Google calendar event notify

[Valen13776]

Hi!
Is there any way to get notification value from Google Calendar event?

[dz102030 (Dieter Zumsande)]

Yes. Use the calendar entity as a trigger. You can specify how far prior or after the event you want to be notified. In this example, 5 minutes prior:

entity_id: calendar.yourcalendar_gmail_com
event: start
offset: "-0:5:0"
trigger: calendar

You can easily use the UI to set up the trigger.

Then, use the Notify action to send the message to whatever platform you want. I usually send notifications to my iPhone, it depends on what notification device you want. The notification can also be set up in the UI without using YAML.

Hope this helps

[dz102030 (Dieter Zumsande)]

I should have mentioned, this assumes you’ve installed the Google Calendar integration. If not, there are instructions available here:

Google Calendar

[Edwin_D]

The Google Calendar integration currently does not return any notifications that you set in the appointment. Only start, end, summary and location as far as I can tell.

[Didgeridrew]

There is another thread on this topic:

How to use Google Calendars' event notification as a trigger and then reference the event in your Actions like you would if you directly referenced it?

So, if I understand the Google Calendar- and the HA Calendar documentation correctly, there’s only a straightforward way to do automations based on when an event starts/ends, but not when its’ notifications trigger, no? I’m asking because I want to mirror those notifications to see them on all devices as soon as they’re created (at the point of the appointment is obviously gonna be too late) and I don’t know how that’s supposed to be possible if the API doesn’t directly include that functional…

TLDR: It’s not reliable.

[MatthiasU (Matthias Urlichs)]

TLDR: It’s not reliable.

That’s not the problem. The problem is that the calendar entry (Google, CalDav, …) that HA reads from whichever cloud server I use knows how far in advance I need that notification (or notifications).

Hard-coding the offset in the generic calendar trigger doesn’t make sense: some events need more prep time than others. Worse, if a calendar entry doesn’t need a notification I don’t want the trigger to fire in the first place.

[MatthiasU (Matthias Urlichs)]

@Edwin_D

The Google Calendar integration currently does not return any notifications that you set in the appointment.

Well, then that integration should be improved, right?

[Edwin_D]

That is a matter of opinion. You can look to see if there is a feature request about it and vote for it, or create one if there isn’t. Personally, I expect Google to notify me and I have no need for double notifications. But that too is a matter of opinion

[Valen13776]

At the moment the integration does not really support sending notifications to HA.
Voted for this feature.

[Ars4l4n (Arsalan)]

The point of such feature isn’t for you to be able to create a double-notification. On the contrary: With proper automations for this you can choose which of your devices get the calendar notification. Thus, you can prevent having to dismiss multiple ones if you had previously gotten them on more than one device.

You may argue that there are apps that allow you to sync notification dismissal, but they don’t work cross-platform across iOS and Android. Well, Pushover claims it does, but it doesn’t reliably.

A scenario in which such automation would be practical is: You’re using a permanently wall-charged Android phone at home, just for your notifications and with Tasker automations running that do things like permanently turn on the display as long as a notfication is on the screen; at the same time you use the unique, ergonomical, stylish and powerful iPhone 13 mini on the go.
Here, HA can simply send notifications to the correct device based on your current location.

By the way, here’s the feature request thread for this: Google Calendar - Notification / Reminders