---
title: "Understanding Availability in Google Calendar and Microsoft Outlook"
source_url: https://help.chilipiper.com/hc/en-us/articles/43621591559827-Understanding-Availability-in-Google-Calendar-and-Microsoft-Outlook
article_id: 43621591559827
updated_at: 2026-04-22T16:10:39Z
---

## Who can use this feature?

Available on All Products or Routing & Scheduling

Available to All Users

[Billing Center](https://fire.chilipiper.com/fire/admin/billing/overview) [Get a Demo](https://www.chilipiper.com/request-demo?utm_source=zendesk&utm_medium=help-center&utm_campaign=chili-hub)

When Chili Piper checks for availability, it relies on how calendar platforms interpret event status. Whether you're using **Google Calendar** or **Microsoft Outlook** , understanding how availability is blocked is critical, especially when working with optional invites, recurring meetings, or shared/team calendars.

These nuances apply not just to Chili Piper, but to most scheduling tools that check for "free" time.

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#### Table of Contents:

  * Google Calendar Behavior
  * Microsoft Outlook Behavior & Chili Piper Integration



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## Google Calendar Behavior

Chili Piper checks your Google calendar to determine availability. Only events marked as "Free" or open space are considered available time**.** You can customize your availability and working hours in 'Availability' in Myapp. Below is more specifics on what is seen as Busy or not available to Chili Piper.

#### Events That Will Block Availability (Read as Busy):

**Standard Event Marked as Busy**

![](https://help.chilipiper.com/hc/article_attachments/43621591550611)![](https://help.chilipiper.com/hc/article_attachments/43621591551251)

**Out of Office Blocks**

![](https://help.chilipiper.com/hc/article_attachments/43621594762259)

**Optional Invites Not Accepted**

  * Even if an invite is marked optional, if it's set to “busy,” it still blocks time, even if the user hasn’t accepted it.



**Optional Invites Accepted**

  * Once accepted, optional invites still block time if the event is marked as “busy.”



**Invites Not Accepted** **(Marked as Busy)**

  * Google Calendar treats all received invites as busy by default, whether accepted or not.



**Declined Recurring Meetings** **(Marked as Busy)**

  * Even if a recurring meeting is declined, it can still block time if it was originally set as “busy.”



#### **Tip for Google Calendar Users**

When sending a non-critical or informational meeting, consider setting the event’s availability to **"Free"** before sending the invite. This way, it still appears on attendees' calendars but doesn’t block availability for Chili Piper or other tools.

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### **Microsoft Outlook Behavior & Chili Piper Integration**

Chili Piper checks your Outlook calendar to determine availability. **Only events marked as "Free" or "Working Elsewhere" are considered available time.** All other statuses are treated as **busy** , even if the event is optional or not accepted.

#### Event Statuses That Will Block Availability

  * **Busy**
  * **Tentative**
  * **Out of Office**



If a calendar event has _any_ of these statuses, Chili Piper will treat that time as unavailable, **regardless of whether you accepted, declined, or ignored the invite.**

#### **Tips for Outlook Users**

  * The Outlook status **“Working Elsewhere”** is treated the same as **“Free”** by Chili Piper. Use this status if you want to show calendar presence (e.g., focus time or admin work) **without blocking your availability**.
  * When sending optional, low-priority, or FYI meetings, **set the status to "Free"** (or "Working Elsewhere" if appropriate). This keeps your calendar visible and informative, but **won’t interfere with scheduling availability** in Chili Piper or other tools.



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### Priority Scheduling in Chili Piper

Chili Piper also includes a feature called **Priority Scheduling** , which lets you **customize how meetings are prioritized and routed** based on rules and availability preferences.

Learn more about how to use Priority Scheduling [**here**](https://help.chilipiper.com/hc/en-us/articles/26318895256211-ChiliCal-s-Priority-Scheduling)**.**