If you’re drowning in back-and-forth emails just to set up a meeting, you’re not alone. Most “smart” scheduling tools promise to save time but end up adding more steps. If you’re considering using ChatBot.com to set up meetings and send calendar invites automatically, this guide is for you. I'll walk you through the real process, point out what’s smooth, what’s clunky, and how to actually get meetings on the calendar—without losing your sanity.
Why Use a Chatbot for Scheduling?
Let’s be clear: chatbots aren’t magic. But they can handle repetitive tasks like scheduling, especially if you’re sick of answering “What time works for you?” ChatBot.com (here’s the link) is a popular platform for building conversational bots that can connect to other tools—like your calendar or video conferencing apps. It’s not a calendar app itself, but with a little setup, it can automate a lot of the grunt work.
Who should care? - Anyone who books meetings with clients, leads, or teammates - Small business owners who don’t have an assistant - Teams who want to cut down on email clutter
If that’s you, let’s dig in.
Step 1: Understand What ChatBot.com Can (and Can’t) Do
Before you dive in, know this: ChatBot.com won’t magically sync with your calendar out of the box. It’s a chatbot builder, not a dedicated scheduling tool like Calendly or Google Calendar. But with integrations (either native or via tools like Zapier), you can set up a bot to handle the meeting flow.
What works well: - Automating simple Q&A (“When are you free?”) - Collecting meeting details - Sending info to your calendar or another app
What to watch for: - Some integrations require a paid plan, or even extra third-party tools - Setup is DIY—don’t expect a one-click solution
Step 2: Map Out Your Meeting Scheduling Flow
Don’t skip this. The biggest mistake is jumping into the chatbot builder before you know what you want it to do. Here’s what you need to nail down:
- What kind of meetings? (one-on-ones, group calls, etc.)
- What info do you need from the user? (name, email, preferred time)
- How will you confirm the meeting? (email, calendar invite, both?)
- Which calendar are you using? (Google, Outlook, something else?)
Pro tip: Write out the conversation you want users to have with your bot. This will make building way easier.
Step 3: Set Up Your ChatBot.com Account
If you haven’t already, sign up for an account at ChatBot.com. The free trial gives you a feel for things, but most useful integrations (like Zapier or webhooks) require a paid plan. Be prepared for that.
- Go to ChatBot.com and create your account.
- Explore the dashboard—get a feel for the interface.
- Check the “Integrations” tab to see what’s available for your calendar or workflow.
Honest take: The interface is decent, but there’s a bit of a learning curve if you’re new to chatbots. Don’t expect to set this up in five minutes.
Step 4: Build Your Meeting Scheduling Bot
Here’s where most people lose steam, so let’s keep it realistic.
1. Start a New Bot
- Click “Create new bot.”
- Use a template if one fits (there’s a “Lead Generation” template that’s a decent starting point), or start from scratch.
2. Design the Conversation
Map out the steps: - Greet the user - Ask for their name and email - Ask when they’d like to meet (you can offer time slots or let them type) - Confirm their details
Keep it simple. The more questions you ask, the more drop-off you’ll get. Stick to the essentials.
3. Add Actions
This is where ChatBot.com shines and where things get tricky. You’ll need to: - Store user responses in variables (e.g., {{email}}, {{meeting_time}}) - Set up a “Send to Zapier” or “Webhook” action to pass the info to your calendar tool
What works: The drag-and-drop builder is pretty straightforward for basic flows.
What doesn’t: Anything fancy—like checking your calendar in real time for availability, or handling reschedules—will require heavy lifting with APIs or external tools.
Step 5: Connect to Your Calendar
This is where most people get frustrated, so let’s be honest: ChatBot.com doesn’t directly connect to Google or Outlook Calendar. You’ll need to use an integration platform like Zapier, Make (formerly Integromat), or custom webhooks.
Option 1: Use Zapier
Zapier is the most common way to connect your bot to your calendar and automate invites.
- Make sure you have accounts for ChatBot.com, Zapier, and your calendar app.
- In ChatBot, set up a Zapier action to send collected info (name, email, time) to Zapier.
- In Zapier, set up a “Zap” where the trigger is the data from ChatBot.com, and the action is “Create Google Calendar Event” (or your calendar of choice).
What to watch for: - Zapier has limits on free accounts. - If you want to send a calendar invite with a video call link (Zoom, Google Meet), you’ll need to add extra steps in Zapier.
Option 2: Use Webhooks
If you’re more technical, you can use webhooks to send data directly from ChatBot.com to your own backend, where you can handle calendar logic and send invites.
- In ChatBot, set up a webhook action at the point where you’ve collected all the info.
- Your backend (or a service like Make) receives the data and uses calendar APIs to create the event and send the invite.
Who this is for: Folks comfortable writing code or who have access to a developer. Not for beginners.
Step 6: Test, Test, Test
Don’t skip this. Run through the whole flow: start a chat, pick a time, see if you get a calendar invite. Look for:
- Did the bot collect all the info?
- Did the calendar event show up with the right details?
- Did the invite go to the right email?
- Are the time zones correct? (This trips up everyone.)
Pro tip: Test with a real user or a colleague. They’ll find gaps you missed.
Step 7: Embed or Deploy Your Bot
Once everything works, put your bot where people will actually use it:
- On your website (ChatBot.com gives you embed codes)
- As a pop-up on a booking page
- Integrated into a support chat
Keep it visible, but not annoying. A subtle “Need to book a meeting?” button works better than an aggressive pop-up.
Step 8: Automate Calendar Invites
If you set up the Zapier or webhook integration right, calendar invites should go out automatically. But double-check:
- The invite includes a video link (if needed)
- All details are correct (date, time, agenda)
- Both you and the guest get the invite
If you’re sending follow-up emails or reminders, add those steps in your integration tool. Don’t rely on the bot alone—calendar invites are only useful if people actually see them.
What Works, What Doesn’t, and What to Ignore
What works: - Automating the initial booking process - Cutting down on email ping-pong - Collecting basic info for meetings
What doesn’t: - Real-time calendar availability (without serious custom work) - Handling complex scheduling scenarios (like recurring meetings or group polls) - Advanced rescheduling and cancellations (unless you invest a lot of setup time)
Ignore the hype: ChatBot.com is not a magic meeting scheduler. It’s a solid chatbot platform that can handle basic scheduling if you glue it together with integrations.
Keep It Simple: Final Thoughts
You don’t need a rocket-science solution to schedule a handful of meetings. Start simple: get a basic bot working, automate the invite, and improve from there. Don’t try to build every feature at once. Most people only need the basics anyway.
If you hit a wall, don’t be afraid to fall back on a dedicated scheduling tool and just use ChatBot.com as a handoff. The goal is less email, not more complexity.
Take a breath, keep it simple, and iterate as you go. That’s the real productivity hack.