Guides / Meetings
How to ask for availability for a meeting by email
Do not ask someone to describe their week. Offer two to four times you can actually make, plus a button for none of these. They click one. You send the invite for that one. If they have not agreed the meeting should exist, ask that before you offer any times.
Offer slots, not a blank calendar
Asking someone to share their availability starts a second project. They have to open a calendar, write a paragraph, and guess which of their free slots you also have. Most people will not do that for a meeting they are unsure about.
Name the length. Offer two to four real holds. Include none of these, so a no is a click instead of a week of silence. The question bank has the button sets if you want more than one way to ask.
Ask if they want the meeting first
If the call is not agreed, times are the wrong first question. Ask whether they want it: send times, send a note, or not for me. A yes is permission to do the scheduling. A no is permission to stop.
A calendar link in that first email asks them to find a slot before they have said the conversation is worth having. Send the link after they click yes, or after they click a time you offered.
When the meeting is already booked
A confirmation checks a hold you both already accepted. A reschedule admits that hold has to move, and it lets them keep the original time. Neither email is an availability poll.
If the event is on the calendar and might die, send one of those. Asking for fresh availability pretends the meeting was never booked.
Ask for meeting availability by email
- Decide what you are asking. If they have not agreed to meet, ask for that yes or no first. If they have, ask which time.
- Offer two to four real slots. Put times you can make on the email, plus none of these. Do not ask them to list their week.
- Send it from Gmail. They click one answer. You send the invite for that slot, or you stop if they said no.
Examples you can copy
Subject. 20 minutes this week?
Hi — I would like 20 minutes on the rollout. I have three holds that are actually free.
Pick one and I will send the invite. If none of them work, say so and I will send two more.
Which time works?
- Tue 10
- Wed 2
- Thu 4
- None of these
Subject. Worth a call, or should I send a note?
Hi — I can do a 15-minute call, or I can send the short version in writing. I do not want to put a calendar link in front of a question you have not answered.
If it is not for you, say so. I will not follow a no with a scheduling page.
Do you want the call?
- Send times
- Send a note
- Not for me
Subject. Which morning works?
Hi — we said we would look at the numbers together. I am free the next three mornings.
A click is enough. I will send the invite for the one you pick.
Which morning should I hold?
- Mon 9
- Tue 9
- Wed 9
- None of these
In Gmail these are buttons. The recipient clicks one. The answer comes back on the thread. They do not install anything.
FAQ
How do I ask for availability for a meeting by email?
Offer two to four times you can actually attend, and a button for none of these. Name how long the meeting is. They click one slot. You send the invite for that slot.
Should I send a calendar link instead of times?
Send the link after they have agreed to meet, or after they ask you to send times. A scheduling page in the first email asks them to book before they have said the meeting is worth having.
What if none of the times work?
That is an answer. Reply with two new times, or ask them to send times. Do not respond by pasting every open block on your calendar.
How is this different from a meeting confirmation?
A confirmation checks a meeting that is already on the calendar. This email is how you get the first hold. If the hold exists and might fall over, send a confirmation or a reschedule instead.
Free for 50 sends a month, with no Easy Reply footer. The other person does not install anything.