How to make an add to calendar event in a button, link, or image

You will learn

Learn how to create an "add to calendar" button in your emails so your subscribers can easily RSVP to your events in their calendars by simply clicking a link. If you run virtual or in-person events for your customers, being able to add events to your customers’ calendars is a great way to engage them with your brand and stay top of mind. 

There are various calendar applications your customers may use, so we’ll highlight the three most popular calendar applications. If you’re unsure of which ones your customers use most, include multiple links so your customers have the option to self-select.

Before you begin

Before you create the links in your emails, first, your calendar events need to have each of the following:

• Name of event
• Location and time
• A description (e.g., any important information that subscribers need before joining the event)
• URL of event, if applicable

Generate a calendar link

Google Calendar

To create an “Add to Calendar” link in your template for a Google Calendar:

1. Create and save the event in your own Google Calendar
2. Click to edit your event and select More Actions next to the Save button
3. Click Publish Event in the dropdown
4. Copy the event link
5. Follow the steps below to add the link to your template

Apple Calendar

To create an “Add to Calendar” link in your template for an Apple Calendar:

1. Open the Calendar app from your iOS desktop
2. Select a date
3. Click the + button at the top of the window
4. Give your event a name and fill out the description, then select Done 
5. Once it’s published, drag the item onto your Desktop or a folder so it saves as an .ics file
   
   
6. Add your event to your ecommerce site or host it online, following instructions from your site provider
   
   
7. Copy the URL for this page
8. Follow the steps below to add the link to your template

Outlook Calendar

To create an "Add to Template" link using the Outlook desktop app:

1. Create an event via the New Items tab and select Appointment from the dropdown
2. Fill in the important information (e.g., name of the event, location, time, etc.)
3. Drag the event from the Outlook Calendar onto your desktop so you have a .ics file
   
   
4. Add your event to your ecommerce site or host it online, following instructions from your site provider
   
   
5. Follow the steps below to add the link to your template

Create an add to calendar link in your template

There are a few ways to advertise your events in your emails, including buttons, links, or images. Below we will outline each of these methods.

Button block

Buttons are the most straightforward way of getting a customer to add an event to their calendar.

1. Drag and drop a button block into your template
2. Add in the event URL as the URL 
3. Select Save

You can create a button for each type of calendar if you are unsure of which one your customers use.

Image block

With all of your templates, it’s best practice to add a link to your images so that customers who click on them will be directed to your site. In this case, use your images to add an event to the recipient’s calendar. Drag and drop in an image block, add in the event URL, and save the block.

Text link

Finally, you can use a link within the copy of your email to instruct your recipients to add an event reminder to their calendars. Because these links are specific for each calendar, label the links based on what type of calendar invite you've linked to. 

Additional resources

• How to show or hide template blocks based on dynamic variables
• Message personalization reference