Email to calendar

How it works

1. 1

   Forward the email to your ForwardThis address with some simple instructions, like "put this in my calendar for Thursday at 2pm and invite sam@keldajoinery.co.uk".

2. 2

   ForwardThis takes the date and time from the email and your instructions together, and creates the event in the calendar you have connected, Google Calendar or Outlook Calendar. A reminder, a location and a video link are all added when your instructions ask for them.

3. 3

   Because this event invites somebody, ForwardThis checks with you before it creates it, and shows you the time and the guest list first. An event with nobody else on it is simply created.

4. 4

   You receive a confirmation email with the event details, plus an undo button if something doesn't look right. Undo removes the event, and anyone who was invited gets the cancellation.

FAQs

How do I send an email to my calendar?

Forward the email to your ForwardThis address with some simple instructions, like "put this in my calendar for Thursday at 2pm". ForwardThis creates the event at that time and replies to confirm. All you need is a free ForwardThis account with Google Calendar or Outlook Calendar connected - it takes about 30 seconds.

Which calendars can I add an email to?

Google Calendar and Outlook Calendar. They connect separately, so you can have one or both. With both connected, mention which one in your instructions and the event goes there; with one, everything goes to it.

Where does it get the date and time from?

From the email and your instructions together. If the sender wrote 'Thursday at 3pm', that is enough to go on, and your instructions can confirm it, move it, or set how long it should run. If the time is still ambiguous, ForwardThis replies to ask rather than guessing at an hour, because a meeting in the wrong slot is worse than a question.

Can it invite other people to the event?

Yes. Put their email addresses in your instructions and they go on the invitation. Guests are emailed the moment the event exists, so ForwardThis checks with you first and shows you who is on the list. Addresses found inside the forwarded email are never used as guests, which keeps everyone copied on a long thread off your invitation.

Can it add a video call link and a reminder?

Yes. Ask for a video link and a Google Calendar event gets a Google Meet link, an Outlook Calendar event a Teams link. Ask for a reminder and it is set for as long before the event as you asked for. It can also mark the time as busy or free.

Can it change or cancel something already in my calendar?

Yes. Forward the email about the change and ForwardThis can move the event, rename it, add guests to it, or cancel it. Moving and cancelling both tell everyone invited, so it checks with you before either. It can also reply yes, no or maybe to an invitation you were sent.

Doesn't my email app already put events in my calendar?

For some emails, yes. Gmail and Outlook both recognise structured confirmations like flights, hotel bookings and restaurant reservations, and add those for you. Neither does anything with 'can we do Thursday at 2?' from a colleague, or a school letter with the date in the third paragraph. Those are the ones worth forwarding.

What happens to my email afterwards?

It gets deleted. ForwardThis holds your email briefly in case you press undo, then removes it completely. Nothing is stored long term.