Texting is a great option to stay in touch with your customers. From scheduling events to sending appointment reminders, text messages can streamline communication and enhance the customer experience.
But sending calendar invites via text isn’t as straightforward as it seems.
The challenge? Calendar and texting apps don’t always automatically work together. You have to manually create calendar events, and then figure out how to share that information via text — whether by exporting files, creating links, or typing out all the details by hand.
If you’re scheduling multiple events every day for different customers, all this back-and-forth eats up valuable time you could spend actually running your business.
In this article, we’ll show you several simple ways to send calendar invites through text messages that will save you time and help your customers keep track of their appointments.
Different ways you can send a calendar invite via text
Some ways to send a calendar invite via text are easier than others. The best option depends on the tools you use and how much manual work you want to avoid. Let’s take a look at three:
- Business phone systems: VoIP providers like OpenPhone let you integrate with third-party scheduling apps that make it easy to automatically send calendar invites via text.
- ICS files: These are a universal calendar file format that works with popular calendar apps.
- Shareable Google Calendar links: Copy and paste a link to a Google Calendar event.
Each way has its pros and cons. Let’s explore each option to find what works best for your small business.
How to send a Calendar invite via text with OpenPhone
If you’re constantly sending out invites, OpenPhone makes it easy to automatically send calendar invites via text.
All you need is a scheduling tool (like Calendly), and you can set up a workflow with OpenPhone’s Make integration.
Let’s break down how to set up the workflow:
- Log in to Make.
- Create a new scenario.
- Choose the Calendly module and select Watch Events as the trigger.
- Connect your Calendly account.
- Next, add an OpenPhone module. Under Actions, select Send a Text Message (SMS) and write your message. Your message should include a calendar invite they can download and add to their preferred calendar app.
The final workflow should look like this:
OpenPhone makes sending calendar invites via text easy. Here are a few of our favorite features:
- Save time with snippets: Writing the same message over and over again can take up a lot of your team’s time. Snippets let you create pre-saved text messages that include a calendar link so you can send your invites without copying and pasting.
- Ensure consistency with messages: Using snippets means reps will have the same tone in every message, keeping them aligned with your brand voice. (And if you use emojis, snippets help ensure they’re used professionally.)
- Easily scale your ability to text with customers: OpenPhone lets you send unlimited SMS to US and Canadian numbers, helping your team stay connected without worrying about additional fees. Keep in mind, you’ll need to cover the required fees for TCR registration to stay compliant with A2P 10DLC regulations.
- Send invites at the right time: Schedule texts to ensure messages only go out during business hours, making it easy to comply with TCPA requirements.
How to create a calendar invite .ics file to add to your text message
An ICS (iCalendar) is a universal file format that shares calendar events across different email and calendar applications like Google Calendar, Outlook Calendar, and Apple Calendar..
Here’s how it works: The ICS file contains details like the event name, date, time, location, and description.
When a person gets a text with an ICS file, they simply tap the file link and it imports the event details into their preferred calendar app.
But first, you need to create the ICS file. Here are two options:
Option 1: Using a tool for ICS file creation
- Choose an ICS creation tool. iCal Event Maker is a user-friendly option.
- Add the event details to the ICS creation tool.
- Export the event and download the iCalendar file.
Option 2: Manually create an ICS file
- Open a text editor like Notepad.
- Copy and paste the ICS template. Notice the placeholders that will dynamically be replaced with actual values. The following template is an example of a simple single event.
BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//appsheet.com//appsheet 1.0//EN
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
METHOD:PUBLISH
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Invitation from <<USEREMAIL()>> to talk about <<[MeetingTopic]>>
UID:c7614cff-3549-4a00-9152-d25cc1fe077d
SEQUENCE:0
STATUS:CONFIRMED
TRANSP:TRANSPARENT
DTSTART:<<[StartDateTime]>>
DTEND:<<[EndDateTime]>>
LOCATION:<<[MeetingAddress]>>
DESCRIPTION:<<[MeetingDescription]>>
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR
- Save the file with a .ics extension.
How to send your calendar ICS file in a text message via OpenPhone
Now you can send your shiny new ICS file. OpenPhone lets you attach ICS files to your text messages that your customers can download and then add the event to their calendars.
Here’s how:
- Open OpenPhone’s desktop or web app.
- Navigate to the conversation where you want to send a calendar invite .ics file.
- Click the paperclip icon at the bottom of the message field.
- Select the ICS file from your computer and click Open.
- Type your message and click the Send button.
Keep in mind that there are a few limitations to sending ICS files. Let’s explore a couple of issues that may happen:
- Messaging apps may not accept messages with ICS files or may have file size limits.
- ICS files have strict formatting rules, so a minor error could make the whole file unusable.
How to send a calendar event via Google Calendar
If you’d rather not send an ICS file, you can create a shareable link to a Google Calendar event.
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to send a calendar invite via Google Calendar:
- Open Google Calendar and click the + Create button to create a new event (or click on an open time in the calendar).
- Fill out the event details and click Save.
- Click Add Google Meet conferencing (if virtual).
- Tap the Join with Google Meet button and copy the URL from the address bar.
- Paste the URL link into a text message and send it to your recipients.
If your event doesn’t have Google Meet conferencing, follow these steps:
- Open Google Calendar and create your event with all the necessary details.
- Click on the event, click the three dots (⋮) in the event window, and select Publish event.
- In the popup window, copy the link to your event.
