Thus, an opt-in for email verification to book appointments was added. However, shortly after the feature’s debut, a security measure had to be implemented to ensure malicious actors weren’t abusing it. This feature was praised as very useful to small business entrepreneurs or freelancers who needed a way to handle client appointments.

This feature, called “Appointment Scheduling,” is different from the old “appointment slots” in that it creates an external page that could be shared with anyone, including clients without Google accounts. Google Calendar introduced a new Calendly-style feature back in March that allowed users to set pre-defined appointment slots so that anyone can book an appointment with them.