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Turn bookings into a reminder chain that cuts no-shows

When someone books through Google Calendar, automatically confirm the appointment and send a reminder the day before, so fewer people simply forget to turn up.

25 minBeginner12 steps
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What this looks like

One step on screen at a time. Read it, do it, tap Next.

Turn bookings into a reminder chain that cuts no-shows

Step 1 of 12

01 / 12Google Calendar Trigger

Trigger when a new event is created

Create a workflow and add a Google Calendar Trigger node watching your booking calendar for new events.

Checkpoint

A new calendar event produces one item in the workflow.

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Before you begin

Tick these off as you sort them. Stopping halfway to create an account is how a fifteen-minute build becomes an hour.

0 of 8 ready

Ticks are saved on this device, so you can come back to them.

  • Account

    Ideally a dedicated calendar for appointments rather than your personal one, so the trigger doesn't fire on unrelated events.

  • Credential

    Authorise it against the same account that owns the booking calendar.

  • Know-how

    If your booking form or process doesn't add the client as an attendee, this workflow has nothing to send a reminder to.

  • Account

    Use an address clients will recognise as coming from your business.

  • Time

    A short build, but worth testing carefully since it deals with real appointment times.

The basics — ticked once, remembered everywhere

  • Account

    Either the hosted version or a self-hosted install. Everything here works the same on both — the only visible difference is the shape of your webhook URLs.

    Create a workspace
  • Know-how

    Adding a node, connecting two of them, and pressing Execute. If any of that is new, the free primer covers it in about ten minutes.

  • Credential

    You will paste at least one secret during setup. A password manager beats a notes app, and it stops you pasting a live key into a chat window by accident.

The shape of the workflow

The nodes you will end up with, left to right, in the order you add them.

Google Calendar TriggerSetGmailSchedule TriggerGoogle CalendarFilterGmailIF
The finished Turn bookings into a reminder chain that cuts no-shows workflow on the n8n canvas4 things to set here
  1. 1Google Calendar Trigger — the trigger — everything starts here
  2. 2Set — Pull out the attendee's details and start time
  3. 3Gmail — Send an immediate confirmation email
  4. 4Schedule Trigger — Add a separate schedule to check for tomorrow's bookings
The finished workflow on the n8n canvasTap to enlarge

Skip the node hunting

Import a starter file with every node for this build already on the canvas, named after its step and wired in order, each one carrying a sticky note with the values to enter. You still connect your own accounts and fill the fields — that is what the walkthrough takes you through — but you never start at a blank canvas.

In n8n: Workflows → Import from file.

Included with the library

What you will build

Jump straight to any step, or print the list and tick it off beside your n8n tab.

  1. 1Trigger when a new event is created
  2. 2Pull out the attendee's details and start time
  3. 3Send an immediate confirmation email
  4. 4Add a separate schedule to check for tomorrow's bookings
  5. 5Get tomorrow's events from the calendar
  6. 6Skip cancelled events
  7. 7Send the day-before reminder
  8. 8Handle events with no attendee gracefully
  9. 9Test both branches, then activate
  10. 10Book a test appointment for today
  11. 11Book a test appointment for tomorrow
  12. 12Cancel a test booking and re-run the reminder branch

If something goes wrong

Everything ready?

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