Vida AI phone agents integrate seamlessly with Google Calendar to automate scheduling, check for conflicts, and create events directly on any Google Calendar you have access to. This integration helps ensure appointments are scheduled efficiently and aligned with your availability, improving business productivity and customer experience.

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Key Benefits

  • Conflict Avoidance: The agent will check your Google Calendar in real-time to ensure there are no conflicts before offering available time slots.
  • Event Creation: Once an appointment is booked, the agent can create a calendar event on your Google Calendar, which will be visible to you and any shared users.
  • Single Calendar Support: Your agent can connect to a single Google Calendar at a time, including shared calendars within your organization. You can choose which specific calendar to use for event creation and conflict checking.

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How to Enable Google Calendar Integration

  1. Log in to your Vida Account:
    • Navigate to Settings from your dashboard.
  2. Go to Integrations:
    • In the Integrations section, find Google Calendar.
  3. Enable Integration:
    • Click on Enable Google Calendar and follow the prompts to grant Vida permission to access your Google Calendar.
  4. Choose a Calendar:
    • Select the specific Google Calendar your agent will use for scheduling and conflict checking. This can be your personal calendar or a team calendar shared with other members of your organization.
  5. Set Preferences:
    • Configure specific preferences, like what kind of events can be scheduled and ensure that conflict checking is active for the selected calendar.

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Scheduling Appointments with Google Calendar

When a caller requests an appointment, the agent will:
  1. Check for Conflicts: The agent accesses your integrated Google Calendar and only offers time slots that are free of conflicts.
  2. Offer Time Slots: Based on your availability settings, the agent will propose available times to the caller.
  3. Create Events: Once a time is agreed upon, the agent will create an event on your Google Calendar with the meeting details.
  4. Customize Event Details: In the Schedule Function, you can define what information you want to go into the Event Title and Description.

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Availability Configuration

In your agent prompt, you can control when the agent is able to schedule appointments:
  • e.g. “Appointments can be scheduled from Monday through Friday, 9am to 6pm. Each event should be 30 minutes long, scheduled at the :00 or the :30 mark of each hour.”
  • The agent will use this availability in conjunction with the Google Calendar to determine when meetings can be scheduled. If the requested time is unavailable, your agent will work with the caller to find a suitable solution.
  • You can also tell your agent to suggest the next available time to the caller, or ask the caller for a day and then suggest available times.

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Troubleshooting Common Issues

  1. Events Not Showing Up:
    • Make sure you’ve granted Vida access to the correct Google Calendar and that permissions are up to date.
  2. Conflicts Not Detected:
    • Double-check that the correct calendar is selected for conflict checking. Ensure your availability settings in Vida match your actual calendar availability.
  3. Google Calendar Sync Delays:
    • Google Calendar syncs should happen in real-time, but occasional delays may occur. If events aren’t appearing immediately, try refreshing your calendar or checking your internet connection.

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Use Cases

  • Client Consultations: Automatically schedule client consultations, ensuring appointments do not conflict with existing commitments. Your agent will check your Google Calendar for available time slots, making it easier to manage client meetings efficiently.
  • Service Appointments: Whether you’re running a salon, a repair shop, or another service-based business, your agent can book service appointments for customers based on your availability, ensuring seamless scheduling without overlapping appointments.
  • Team Coordination: For small business owners managing a team, the agent can help book internal meetings or coordinate staff schedules by checking availability on a shared team calendar, minimizing scheduling conflicts.
  • Follow-Up Appointments: Automate the process of scheduling follow-up appointments for existing clients, such as follow-up consultations, check-ins, or post-service reviews. The agent will find a suitable time based on your current schedule.

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Additional Resources

  • Learn more about setting up the Schedule function to automate your scheduling process.
  • Check out the Request Payment function to require payment before scheduling appointments.

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Webhooks & API

Vida offers webhooks for additional flexibility, allowing you to perform custom actions when a Google Calendar event is created. You can set up webhooks via our API or Zapier integration.