Stop Calendar Booking Spam: Unwanted Invites, Holds, and "let us Meet" Pitches

What is Calendar Booking Spam?

Calendar booking spam (also called calendar invite spam) is unwanted meeting invites sent by sales teams as a cold outreach tactic. These invites often include calendar links, "let's meet" requests, or "15 minutes" pitches designed to get you on a call without your consent. Sales teams send unsolicited meeting invites, calendar holds, and "let's meet" emails to bypass your inbox filters and get directly onto your calendar. Here's how to stop calendar invite spam.

What it looks like

Calendar booking spam comes in several forms:

Direct calendar invites:

• Meeting invites sent without prior email contact
• Calendar holds or "tentative" blocks on your calendar
• Recurring invites that keep appearing even after you decline

Email requests with calendar links:

• "Let's schedule a quick call" emails with embedded calendar links
• "15 minutes of your time" pitches with booking pages
• "I'd love to connect" messages with scheduling tools

Common subject lines:

• "Quick 15-minute call?"
• "Let's schedule a meeting"
• "Calendar invite: [Product Demo]"
• "Hoping to connect - calendar link inside"
• "Can we find 30 minutes?"

Red flags:

• No previous email contact or relationship
• Generic greeting ("Hi there" instead of your name)
• Sales-focused language ("demo", "trial", "partnership opportunity")
• Calendar link in the first email (no conversation first)
• From a domain you don't recognize

Risks

Calendar booking spam creates several risks:

1. Calendar clutter

Unwanted invites fill your calendar, making it hard to see legitimate meetings. Even declined invites can leave notifications and reminders.

2. Security risks

Malicious calendar invites can:

• Include phishing links in event descriptions
• Redirect to malicious websites
• Attempt to steal credentials through fake login pages
• Install malware through calendar attachments

3. Time waste

Managing unwanted invites takes time:

• Reviewing and declining spam invites
• Cleaning up calendar clutter
• Dealing with persistent senders who keep resending

4. False urgency

Calendar invites create a sense of urgency that email doesn't. People feel pressure to respond quickly, even to unwanted invites.

5. Privacy concerns

Accepting a calendar invite can reveal:

• Your email address
• Your calendar availability (if you accept)
• Your time zone
• Potentially your location (if calendar is shared)

Gmail/Calendar settings

Here's how to configure Gmail and Google Calendar to reduce spam:

Gmail settings:

1. Enable spam filtering for invites:

   • Go to Gmail Settings -> General
   • Under "Calendar", enable "Automatically add invitations to my calendar" only for trusted senders
   • Use "Ask before adding" for unknown senders

2. Filter calendar spam:

   • Create Gmail filters for calendar-related emails
   • Route to a "Calendar Spam" label
   • Add exceptions for your allowlist

Google Calendar settings:

1. Event settings:

   • Go to Google Calendar Settings -> Event settings
   • Enable "Automatically add invitations to my calendar" only for contacts
   • Set "Ask before adding" for others

2. Sharing permissions:

   • Go to Calendar Settings -> Share with specific people
   • Review who has permission to add events
   • Remove unnecessary sharing permissions

3. Notification settings:

   • Reduce notifications for new invites
   • Set up filters to only notify for important invites
   • Disable email notifications for calendar spam

Best practices:

• Never auto-accept invites from unknown senders
• Review calendar sharing permissions regularly
• Use separate calendars for different purposes (work, personal, etc.)
• Enable two-factor authentication for your Google account

Filtering strategy

Here's a comprehensive strategy for filtering calendar booking spam that protects legitimate meeting requests while catching unwanted invites:

Step 1: Create Gmail Filters

Create filters that catch common calendar booking patterns:

Filter 1: Calendar Keywords in Subject

Criteria:

• Subject contains: "calendar" OR "schedule" OR "book a call" OR "15 minutes" OR "quick call" OR "let's meet" OR "availability"
• Doesn't have: \[Your allowlist domains\]

Action:

• Apply label "Calendar Spam"
• Skip the Inbox (Archive it)

Why it works: Subject line filters are more specific than body filters and catch most calendar booking spam.

Filter 2: Meeting Request Patterns

Criteria:

• Has the words: "meeting invite" OR "calendar invite" OR "scheduling" OR "book a meeting" OR "schedule a call"
• Doesn't have: \[Your allowlist\]

Action:

• Apply label "Calendar Spam"
• Skip the Inbox (Archive it)

Why it works: Catches explicit meeting request language that's common in cold outreach.

Filter 3: Sales Calendar Links

Criteria:

• Has the words: "calendly" OR "cal.com" OR "acuity" OR "scheduling link" OR "book time" OR "pick a time"
• Doesn't have: \[Your allowlist\]

Action:

• Apply label "Calendar Spam"
• Skip the Inbox (Archive it)

Why it works: Tool-specific keywords (Calendly, Cal.com) are very specific and catch most calendar booking spam.

