Apps Script: Create Calendar Events from Google Sheet Data

Wish your Google Sheet could automatically add events to your Google Calendar? Good news — it can! With Google Apps Script, you can turn rows of data into calendar events in just a few clicks. This is a powerful way to stay organized, especially if you’re managing meetings, appointments, project deadlines, or reminders through spreadsheets.

Whether you’re planning a team schedule, class timetable, or booking system, this automation keeps your calendar in sync without any manual copy-paste. Let’s walk through how to make it happen — even if you’re brand new to Apps Script!

What Is Google Apps Script?

Google Apps Script is a simple coding language (based on JavaScript) that lets you automate tasks inside Google Workspace — like Sheets, Docs, Gmail, and Calendar. In this tutorial, we’ll use Apps Script to automatically create calendar events using info from your Google Sheet.

Real-Life Scenario: Team Meeting Scheduler

Imagine you have a spreadsheet to track team meetings. Instead of manually adding each one to your calendar, you want the sheet to handle that for you. Here’s what your sheet might look like:

Sample Sheet Layout

Event Title	Description	Date	Start Time	End Time	Location	Added?
Team Sync	Weekly check-in	2025-04-22	10:00	11:00	Meeting Room A	No

Once you run the script, this row will create a Google Calendar event, and the “Added?” column will update to “Yes”.

Step-by-Step: Create Events from Google Sheets

Open your Google Sheet and click Extensions > Apps Script.

Delete any placeholder code and paste the following:


function createCalendarEvents() {
  var sheet = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet().getSheetByName("Events");
  var calendar = CalendarApp.getDefaultCalendar();
  var data = sheet.getDataRange().getValues();
  
  for (var i = 1; i < data.length; i++) {
    var row = data[i];
    var title = row[0];
    var description = row[1];
    var date = new Date(row[2]);
    var startTime = new Date(date);
    var endTime = new Date(date);
    var start = row[3].split(":");
    var end = row[4].split(":");
    startTime.setHours(start[0], start[1]);
    endTime.setHours(end[0], end[1]);
    var location = row[5];
    var added = row[6];
    
    if (added !== "Yes") {
      calendar.createEvent(title, startTime, endTime, {
        description: description,
        location: location
      });
      sheet.getRange(i + 1, 7).setValue("Yes");
    }
  }
}

Click the disk icon to save your project.
Run the function once by clicking the ▶️ Run button (you may be asked to authorize the script).
Watch the magic — your calendar will populate with events!

Key Benefits

Time-Saving: No more manual entry in Google Calendar.
Error-Free: Avoid typos and scheduling mistakes.
Scalable: Great for managing dozens or hundreds of events.

Pro Tips

Change CalendarApp.getDefaultCalendar() to CalendarApp.getCalendarById("your_calendar_id") to use a shared/team calendar.
Use sheet.getLastRow() to improve performance on large sheets.
Add a custom trigger to run this function daily or hourly.

Setting Up a Time-Based Trigger (Optional)

In the Apps Script editor, click the clock icon ⏰ (Triggers).
Click “+ Add Trigger”.
Choose createCalendarEvents function.
Select event type: Time-driven > Day timer > Midnight to 1am.
Click Save.

This makes the script check your sheet daily and add new events automatically.

Quick Cheat Sheet

Term	What It Means
`Apps Script`	A tool to automate tasks in Google Workspace using JavaScript
`CalendarApp`	Lets you create or edit Google Calendar events through code
`createEvent()`	Adds an event with title, time, and optional details
`onEdit()`	A trigger that runs when a sheet cell is changed manually (not used here, but handy!)

Creating Google Calendar events from Google Sheets is easier than it sounds. With just a bit of code, you can turn your spreadsheet into an automated event planner that saves time and reduces stress. Whether you’re organizing meetings, classes, or reminders — this setup gives your sheet superpowers.

Give it a try, and let your calendar keep up with your spreadsheet!