- Paste this link into your text message and send it to your recipients.
Recipients can open the link, view the event details, and RSVP – even if they don’t have a Google account.
It’s a relatively painless way of sharing an event, especially if you don’t have email addresses to invite people.
How to send a calendar invite via Microsoft Outlook
Outlook doesn’t provide a direct “copy link” option for calendar invites, but you can work around this by manually copying the event details or using Outlook’s ICS file:
- Open Microsoft Outlook, go to the Calendar, and tap New event.
- Enter the meeting title, date, time, and necessary details.
- Click Invite Attendees, add your own email to receive the invite, and click Send.
- Open the email you sent to yourself and download the attached ICS file (this is the calendar file) or manually copy the event details.
- Attach the ICS link or paste the event details into a text message in OpenPhone.
- Instruct recipients to click the link to add the event to their calendars.
Recipients can open the link, view the event details, and RSVP — even if they don’t have a Microsoft Outlook account.
5 examples of sending calendar invites via texts
We’ve created five ready-to-use text messages you can use to send your customers a calendar invite.
1. Scheduling an appointment with your customer
When you schedule a meeting with a customer, sending a calendar invite ensures the time and date also works for them.
“Hi (Customer’s Name), I’d love to set up a time to chat about [Topic] on [Date] at [Time]. If this works for you, please accept this calendar invite: [Calendar Invite]. Let me know if you have any questions or can’t make it!”
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2. Reminders for appointments
Customers have busy lives. A little nudge can remind them of their upcoming appointment. Here’s an example of an appointment reminder text template:
“Hello [Customer name]! We look forward to seeing you on [Date] at [Time]. Please accept this calendar invite to confirm you can still attend: [Calendar Invite]. If you need to cancel or reschedule, check our calendar for options here: [Booking Link].”
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3. New service or product launches
Your loyal customers should be the first ones to know about new launches. Make sure they know about upcoming events by using this template:
“Hi [Customer’s Name], we’re launching [New Product/Service], and we’d love for you to join us! Here’s the invite for you to add to your calendar: [Calendar Invite]. Looking forward to sharing what’s new!”
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4. Special offers and promotions
When running a special offer or limited-time promotion, ensuring customers remember the date is crucial.
“Hi [Customer’s Name], our [Special Offer] is available for a limited time! Here’s the invite you can add to your calendar: [Calendar Invite]. Don’t miss out!”
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5. Webinar invite
If a customer signs up for your webinar but doesn’t add the event to their calendar, they might forget about it. To help, send them a calendar invite link via text so they can easily save the event and remember to attend.
“Hi [Customer’s Name], you’re invited to our [Webinar Name] on [Date] at [Time]! We’ll be covering [Topic] — save it to your calendar here: [Calendar Invite]. Looking forward to seeing you there!”
Copy to Clipboard
OpenPhone: The best business phone system for small and growing businesses
Sending calendar invites via text is a powerful way to keep your customers engaged and on schedule by delivering important event information directly to their phones. With OpenPhone, you can easily send calendar invites via text using ICS files, shareable links, or by setting up automated workflows. While customers will still need to manually add these invites to their preferred calendars, you’re making it easy by putting the calendar information right at their fingertips.
Plus, with OpenPhone, you’re also able to:
- Use shared phone numbers that give your entire team visibility and access to respond to customer messages, ensuring nothing falls through the cracks.
- Keep conversations organized with internal threads where team members can discuss customer needs privately without customers seeing these notes.
- Access a unified inbox that centralizes all your calls, texts, and voicemails in one place.
- Assign each team member their own dedicated local US, Canadian, or toll-free number while maintaining a consistent business identity.
- Connect with popular tools like Slack, HubSpot, and other apps through seamless integrations.
- Set up auto-replies so your customers get a response when you’re unavailable to pick up the phone.
- Create and edit snippets to speed up your workflow while still sending personalized text messages.
Sign up for a seven-day free trial of OpenPhone and start sending professional calendar invites via text today.
FAQs
You can send a calendar invite on an iPhone using the Calendar app. One downside is you can only send email invitations, not via text message. Simply follow these steps:
1. Open the Calendar app and tap the + button to create a new event.
2. Fill in the event details, including title, location, and time.
3. Tap Invitees and enter the email addresses of the people you want to invite.
4. Tap Add and then Done to send the invitation via email.
However, Apple recently launched Apple Invites, an app that lets you create and share events with a link. You can send this link via text.
You can send a calendar invite via text on Android in a couple of ways. You can go to a Google Calendar event and create a shareable link. Another option is to create an ICS file and attach it to a text message you can send to your customers.
Here are some best practices for creating a professional calendar invite:
– Fill out all the details: Accurately state the date, time, and location so attendees know where to go.
– Write an informative description: Add context to the event. Background information, agendas, and other key details can help attendees prepare for the event.
– Send an appointment confirmation: Keep customers informed by sending a text confirming their appointment. Need help writing it? Check out our appointment confirmation text templates.
– Name the event: Make it clear what the event is about, as this can help attendees avoid confusion.
– Share at the right time: Don’t forget SMS texting etiquette. Consider scheduling calendar invites during business hours. Also stay mindful of different time zones when sharing new events.
OpenPhone lets you text calendar invites by attaching calendar files directly to your messages so customers can easily add the events to their preferred calendars. Plus, your team can share phone numbers to manage appointments and events together. You can also save calendar invite templates as snippets to reuse, allowing your team to speed up their workflow.
