Yes, Calendly Sends Reminders: Here's How To Use Them

Scheduling meetings efficiently is crucial for businesses of all sizes. With Calendly's Workflows, you can automate your meeting scheduling reminders (and follow-ups) to ensure both you and your invitees show up on time and prepared, and that they stay engaged after meetings.

But many users wonder: does Calendly send reminders, or do I have to integrate some other platform? The answer is yes - Calendly offers good reminder capabilities through its Workflows feature.

So, without further due, I'll explore how to set up and optimize Calendly reminders for your meetings, and pretty much everything you need to know about it. I'll also introduce Zeeg's workflows, and why you should use it as an alternative.

What are Calendly reminders and why do you need them?

Calendly reminders are automated notifications sent to meeting participants before scheduled appointments. These Calendly reminder emails can be delivered via email or text message (SMS) and are designed to reduce no-shows, improve meeting preparation, and create a more professional experience for everyone involved.

According to Calendly's internal data, 88% of sales professionals reported decreased no-shows when using reminder Workflows. This statistic highlights the significant impact that Calendly automated reminders can have on your meeting success rate.

Calendly appointment reminders can help you:

• Keep upcoming meetings top of mind for all participants
• Reduce no-shows by sending timely notifications
• Provide meeting agendas and pre-reading materials
• Include links for rescheduling or cancellation if needed
• Maintain a professional image with consistent communication

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How Calendly reminders work with Workflows

Calendly's reminder system operates through a feature called Workflows, available on all paid Calendly plans. Workflows function as your personal meeting communications assistant, automatically sending Calendly email reminders and texts to the right people at precisely the right time.

Types of Calendly notifications

Calendly offers different types of notifications for your meetings.

Basic notifications are sent automatically when meetings are scheduled and typically come in two formats: calendar invitations, which are the most commonly used option, and email confirmations.

In addition to these basic notifications, Calendly provides Workflow notifications, which are more customizable automated messages sent either before or after meetings. These include Calendly email reminders, Calendly text reminders, follow-up emails, and thank you messages that can be tailored to what you need.

The key difference between these two categories is their timing - basic Calendly notification emails are sent immediately when a meeting is scheduled, whereas Workflows can be triggered at specific designated times before or after meetings, giving you more control over your Calendly notification settings and communication schedule.

How to set up Calendly email reminders

To create Calendly reminder emails, follow these steps:

1. From your Calendly home page, select Workflows from the left navigation panel
2. Choose either a pre-built template or select "Create your own workflow"
3. Give your workflow a name (e.g., "24-hour Email Reminder")
4. Select which event types will use this reminder
5. In the "When this happens" section, choose your trigger (typically "Before event starts") and set the time (e.g., 24 hours)
6. In the "Do this" section, select "Email" and customize your message
7. Add variables to automatically insert meeting details by clicking "Variables" and selecting from the list
8. Click "Save" to activate your Calendly send reminder workflow

For a more personalized touch, you can customize the subject line, email body, and add your signature. You can also include attachments or links to relevant documents that participants might need for the meeting.

Does Calendly send text reminders?

Yes, Calendly can send text reminders in addition to email notifications. Text messages often have higher open rates than emails, making Calendly sms reminders particularly effective for reducing no-shows. However, Calendly text reminders are only available on paid Calendly plans (Standard, Teams, and Enterprise).

Setting up Calendly text reminders

To set up SMS reminders:

1. Follow the same workflow creation process as for email reminders
2. In the "Do this" section, select "Text message" instead of "Email"
3. Compose your message, keeping in mind the 180-character limit for text messages
4. Add variables as needed for personalization
5. Click "Save" to activate

Understanding Calendly text reminders cost

Calendly text reminders cost comes with usage limits, as Calendly uses Twilio (a third-party service) to send these messages. Each organization has a monthly limit on the number of text messages they can send. For specific details on your plan's limits, you'll need to check Calendly's current pricing page or your account settings.

