Google Calendar Trigger

Trigger workflows on Google Calendar event changes

Overview

The Google Calendar Trigger node polls the Google Calendar API for event changes. It detects five types of calendar events: created, updated, cancelled, started, and ended. Each event type uses a different query strategy against the Calendar API — updatedMin for modifications, timeMin/timeMax for time-window events. Supports free-text search filtering via the match term option. Handles pagination for calendars with many events. Uses Google OAuth2 with automatic token refresh.

Category: Productivity
Tool Name: google_calendar_trigger
Version: 1

Appearance: Icon: si-googlecalendar | Color: #4285f4

Node Type

Trigger — polling (checks for new data on a schedule)

Input / Output

Direction	Port(s)
Input	None (trigger node)
Output	Output

Credentials

This tool requires Google Calendar OAuth2 credentials. See the Credentials Guide for setup instructions.

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Default	Description
Authentication	options	No	oAuth2	Authentication method to use.
				Options: oAuth2 (recommended), serviceAccount
Google Account	credential	No	—	Connect or select your Google account. (shown when Authentication is oAuth2)
Service Account Email	string	Yes	—	The email address of the Google service account. (shown when Authentication is serviceAccount)
Private Key	string	Yes	—	The private key from the service account JSON key file. (shown when Authentication is serviceAccount)
Calendar ID	string	Yes	primary	The Google Calendar ID to monitor (email format, or “primary” for the default calendar).
Trigger On	options	Yes	eventCreated	Which calendar event type to trigger on.
				Options: eventCreated, eventUpdated, eventCancelled, eventStarted, eventEnded
Options	collection	No	{}	Additional options for filtering calendar events.
— Match Term	string	No	—	Free text search terms to filter events that match these terms in any field, except for extended properties.
Poll Interval	number	No	1	How often to check for new calendar events.
Poll Interval Unit	options	No	minutes	Unit for the poll interval.
				Options: seconds, minutes, hours

Output Data

Each matching calendar event becomes one output item. The event is emitted exactly as the Calendar API returns it, plus two trigger markers:

{
  "kind": "calendar#event",
  "id": "6q9c1r4kbhk8ecpm6p9g8b9k6c",
  "status": "confirmed",
  "htmlLink": "https://www.google.com/calendar/event?eid=...",
  "created": "2026-08-15T08:40:00.000Z",
  "updated": "2026-08-15T08:52:11.000Z",
  "summary": "Project review",
  "description": "Quarterly checkpoint",
  "location": "Room 4",
  "creator": { "email": "you@example.com", "self": true },
  "organizer": { "email": "you@example.com", "displayName": "", "self": true },
  "start": { "dateTime": "2026-08-15T10:00:00.000Z", "timeZone": "UTC" },
  "end": { "dateTime": "2026-08-15T11:00:00.000Z", "timeZone": "UTC" },
  "iCalUID": "6q9c1r4kbhk8ecpm6p9g8b9k6c@google.com",
  "sequence": 0,
  "attendees": [],
  "reminders": { "useDefault": true },
  "eventType": "default",
  "_trigger": "google_calendar_polling",
  "_timestamp": "2026-08-15T09:00:00.000Z"
}

• status — confirmed, tentative or cancelled. Cancelled events are only returned when Trigger On is eventCancelled.
• start / end — carry dateTime for timed events and date for all-day events.
• _trigger — always google_calendar_polling.
• _timestamp — when the poll that produced the item ran.

Reference event data downstream by expression, e.g. {{ $json.summary }} or {{ $json.start.dateTime }}.

Usage Examples

• Start a workflow when a new meeting is created on your calendar
• Trigger a notification when a calendar event is cancelled
• Send a reminder when a meeting is about to start
• Log completed meetings when events end
• Detect calendar updates and sync to an external system

Example Configuration

Watch the primary calendar for newly created events:

{
  "type": "google_calendar_trigger",
  "parameters": {
    "calendarId": "primary",
    "triggerOn": "eventCreated",
    "pollInterval": 5,
    "pollIntervalUnit": "minutes"
  }
}

Watch a shared calendar for edits to events matching a search term:

{
  "type": "google_calendar_trigger",
  "parameters": {
    "calendarId": "work@company.com",
    "triggerOn": "eventUpdated",
    "pollInterval": 2,
    "pollIntervalUnit": "minutes",
    "options": {
      "matchTerm": "project review"
    }
  }
}

React quickly to cancellations:

{
  "type": "google_calendar_trigger",
  "parameters": {
    "calendarId": "primary",
    "triggerOn": "eventCancelled",
    "pollInterval": 30,
    "pollIntervalUnit": "seconds"
  }
}

Run pre-meeting automation as client meetings begin:

{
  "type": "google_calendar_trigger",
  "parameters": {
    "calendarId": "primary",
    "triggerOn": "eventStarted",
    "pollInterval": 1,
    "pollIntervalUnit": "minutes",
    "options": {
      "matchTerm": "client"
    }
  }
}

Trigger Behavior

• Activation: Polling starts when the workflow is activated. There is no poll at the moment of activation — the first check runs one full interval later.
• Schedule: The trigger polls for new data based on the configured polling interval.
• State: Maintains internal state (the timestamp of the last check) so each poll covers only the window since the previous one.
• First Run: The first poll records the current time and returns no items, so activating the workflow never replays existing events.
• Testing: Running the node from the editor emits a single sample event so you can build the rest of the workflow; real events arrive only while the workflow is activated.

Tips

The Google Calendar Trigger polls your Google Calendar for event changes. Select the calendar to monitor, the event type to watch for (created, updated, cancelled, started, or ended), and optionally filter events by a search term. On each poll cycle, the trigger checks for changes since the last poll and returns any matching events.

Notes

• eventCreated returns events whose creation time falls in the poll window; eventUpdated returns only events whose update time differs from their creation time, so a brand-new event is never reported as an update.
• eventStarted and eventEnded compare the event’s own start/end time against the poll window, so choose an interval short enough that a meeting boundary cannot be missed and long enough to stay inside your API quota.