How to Get Your Own Cal.com Scheduling System in 15 Minutes: Easy Setup Guide

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How to Get Your Own Cal.com Scheduling System in 15 Minutes: Easy Setup Guide

Cal.com is a powerful scheduling platform that integrates with your existing calendar systems to streamline appointment booking. This tutorial will guide you through setting up Cal.com using Cloudstation.

Initial Deployment

  1. Create or login to your Cloudstation account
  2. Navigate to the Template store
  3. Find and select Cal.com from the template list
  4. Click "Deploy"
How to deploy Cal.com

Step 1: Initial Account Setup

  1. Once deployed, visit your Cal.com instance
  2. On the account creation page:
    • Fill out the administrative account form with your information
    • Click "Next Step"
  1. On the license selection page:
    • Select AGPLv3 License
    • Click "Next Step"
  1. On the apps page:
    • Choose which apps you want to enable
    • All apps are selected by default
    • Click "Finish"
  1. Complete your profile setup:
    • Verify/adjust your timezone
    • Click "Next Step"
    • Skip calendar connection for now
    • Skip video apps setup
    • Set your availability windows
    • Fill out your profile information
    • Click "Finish"

Step 2: Enabling Two-Factor Authentication

  1. From the dashboard, click "Settings" in the left sidebar
  2. Select "Two factor auth" under the Security section
  3. Toggle on two-factor authentication
  4. Enter your password when prompted
  5. Scan the QR code with your authenticator app (like Google Authenticator)
  6. Enter the verification code from your authenticator app
  7. Save the backup codes securely - you'll need these if you lose access to your authenticator
  8. Sign out and log back in to complete the process:
    • Click your username in the upper left
    • Select "Sign out"
    • Log back in with your credentials and 2FA code
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Step 3: Setting Up Google Calendar Integration

  1. Visit Google API Console (console.cloud.google.com)
  2. Create a new project
  3. Enable Google Calendar API:
    • Click "Enable APIs and Services"
    • Search for "calendar"
    • Select "Google Calendar API"
    • Click "Enable"
  4. Configure OAuth consent screen:
    • Select "External"
    • Fill in required information:
      • App name
      • User support email
      • Developer contact information
    • Add required scopes:
      • .../auth/calendar.readonly
      • .../auth/calendar.events
    • Add your email as a test user
  5. Create OAuth credentials:
    • Go to "Credentials"
    • Click "Create Credentials"
    • Select "OAuth client ID"
    • Choose "Web application"
    • Add authorized redirect URIs:
      • https://your-domain/api/integrations/googlecalendar/callback
      • https://your-domain/api/auth/callback/google
    • Download the JSON credentials
  6. Configure Cal.com with Google credentials:
    • Go to your Cloudstation dashboard
    • Navigate to your Cal.com variables tab
    • Add GOOGLE_API_CREDENTIALS environment variable
    • Important: When adding the credentials:Enclose the entire JSON in single quotesThe format should be: GOOGLE_API_CREDENTIALS='{"web":{...}}'
    • Paste the entire downloaded JSON content as the value
    • Save and redeploy cal

Step 4: Finalizing Calendar Integration

  1. In Cal.com, go to "Apps" in the left sidebar
  2. Find and select Google Calendar
  3. Click "Install App"
  4. Follow the Google authorization flow:
    • Choose your Google account
    • Click through the verification warning
    • Grant all requested permissions
  5. Select which calendars to use for availability checking

Testing Your Setup

  1. Click "View public page" in the left sidebar
  2. Test the booking process:
    • Select a meeting duration
    • Choose an available time slot
    • Fill in meeting details
    • Complete the booking
  3. Verify the integration works:
    • Check for email notifications
    • Verify the event appears in Google Calendar
    • Check Cal.com dashboard bookings
  4. Test cancellation:
    • Go to "Bookings" in the left sidebar
    • Find your test booking
    • Click "Cancel"
    • Provide a reason
    • Verify the cancellation updates in both Cal.com and Google Calendar

Next Steps

Consider configuring:

  • Additional calendar integrations
  • Video conferencing integrations (Zoom, Google Meet, etc.)
  • Customizing your booking page
  • Creating different event types
  • Setting up team scheduling if needed

Remember to regularly check for updates and maintain your security settings, especially your two-factor authentication backup codes.