Best practices for Calendly reminders

1. Use multiple reminders with different timing

Implementing a strategic sequence of Calendly reminders significantly increases the likelihood that participants will remember your meeting. Send a Calendly email reminder 24 hours before the scheduled time to give attendees adequate notice and preparation time. This longer lead time allows them to adjust their schedule if needed and gather any necessary materials. Then, follow up with a Calendly text reminder 30-60 minutes before the meeting starts to serve as a final prompt when people are often caught up in other tasks. This two-pronged approach addresses both advance planning and day-of attention needs, creating a well laid-out reminder system that reduces no-shows.

2. Include essential information in your reminders

While Calendly automatically includes these basic details through variables, your Calendly meeting reminders should also contain the meeting location or video conference link for immediate access. Additionally, include a clear purpose or agenda so participants understand the meeting's value and come prepared to contribute. For more complex discussions, mention any preparation required or documents to review beforehand. Always provide options to reschedule or cancel if needed, as this courtesy prevents last-minute no-shows and allows you to reallocate your time effectively if circumstances change.

3. Customize messages for different event types

Different meetings warrant different types of preparation and information - this customization not only improves the quality of each interaction but also demonstrates your professionalism and attention to detail, setting a positive tone before the meeting even begins. Some examples:

For sales calls, include pricing information, case studies, or testimonials that help prospects understand your value proposition before the conversation begins.

When scheduling interviews, provide company information, position details, or interview structure expectations to help candidates arrive confident and prepared.

For consultation reminders, request specific information in advance that will help you provide more targeted advice during the meeting.

4. Combine email and text reminders

Calendly email reminders and Calendly text reminders each offer advantages that complement each other perfectly in a reminder strategy. Calendly reminder emails provide space for detailed information, contextual background, and attachments like documents, presentation slides, or relevant links that participants might need to review. They serve as a comprehensive reference that attendees can revisit as needed.

Meanwhile, Calendly sms reminders offer immediacy and attention-grabbing power, especially when someone is away from their inbox but has their phone nearby. With open rates often close to 100%, texts ensure your reminder breaks through even on busy days.

Using both channels creates a safety net that accommodates different communication preferences and circumstances.

5. Add rescheduling and cancellation options

Make it easy for invitees to reschedule rather than not showing up:

• Include a reschedule link using the variable: https://calendly.com/reschedulings/{{invitee_uuid}}
• Add a cancellation link using: https://calendly.com/cancellations/{{invitee_uuid}}

Additional Calendly notification features

Beyond basic reminders, Calendly offers several advanced notification features:

Automated follow-up emails

Calendly allows you to set up post-meeting communications that thank participants for their time, share meeting notes or action items, include links to additional resources, and provide options for scheduling follow-up meetings. This way you can keep momentum after conversations and ensure important information doesn't get lost. You can use Calendly follow up email templates to maintain consistent messaging.

Reconfirmation messages

You can send Calendly reminder messages asking invitees to confirm their attendance, typically 24-48 hours before the meeting. These messages will reduce the likelihood of no-shows by requiring active confirmation from participants and give you advance notice if rescheduling is needed, allowing you to reclaim potential gaps in your schedule.

Notifications to other stakeholders

Calendly enables you to send automated messages to team members not attending the meeting. You can notify managers about scheduled sales calls, alert support teams about upcoming client meetings, and keep assistants informed about executive scheduling, ensuring everyone stays coordinated without manual updates.

Integration with other tools

You can connect your Calendly reminders with other business systems like Slack for team notifications about new meetings. The Calendly Slack notification feature lets your team know when new meetings are booked. You can also connect with CRM systems to update customer records automatically, and use Calendly follow up boss integrations for seamless lead nurturing. These integrations eliminate duplicate data entry and keep all your systems synchronized.

Meet Zeeg, a better alternative to Calendly's reminders

While Calendly offers solid reminder capabilities, Zeeg also provides a compelling alternative, with great advantages for businesses seeking complete scheduling solutions.

