Scheduling meetings across different time zones can turn into a logistical nightmare without the right tools. Whether you're coordinating with international clients or managing a distributed team, understanding Calendly time zones work is essential to know how to use Calendly efficiently and avoid missed meetings and scheduling conflicts.
This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about Calendly's time zone features, plus introduce you to Zeeg—a scheduling platform that handles time zones automatically while offering great privacy protection, Apple Calendar integration, as well as many other advanced options.
Does Calendly adjust for time zones?
Calendly automatically detects your time zone when you create your account. The platform uses this information to display your availability correctly to people booking meetings with you. When someone visits your scheduling page, they see your available time slots converted to their local time zone.
In short, the system works by detecting the invitee's browser time zone and automatically converting your availability accordingly. For example, if you're available from 2 PM to 4 PM EST and someone in Los Angeles views your calendar, they'll see those same slots as 11 AM to 1 PM PST.
This automatic conversion happens in real time, so your availability always appears accurate regardless of where your invitees are located. However, there are situations where you might need more control over how Calendly time zones are handled.
You might also want to read: Calendly Pros & Cons Explained.
How to change time zone in Calendly
You can modify your Calendly time zone settings in two different areas: for your overall schedule or for specific event types. This flexibility allows you to handle different scenarios, such as traveling or hosting events in various locations.
Changing your schedule time zone
To update your schedule time zone:
1. Navigate to your Availability page
2. Select the schedule you want to modify from the Schedule dropdown
3. At the bottom of the List view, click the Time zone dropdown
4. Search for your desired time zone (you'll see the local time displayed next to each option)
5. Select your new time zone—your schedule saves automatically
Changing time zones for specific event types
For individual event types, follow these steps:
1. Go to your Event Types page
2. Select the event you want to edit
3. In the Availability section, click on the Edit button
4. On the window that pops up, search for and select the new time zone
5. Click Save changes
This approach gives you granular control, allowing different event types to operate in different time zones if needed.
How to lock time zone in Calendly
For certain situations, you might want to prevent time zone conversion entirely. This feature, called "lock the timezone," is particularly useful for in-person events where everyone needs to meet at a specific location.
When you lock a time zone, invitees will see your availability in the specified time zone regardless of their location. This prevents confusion for local events where time zone conversion could create scheduling errors.
To lock your event to a specific time zone:
1. From your Event types page, select the event type you want to edit
2. Click More options at the bottom of the editor
3. Expand the Booking page options section
4. Enable the Lock the timezone option
5. Select Save changes
Once locked, all invitees will see the event times in your chosen time zone, regardless of their location.
Understanding Calendly time zone detection
Calendly's time zone detection relies on your browser settings and IP location. While this works well most of the time, there are situations where the automatic detection might not be accurate.
The platform detects time zones for both you and your invitees separately. Your account time zone determines how your availability is stored and displayed in your calendar, while the invitee's detected time zone determines how they see your available slots.
If invitees need to view your availability in a different time zone, they can manually select one from the dropdown menu on your scheduling page. This gives them flexibility when planning travel or coordinating across multiple time zones.
How Calendly handles daylight saving time
One of the more complex aspects of time zone management is dealing with daylight saving time transitions. Calendly automatically adjusts for these changes to ensure meetings happen at the correct local time.
When daylight saving time begins or ends, Calendly recalculates all existing appointments to maintain the correct meeting times in each participant's local time zone. This prevents the confusion that often occurs when time changes affect scheduled meetings.
However, this automatic adjustment only works correctly if your time zone settings are accurate. If you're traveling or have recently moved, make sure to update your time zone settings to avoid scheduling conflicts.
Common Calendly time zone issues and solutions
Despite Calendly's automatic time zone handling, several common issues can still occur:
Incorrect time zone detection: If Calendly detects the wrong time zone, manually update it in your account settings. This often happens when using a VPN or traveling to a different time zone.
Mixed time zones in team scheduling: When multiple team members are in different time zones, coordination becomes complex. Consider establishing a primary time zone for internal meetings and communicating this clearly to all participants.
Client confusion about meeting times: Even with automatic conversion, clients sometimes get confused about meeting times. Include the time zone in your confirmation emails and consider sending reminders that specify the time in both time zones.
Booking conflicts during travel: If you're frequently traveling, remember to update your time zone settings before each trip. Alternatively, consider setting specific "travel schedules" with appropriate time zone settings.
Best practices for handling meeting time zones
Effective time zone management goes beyond just using the right tools. Here are key practices that can prevent scheduling conflicts and improve your meeting coordination:
1. Always confirm time zones in communications.
When discussing meeting times via email or chat, always specify the time zone. Write times in a format like "3 PM EST / 12 PM PST" to avoid confusion.
2. Use a consistent reference time zone for recurring meetings.
If you have regular team meetings with participants across multiple time zones, pick one reference time zone and stick with it. This creates predictability and reduces confusion.
3. Account for daylight saving time changes.
Remember that different regions change their clocks on different dates. During transition periods in spring and fall, double-check meeting times and communicate any changes clearly.
4. Consider the most convenient time for the majority.
When scheduling with multiple participants across time zones, try to find times that work reasonably well for most people, even if it's not perfect for everyone.
5. Build buffer time around time zone-sensitive meetings.
Use Calendly buffer times and block off some time when needed. That will give you some extra time before and after important cross-timezone meetings to account for any confusion or technical issues related to time zone differences.
Meet Zeeg: A better solution for multiple time zone scheduling
While Calendly time zones work generally well, Zeeg might be a better solution for your company. And why?
First of all, Zeeg automatically detects and converts time zones without requiring manual configuration. The platform's intelligent time zone system handles all the complexity behind the scenes, ensuring that meetings are scheduled correctly regardless of where participants are located.
Unlike Calendly, which stores data on US servers, Zeeg is fully GDPR compliant with European data hosting. This makes it ideal for businesses operating in Europe or those prioritizing data protection.
More complete calendar app integration. Zeeg has native Apple Calendar integration—something Calendly discontinued for new users in 2024. This seamless integration ensures that your iPhone and Mac calendars stay perfectly synchronized with your scheduled meetings. A
Other advanced options, like its CRM mode, routing forms that qualify your leads automatically, reminders and customizable workflows, and even an AI voice bot for handling appointment bookings coming from calls. These capabilities make Zeeg more than just a scheduling tool—it's a complete business communication platform.
Zeeg pricing
Zeeg offers three pricing tiers to accommodate different business needs:
Starter: Free forever for solo users getting started with scheduling
Professional: €10/month per user (billed annually) or €12/month (billed monthly) - Best for individuals needing advanced scheduling features
Business: €16/month per user (billed annually) or €20/month (billed monthly) - For teams and power users requiring collaborative scheduling
All paid plans include automatic time zone detection, calendar integration, and advanced scheduling features. The free Starter plan provides unlimited one-on-one meetings and two scheduling pages (vs Calendly one even type), making it an excellent option for people testing the platform.
Conclusion
Managing Calendly time zones effectively requires understanding both the platform's capabilities and its limitations. While Calendly provides time zone detection and conversion, businesses with complex needs that want a one-in-all platform might want other solutions.\
That’s where Zeeg offers superior time zone handling combined with privacy protection, Apple Calendar integration, and advanced business features. For organizations seeking a more comprehensive solution that prioritizes not just scheduling, but also CRM capability and privacy, Zeeg is a compelling alternative to Calendly.