Guide · October 8, 2026
Office hours scheduling with OpenCal
Professors, teaching assistants and advisors hold office hours at set times each week. Students want to know that a time is open before they come. One OpenCal link shows the open times and lets a student book one.
How do I set up office hours scheduling?
OpenCal gives you one link that shows open times during the hours you choose. Sign in with Google or Microsoft and choose which calendars count as busy. In Settings under Hours, turn on your office hours days and give each day its own ranges, such as Tuesday 2 to 4 and Thursday 10 to 12. Choose a meeting length such as 15 minutes. OpenCal subtracts busy times from those hours.
How do students sign up for an office hours slot?
Students sign up for an OpenCal office hours slot by opening your link and signing in with Google or Microsoft. OpenCal takes the student's name and verified email from that account. The student does not fill in a sign-up sheet. The student picks an open time and books it. When two students pick the same time at the same moment, one booking succeeds and the other student sees "That time was just taken."
Can a student see when we are both free?
Yes, a student who signs in on your OpenCal link sees the times that you are both free. The page shows "Times that work for you" and your name. The OpenCal server compares both calendars and sends each person only the shared free times. Neither person receives the other's busy times or event details.
How much notice do students need to give?
OpenCal requires your minimum notice before a booking. The default minimum notice is 2 hours. You change it in Settings under Booking.
Can I post office hours without taking bookings?
Yes, OpenCal can show office hours with booking turned off. Choose "No one can book" beside Bookings. Your link then shows times only, and the dock marks it View only. Press Copy times to copy your open times as text for a syllabus, a course page or an email. With booking off, the copied text ends with "See my open times:" and your link.
How do I pick a time for a review session or a group meeting?
Make a group poll. Send its link to the students. Students do not need an account to answer. Each student types a name and marks the times they are free. The poll shows how many students are free at each time and lists the best times. A poll takes up to 100 answers.
What does it cost?
OpenCal is free.
Related guides
- Free parent-teacher conference scheduler
- Find a time that works for both of you
- Share calendar availability without event details
Sources
- OpenCal home page and OpenCal privacy policy (read October 8, 2026).