Here's what you can expect from Zeeg:

• Apple Calendar integration - Not only Zeeg connects seamlessly with Google Calendar and Microsoft/Outlook Calendar, it also has native integration with Apple Calendar
• Full GDPR compliance - Zeeg is fully compliant with EEA data protection regulations, hosting data on European servers with end-to-end encryption, thus being a complete GDPR-compliant alternative to Calendly
• Advanced scheduling features - Including team scheduling and collective meetings, round-robin distribution, smart routing forms, timezone intelligence, buffer times, stack mode, etc
• Customizable booking pages - Fully branded scheduling pages without requiring developer resources

And, of course, Zeeg also has its own workflow system, with which you can use reminders. You can:

• Create email and SMS reminder sequences
• Customize reminder content and timing
• Include attachments and preparation materials
• Set up automatic follow-up communications
• Personalize reminders based on meeting type

For businesses concerned about data privacy, cost-effectiveness, or seeking advanced scheduling features, Zeeg presents a compelling alternative to Calendly while providing all the reminder functionality needed to maximize meeting attendance and preparation.

Troubleshooting Calendly reminders

If you're experiencing issues with Calendly reminders, here are some common problems and solutions:

Reminders not sending

Check these potential causes:

• Verify that your Workflow is turned on and applied to the correct event types
• Ensure you have sufficient text message credits if using Calendly SMS reminders
• Check that the event was scheduled after you created the Workflow

Invitees not receiving email reminders

Possible solutions:

• Ask invitees to check their spam folders
• Verify the email address was entered correctly during booking
• Consider sending Calendly reminder emails from your own email address using Gmail or Outlook integrations

Text reminders not being delivered

Troubleshooting steps:

• Some phone carriers have strict filters that may block messages
• URL shorteners like Bit.ly aren't supported in Calendly text messages
• Messages over 180 characters may be split or truncated

Customization limitations

Working within Calendly's constraints:

• Text messages are limited to 180 characters
• Invitee form responses are truncated to 40 characters in text messages
• Shared URL shortening services aren't supported in SMS messages

Frequently asked questions about Calendly reminders

Does Calendly send reminder emails?

Yes, Calendly can automatically send reminder emails to both hosts and invitees before scheduled meetings. These Calendly reminder emails are set up through Workflows and can be customized with your own message, timing, and branding.

Can Calendly send text reminders?

Yes, Calendly supports SMS text reminders on all paid plans (Standard, Teams, and Enterprise). Calendly text reminders have a 180-character limit and are sent through Twilio, a third-party communication platform.

Does Calendly send automatic reminders?

Calendly sends automatic Calendly notification emails when meetings are scheduled, but Calendly reminder Workflows need to be set up separately. Once configured, these reminders will be sent automatically according to your specifications.

How do I set up Calendly automated reminders?

To set up Calendly automated reminders, go to the Workflows section in your Calendly account, create a new Workflow, select your trigger (typically "Before event starts"), choose your communication method (email or text), and customize your message.

How do I change Calendly notification settings?

You can adjust Calendly notification settings by selecting an event type, clicking "More options," expanding the "Notifications and workflows" section, and then editing or toggling the notification options.

Are Calendly reminders included in the free plan?

Basic Calendly notifications (calendar invitations and email confirmations) are included in the free plan, but Calendly reminder Workflows (including text reminders) require a paid Calendly subscription.

Can invitees opt out of Calendly text reminders?

Yes, invitees can opt out of Calendly text reminders by replying with STOP, STOPALL, UNSUBSCRIBE, CANCEL, END, or QUIT. They can opt back in by replying with START, YES, or UNSTOP.

Can I send Calendly follow-up emails after meetings?

Yes, you can create follow-up Workflows that send Calendly follow up emails after meetings. These can include thank you messages, meeting summaries, or links to schedule follow-up appointments.

How do I connect Slack and Calendly to notify my team of new meetings?

Calendly offers a Slack integration that can notify your team when new meetings are scheduled. To set up Calendly Slack notification, go to the Integrations section in your Calendly account and follow the instructions for connecting Slack.

Conclusion: Use your reminders well, either with Calendly or Zeeg

Calendly reminders are a powerful tool for improving meeting attendance, preparation, and follow-up. By using a combination of Calendly email reminders and Calendly text reminders with strategic timing, you can significantly reduce no-shows and create a more professional scheduling experience.

For businesses seeking a comprehensive scheduling solution with advanced reminder capabilities, Zeeg offers a compelling alternative with GDPR compliance, native Apple Calendar integration, and affordable pricing. In any case, regardless of which platform you choose, implementing automated reminders is a simple yet effective way to maximize the value of every meeting on your calendar.