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Setting Up Automatic Reminders

Overview

Automatic reminders help ensure meeting participants receive timely notifications without requiring manual triggers. This guide will walk you through setting up and configuring automatic reminders in Meeting Reminders.

Prerequisites

  • A Pro or Lifetime subscription to Meeting Reminders
  • Google Calendar integration
  • Proper timezone settings in your calendar

Enabling Automatic Reminders

You can enable automatic reminders in two ways:

Global Enable (All Meetings)

  1. Open the Meeting Reminders add-on in Google Calendar
  2. Navigate to the “Scheduled reminder” section
  3. Check the “Enable for all meetings” box
  4. Click “Configurations” to customize your reminder settings

Per-Event Enable

For individual meetings:

  1. Open the specific event in Google Calendar
  2. Click the Meeting Reminders icon
  3. Under “Scheduled reminder settings”:
    • Toggle “Enable reminder for this event”
    • Optionally set a custom reminder time for this specific event
    • The event will use global reminder settings if no custom time is set

This flexibility allows you to:

  • Enable reminders for all meetings with global settings
  • Enable/disable reminders for specific meetings
  • Set custom reminder times for important meetings

Configuring Reminder Types

In the Scheduled Reminder Configuration menu, you can select from multiple reminder types:

  • Email (default)
  • SMS (requires Twilio setup)
  • WhatsApp Business (requires Twilio setup)

Each type can be toggled independently, allowing you to use multiple channels for maximum effectiveness.

Setting Default Reminder Time

  1. In the Scheduled Reminder Configuration:
    • Enter your preferred reminder time (between 1-72 hours)
    • Click “Save Default Reminder Time”
    • This will apply to all meetings unless overridden for specific events

Customizing Templates

  1. Click “Edit Template” in the Scheduled reminder section
  2. Customize your reminder message using available placeholders: 
    {{summary}} - Meeting title
    {{hangoutLink}} - Video conference link
    {{description}} - Meeting description
    {{firstName}} - Recipient's first name
    {{lastName}} - Recipient's last name
    {{date}} - Meeting date
    {{time}} - Meeting time

Advanced Configuration

Internal Domain Filtering

To exclude internal team members from reminders:

  1. Enable “Exclude internal email addresses from reminders”
  2. Enter your company’s email domain (e.g., “company.com”)
  3. Click “Save Internal Domain”

Per-Event Settings

You can override global settings for specific events:

  1. Open an event in Google Calendar
  2. Click the Meeting Reminders icon
  3. Under “Scheduled reminder settings”:
    • Toggle reminders for this specific event
    • Set a custom reminder time if needed

Timezone Handling

The system automatically handles timezones using the following hierarchy:

  1. Event’s specified timezone
  2. User’s calendar timezone
  3. System default timezone

This ensures attendees receive reminders at appropriate times in their local timezone.

SMS and WhatsApp Business Setup

For SMS and WhatsApp Business reminders:

  1. Click “Edit Twilio Settings”
  2. Enter your:
    • Twilio Account SID
    • Auth Token
    • SMS Number (for SMS reminders)
    • WhatsApp Business Number (for WhatsApp reminders)
  3. Click “Save Twilio Settings”

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

  1. Reminders not sending:

    • Verify automatic reminders are enabled globally
    • Check if the event has reminders enabled
    • Confirm attendee email addresses are correct

  2. Wrong timing:

    • Verify timezone settings in Google Calendar
    • Check the event’s specified timezone
    • Ensure reminder time is set correctly

  3. Missing notifications:

    • Check spam folders for email reminders
    • Verify phone numbers for SMS/WhatsApp
    • Confirm Twilio configuration if using SMS/WhatsApp

Best Practices

  1. Timing:

    • Set reminders 1-24 hours before meetings
    • Consider time zones when setting global reminder times
    • Use multiple channels for important meetings

  2. Templates:

    • Keep messages concise
    • Include essential meeting information
    • Test templates with different placeholder combinations

  3. Configuration:

    • Regularly verify Twilio settings if using SMS/WhatsApp
    • Review and update internal domain settings as needed
    • Monitor reminder effectiveness and adjust timing as necessary

Support

If you encounter issues or need assistance:

  1. Check our FAQ section
  2. Use our support widget

Remember to keep your add-on and settings updated for the best experience with automatic reminders.