Scenario / Question
Why do my Calendly confirmations, reminders, or calendar invitations show the “wrong” time, and how can I fix time zone issues for myself or my invitees?
Overview
Calendly shows availability and sends confirmations in the time zone that was visible on the booking page at the time of scheduling. If the invitee saw 1:00pm PST when booking, their confirmation will reference that booking page time zone and display the correct local equivalent for them (for example, 4:00pm EST). Calendar invitations, however, are controlled by the recipient’s calendar app and can default to UTC if their time zone can’t be detected. Switching to Email Confirmations avoids those calendar-app issues.
Step-by-Step
- Confirm what the invitee saw on the booking page: Ask the invitee to check the time zone displayed at the bottom/top of the scheduling page when they booked. That is the source of truth for confirmations and reminders.
- Check if the host locked the time zone: Open the event type, select Scheduling settings, go to Additional options, and review Time zone display. If “Lock the timezone” is enabled, invitees will see the host’s time zone on the booking page (recommended for in‑person events only).
- Verify device and calendar time zones: Have both host and invitee confirm device time zone is correct (including mobile), and that their connected calendar is set to the intended time zone—especially after travel.
- Identify notification type (Email Confirmation vs Calendar Invitation): In the event type, open Notifications and cancellation policy. If using Calendar invitations, the invite is sent by the connected calendar and may display based on the recipient’s calendar settings. If the calendar’s time zone can’t be detected or conflicts, it can default to UTC. Consider switching to Email confirmations to avoid calendar-app handling.
- If recipients see UTC or mismatched times in calendar invites: Switch the event type from Calendar invitations to Email confirmations. Email confirmations include the correct time zone based on the booking page and avoid mail/calendar-provider quirks (Hotmail/Yahoo/AOL frequently show UTC).
- Troubleshoot VPNs and special setups: If an invitee uses a VPN or mismatched browser/email settings, their detected time zone can be wrong. Have them disable VPN or manually set the time zone picker on the booking page to ensure correctness.
- For travel or temporary time zone needs: Create separate event types for travel periods, set the event time zone appropriately, lock it if in‑person, and add date overrides so only those events are bookable during travel dates. Optionally set other events to unavailable in that window.
- Double-check round robin or team scenarios: When team members travel, availability adjusts to their current location. Ensure each member’s device and Calendly availability are set correctly so Round Robin/Collective events display expected times. Invitees can change the time zone via the page dropdown.
Key Notes & Limitations
- Confirmations and reminders reflect the time zone visible on the booking page at booking time.
- Calendar invitations are controlled by the recipient’s calendar app; if time zone detection fails or conflicts, the invite can default to UTC.
- Hotmail, Yahoo, and similar services commonly show calendar invites in UTC. Switching to Email confirmations avoids this.
- Locking the time zone forces the host’s time zone on the booking page and confirmations; use for in‑person events only to prevent confusion.
- There is no option to remove time zones from confirmations; including the time zone prevents cross-time-zone confusion.
- VPNs, device/browser/email settings, or mismatched calendar time zones can cause incorrect detection; verify device and calendar configurations.
Related Questions (FAQ)
Q: My invitee booked in their time zone, but their calendar invite shows UTC. Why?
A: Calendar invitations come from the connected calendar and rely on the recipient’s calendar settings. If their time zone can’t be detected or conflicts, many providers default to UTC. Switch to Email confirmations to ensure correct time zone display.
Q: Should I lock my time zone for virtual meetings?
A: No. Locking forces your time zone for everyone and can confuse remote invitees. Use invitee’s time zone for virtual meetings; reserve lock for in‑person events.
Q: Can I stop showing a time zone in confirmation emails?
A: No. Removing time zones isn’t supported and isn’t recommended, since it prevents confusion across regions.
Q: How does Calendly detect time zones?
A: Calendly reads device settings and connected calendars to detect time zones and shows availability accordingly on the booking page.
Q: One invitee received duplicate calendar entries at different times. What should we check?
A: Have the invitee verify their device and calendar time zones, email provider behavior, and whether a VPN or multiple calendars are involved, as those can create duplicates or mismatches.
Links & Resources
- Time Zone Troubleshooting Guide (Community)
- Time Zones overview (Help Center)
- Account settings overview (Help Center)
- How to fine-tune your availability settings (Help Center)
- How to troubleshoot unavailable times that should be available (Help Center)
