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Question

Can you add "optional" Hosts?

  • January 26, 2024
  • 16 replies
  • 1065 views

Hello, I’d like to add a Host as “optional”. I do not want Calendly to take their availability into account, but I would like them to be invited. 

You can do this in Google Calendar (example below), but I cannot figure out how to do this in Calendly. Is it possible to include an “optional” host?

 

This topic has been closed for replies.

16 replies

Kelsi
  • CalPal Emeritus
  • January 27, 2024

Hey there @Chloe35150 - great question, and thanks for your post! Firstly, check out our New User Guide - it’ll def prove helpful as you get used to the platform! You might also benefit from reading our Company Admin Guide

At this time there is no way to add “optional” hosts to Calendly events, so your work around with creating the event and then adding to a Google Calendar event once booked is a good one! 

You might also be interested in our improved Round Robin and Collective Event Type options, so I am sharing information about those for you here! 

I hope this helps!


  • Author
  • Community Member
  • January 30, 2024

Thanks, these are already collective events, and a round robin will not work, as the team member always needs to be added and the manager needs to be notified and given the option to attend. I’ll set up a forwarding filter in Gmail. 

It would be great if things like inviting a user as an optional attendee could be explored!


Kelsi
  • CalPal Emeritus
  • January 30, 2024

Thanks, these are already collective events, and a round robin will not work, as the team member always needs to be added and the manager needs to be notified and given the option to attend. I’ll set up a forwarding filter in Gmail. 

It would be great if things like inviting a user as an optional attendee could be explored!

Hey again, Chloe! Thanks so much for your response and use case - I will make sure that your feedback is included in our monthly report of user requests for our product team! While I cannot make promises about if/when requests will be implemented as new features (I wish I could!) - our product team always considers user feedback when improving Calendly as a product. Thanks again! I hope the forwarding filter helps for now. 


  • New Community Member
  • January 31, 2024

+1 on optional hosts!

 

Our use case is slightly different - we have a senior sales manager and we’d like to add a new sales person in training as optional, so whenever they’re available they’ll join in on calls as part of training, but we don’t want people not be able to schedule if for whatever reason the person in training is not available.


Kelsi
  • CalPal Emeritus
  • January 31, 2024

+1 on optional hosts!

 

Our use case is slightly different - we have a senior sales manager and we’d like to add a new sales person in training as optional, so whenever they’re available they’ll join in on calls as part of training, but we don’t want people not be able to schedule if for whatever reason the person in training is not available.

Thanks so much for adding your use case to this request, @SN83731! It has been noted for our product team to look into. Have a great day! =) 


  • New Community Member
  • February 8, 2024

+1 on this as well

 

I also need to be invited to all calls booked through Calendly, but my availability is not important as i don’t HAVE to be there, so we want people to be able to schedule regardless of my availability and I’ll join if I can 


  • New Community Member
  • February 9, 2024

+1 to this! 


Kelsi
  • CalPal Emeritus
  • February 11, 2024

+1 on this as well

 

I also need to be invited to all calls booked through Calendly, but my availability is not important as i don’t HAVE to be there, so we want people to be able to schedule regardless of my availability and I’ll join if I can 

Hey there! For your needs, the workaround to have your other team members (host) set up forwarding filters in order to notify/invite you would likely work well, for now! =) You can set up a forwarding filter in your inbox to automatically forward all emails received from notifications@calendly.com. You can even forward notifications for a specific event type by filtering by subject titles that include the event type name. This will not post the events directly on another calendar, but it may be helpful in making this process a bit easier if that is needed. Your voice is being heard as a +1 on this feature request, too. 

 

@Melanie26385 thanks for adding your vote in as well! We will make sure this feedback makes it to the product team. 

 


  • Community Member
  • February 12, 2024

+1 to this!


  • New Community Member
  • February 28, 2024

+1 for the optional host feature


  • New Community Member
  • February 28, 2024

+1 for the optional host feature


  • New Community Member
  • February 28, 2024

+1 on this as well

 

I also need to be invited to all calls booked through Calendly, but my availability is not important as i don’t HAVE to be there, so we want people to be able to schedule regardless of my availability and I’ll join if I can 

Hey there! For your needs, the workaround to have your other team members (host) set up forwarding filters in order to notify/invite you would likely work well, for now! =) You can set up a forwarding filter in your inbox to automatically forward all emails received from notifications@calendly.com. You can even forward notifications for a specific event type by filtering by subject titles that include the event type name. This will not post the events directly on another calendar, but it may be helpful in making this process a bit easier if that is needed. Your voice is being heard as a +1 on this feature request, too. 

 

@Melanie26385 thanks for adding your vote in as well! We will make sure this feedback makes it to the product team. 

 

Thank you for the workaround…. It is not an unsolvable issue, but my life would be easier with the optional host/attendee option, and that’s the point of technology and innovation :)


  • New Community Member
  • March 27, 2024

Hi Kelsi! I also would like this feature added; just flagging for awareness as you collect user feedback. I’ll follow the temporary workaround above!


Kelsi
  • CalPal Emeritus
  • March 27, 2024

Hi Kelsi! I also would like this feature added; just flagging for awareness as you collect user feedback. I’ll follow the temporary workaround above!

Thank you so much! 


  • New Community Member
  • April 9, 2024

+1 to this feature


Also really want this feature.