Filter 4: Time-Based Patterns

Criteria:

• Has the words: "15 minutes" OR "30 minutes" OR "quick call" OR "brief chat"
• Subject contains: "?" OR "call" OR "meeting"
• Doesn't have: \[Your allowlist\]

Action:

• Apply label "Calendar Spam"
• Skip the Inbox (Archive it)

Why it works: Combines time mentions with question marks or meeting language, common in cold outreach.

Step 2: Set Up Allowlist Exceptions

Add exceptions to all filters for important contacts:

Domains to allowlist:

• Your company domain (all internal emails)
• Client and partner domains
• Vendor domains you work with
• Service provider domains

Specific emails to allowlist:

• Boss and team members
• Key customers or clients
• Important business contacts
• Legitimate scheduling tools you use

How to add exceptions:

1. Edit each filter
2. Click "Add more search criteria"
3. Add "Doesn't have" -> enter your allowlist:

   from:@yourcompany.com OR from:@client.com OR from:important@contact.com
   

4. Save the filter

Why allowlist exceptions matter:

• Colleagues might send legitimate meeting requests with these keywords
• Clients might use calendar links for legitimate scheduling
• Important contacts shouldn't be filtered regardless of content
• Prevents false positives that could cause you to miss important meetings

Step 3: Review and Adjust

Weekly review:

• Check your "Calendar Spam" label for false positives
• Look for legitimate meeting requests that were incorrectly filtered
• Add any incorrectly filtered senders to your allowlist
• Note new patterns you want to filter

Monthly audit:

• Review filter performance (are you catching most calendar spam?)
• Check for false negatives (unwanted invites getting through)
• Update filters if you notice new patterns
• Remove filters that aren't effective

When to update immediately:

• Notice false positive (legitimate meeting request filtered)
• Notice false negative (calendar spam getting through)
• New calendar spam pattern emerges
• Role or responsibilities change

Email Ferret Approach

Email Ferret automatically detects calendar booking spam by analyzing multiple signals:

Content Analysis:

• Calendar links in emails (Calendly, Cal.com, etc.)
• Meeting request language patterns
• Sales language combined with calendar links
• Cold outreach signals in calendar emails

Sender Analysis:

• Domain age and reputation
• Previous contact history
• Sender behavior patterns
• Bulk sending patterns

Behavioral Signals:

• Calendar link in first email (no prior contact)
• Generic greetings with calendar links
• Sales-focused content with scheduling
• Unusual sending times

Smart Routing:

• Automatically applies labels
• Archives calendar spam
• Protects allowlist automatically
• Provides transparency with score breakdowns

Benefits:

• More accurate than keyword-only filters
• Understands context (legitimate vs. spam)
• Automatically adapts to new tactics
• Reduces manual maintenance
• Built-in allowlist protection

Email Ferret routes detected calendar spam to a label while protecting your allowlist, making it easier to manage than manual filters. It works alongside Gmail filters to provide comprehensive protection.

Additional Protection Tips

1. Decline Unwanted Invites Immediately

Don't leave unwanted invites pending:

• Decline immediately to send a clear signal
• Prevents calendar clutter
• Helps Google's spam detection learn
• Reduces follow-up invites

2. Report Spam Invites

Report spam invites to Google:

• Helps improve Google's spam detection
• Protects other users
• Contributes to better filtering
• Takes just a few seconds

3. Block Persistent Senders

Block senders who keep sending invites:

• Use Gmail's block feature
• Prevents future invites from that sender
• Sends clear message you're not interested
• Reduces calendar spam over time

4. Use Separate Calendar for Public Scheduling

If you need public scheduling:

• Create a separate Google Calendar
• Use it only for public booking links
• Keep your main calendar private
• Reduces spam to your primary calendar

5. Review Calendar Regularly

Check your calendar for suspicious events:

• Look for events from unknown senders
• Check event descriptions for spam links
• Remove suspicious events immediately
• Report malicious calendar invites

6. Set Calendar Permissions

Configure calendar sharing carefully:

• Only share with trusted contacts
• Review sharing permissions regularly
• Disable public calendar access if not needed
• Use separate calendars for different purposes

FAQs

How do I identify calendar booking spam?

Calendar booking spam is unwanted meeting invites sent by sales teams as a cold outreach tactic. These invites often include calendar links, "let's meet" requests, or "15 minutes" pitches designed to get you on a call without your consent.

Why is calendar booking spam a problem?

Calendar booking spam can clutter your calendar, create security risks if you accidentally accept malicious invites, and waste time managing unwanted meeting requests. It also exploits the trust people have in calendar systems.

How can I filter calendar booking spam in Gmail?

Create Gmail filters that match common calendar booking patterns like "calendar", "schedule", "book a call", or "15 minutes" in subject lines or email body. Route these to a label and add exceptions for your allowlist.

What Gmail Calendar settings help prevent spam?

Enable "Automatically add invitations to my calendar" only for trusted senders. Use "Ask before adding" for unknown senders. Set up calendar sharing permissions to prevent unauthorized invites, and regularly review your calendar for suspicious events.

Will filtering calendar spam make me miss legitimate meeting requests?

Not if you set up an allowlist. Add important contacts (colleagues, clients, partners) to your allowlist so their meeting requests always reach you, regardless of subject line or content.