How to Get Started with Calendly and Book a Meeting

You can start using Calendly by signing up with Google, Microsoft, or email — no credit card required — then share a booking link so the other person picks a time that works. If you'd rather not send a link, you can add Callie, Calendly's AI scheduling assistant, to an email thread and let it coordinate times on your behalf. Once a time is chosen, you can optionally collect an upfront payment, and Calendly handles prep before the meeting and recaps after it.

Signing Up

Calendly offers three sign-up paths, all listed as requiring no credit card:

• Sign up with Google — uses your Google account.
• Sign up with Microsoft — uses your Microsoft account.
• Sign up with email — create an account with an email address.

Pick whichever matches the calendar account you already use, since that's the calendar Calendly will read your availability from.

Booking a Meeting

There are two ways to get a meeting on the calendar, depending on whether you already have the person's email.

Option 1: Share a booking link

1. Create your booking link (Calendly generates this from your account).
2. Send it to the person you want to meet — for example, a client who emails asking to meet.
3. They open the link, see your available times, and pick one.
4. The meeting is confirmed on your calendar.

Option 2: Let Callie coordinate in the email thread

If you're already mid-conversation over email, you don't have to switch tools:

1. Add Callie to the email thread.
2. Callie replies with times to meet.
3. The other person picks a time — for example, Tuesday at 2 p.m.
4. The meeting is booked.

This is useful when you'd rather keep the scheduling conversation inside the thread instead of sending someone off to a separate link.

Collecting Payment Upfront

Calendly includes built-in payment tools, so you can charge before the meeting happens. In the example Calendly gives, a client picks a time and then pays a $150 deposit upfront. The same payment features are described as supporting charging upfront for meetings, selling packages, and sending invoices.

If you don't need to charge for a meeting, you can skip this step — it's an option, not a requirement for booking.

Before the Meeting

Calendly pulls together what you need so you're not walking in cold:

• Contact details update automatically.
• Your interactions with that client sit in one place.
• Callie reviews the client's contact history to help you prepare.

During and After the Meeting

Notetaker handles the notes while you run the conversation:

1. Notetaker joins the call and takes notes.
2. The recap and action items are delivered right after the call.
3. The recap is shareable, so next steps and follow-ups are tracked.

Quick Reference

Common Questions When Starting

Do I need to pay to try it? The sign-up page states no credit card is required. Pricing details live on Calendly's pricing page, so check there for what each plan includes.

What if the other person doesn't want to click a link? Use Callie in the email thread instead — it replies with times directly in the conversation.

Do I have to charge for meetings? No. Payments are a built-in option for when you want to charge upfront, sell packages, or send invoices.

Who is this aimed at? Calendly describes itself as built for people whose work runs on meetings, and cites 20 million professionals booking through it.