What this automation does
When someone emails you to schedule a meeting, your AI assistant reads the email, checks your Google Calendar or Outlook for available slots, and replies with 3 proposed times that work for you. When the other party confirms a time, the AI creates the calendar event and sends invites to all participants.
The back-and-forth of scheduling is one of the biggest time sinks in professional life — an average of 5 emails to schedule a single meeting. This automation handles the entire conversation, reading natural language requests and responding like a human executive assistant would.
Tools you need
- Google Calendar or Outlook: Your calendar — the AI reads availability and creates events
- OpenAI API: GPT-4 reads scheduling emails and generates natural responses ($0.02-0.05 per exchange)
- Make or n8n: Connects your email to the AI and calendar, handles the back-and-forth flow
How to set it up
Step 1: Create a dedicated scheduling email (e.g., schedule@yourcompany.com) or set up rules to forward scheduling-related emails to your automation. The AI needs to be CC'd or forwarded the scheduling conversation to participate.
Step 2: Create a Make scenario triggered by new emails to your scheduling address. Send the email content to OpenAI with your scheduling preferences — preferred meeting lengths (30 or 60 minutes), available hours (9am-5pm ET), buffer time between meetings (15 minutes), and any days to block (no meetings on Fridays, for example).
Step 3: In the same Make scenario, pull your calendar's free/busy data for the next 10 business days. Pass this availability to OpenAI along with the email request. Ask the AI to respond naturally, proposing 3 available time slots that match the requester's timezone (inferred from their email signature or domain).
Step 4: When the requester replies confirming a time, the AI parses the confirmation, creates a Google Calendar event with the correct details (title, attendees, duration, video link), and sends the calendar invite. Test with 5 scheduling conversations to ensure the AI handles timezone differences, rescheduling requests, and multi-person meetings correctly.
Cost breakdown
| Item | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| OpenAI API | $5-$15/mo | ~$0.03 per email exchange, 150-500 exchanges/mo |
| Make or n8n | $10-$20/mo | Based on email volume |
| Google Calendar API | $0 | Free with Google Workspace |
| Setup time | 30-45 min | One-time |
| Total monthly | $15-$35/mo | Eliminates 90% of scheduling back-and-forth |
Frequently asked questions
Calendly requires the other person to visit a booking page. This AI assistant works entirely via email — the other person never leaves their inbox. It handles natural language ('sometime next week works for me' or 'can we do Tuesday afternoon?') and manages the back-and-forth conversationally. It is better for high-touch relationships where sending a booking link feels impersonal.
Yes. If someone replies asking to reschedule, the AI detects the intent, checks new availability, and proposes alternative times. For cancellations, it removes the calendar event and sends appropriate notifications. Include these scenarios in your prompt with example conversations so the AI handles them naturally.