
        Sign in to your Google account and allow access
      </Step>

      <Step title="Choose calendar">
        Select which calendar to use for bookings
      </Step>
    </Steps>
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Outlook">
    <Steps>
      <Step title="Go to Settings">
        Navigate to Settings → Integrations → Calendar
      </Step>

      <Step title="Click Connect">
        Select "Outlook / Microsoft 365"
      </Step>

      <Step title="Authorize">
        Sign in to your Microsoft account and allow access
      </Step>

      <Step title="Choose calendar">
        Select which calendar to use for bookings
      </Step>
    </Steps>
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Apple Calendar">
    <Steps>
      <Step title="Go to Settings">
        Navigate to Settings → Integrations → Calendar
      </Step>

      <Step title="Click Connect">
        Select "Apple Calendar"
      </Step>

      <Step title="Authorize">
        Follow the iCloud authorization flow
      </Step>

      <Step title="Choose calendar">
        Select which calendar to use for bookings
      </Step>
    </Steps>
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="CRM">
    <Steps>
      <Step title="Go to Settings">
        Navigate to Settings → Integrations → CRM
      </Step>

      <Step title="Click Connect">
        Select your CRM or reach out to Support
      </Step>

      <Step title="Authorize">
        Sign in to your CRM account and allow access
      </Step>

      <Step title="Choose calendar">
        Select which calendar to use for bookings
      </Step>
    </Steps>
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

***

## Troubleshooting

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="AI is offering times that should be blocked">
    1. Check that the blocking event is on the calendar you connected to RevDesk.
    2. Confirm that calendar is selected as the booking calendar.
    3. Check for time-zone mismatches between RevDesk and the calendar.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Calendar won't connect">
    1. Make sure you're logged into the correct account.
    2. Check that third-party access isn't blocked (common with work accounts).
    3. For Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 accounts, your IT admin may need to allow the integration.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Bookings aren't appearing in my calendar">
    1. Check that you selected the correct calendar during setup.
    2. Verify the calendar has write permissions.
    3. Look for the booking in the RevDesk dashboard to confirm it was created.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Times are off by a few hours">
    Time-zone mismatch. Confirm that your RevDesk account, your calendar, and your business hours all agree on the same time zone.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

***

## FAQ

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Can AI see my personal appointments?">
    Only what it needs. To offer times, RevDesk checks only whether a window is busy. To find a caller's existing appointment, it searches for their email or phone number and reads that event's title, time, and attendees. If calendar sync is on, it also stores upcoming events' title, time, description, and location.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What if I need to cancel an AI-booked appointment?">
    Delete or cancel the event in your calendar like normal. The customer won't be automatically notified. You'll need to contact them or set up a cancellation automation.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I have different availability for different services?">
    Yes. You can create different booking types with different availability rules.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What if I manually book something while AI is on a call?">
    The AI checks availability at the moment of booking. If you book a slot while it's talking to someone, the AI sees the conflict and offers the next available slot.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How do I disconnect my calendar?">
    Settings → Integrations → Calendar → **Disconnect**. The AI stops booking new appointments until you reconnect.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Does it work with scheduling tools like Calendly?">
    RevDesk has its own booking system that connects directly to your calendar. You don't need Calendly or similar tools, but they can coexist if you want to keep them.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

***

<Card title="Connect Your Calendar" icon="calendar" href="https://www.revdesk.com/settings/integrations">
  Calendar sync in under a minute.
</Card>


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