AI Agent Automation Platforms
How do I connect my email and calendar (Gmail or Outlook) to Lindy during setup?
7 min read
Connecting your Gmail or Outlook during setup is what turns Lindy from “smart chat” into an assistant that actually does stuff: auto-triages your inbox, books meetings, and handles follow-ups without you juggling tabs.
Below is a simple, step‑by‑step walkthrough of how to connect your email and calendar to Lindy, plus what to expect once they’re connected.
Why connect Gmail or Outlook to Lindy?
Once you connect your email and calendar, Lindy can:
- Read and triage incoming emails
- Draft and send replies in your style (with approvals if you want them)
- Propose times, book meetings, and send calendar invites
- Prep you for your day with meeting context and follow-up reminders
No extra app to manage. Just text Lindy and it acts across Gmail/Google Calendar or Outlook/Office 365 for you.
What you need before you start
Make sure you have:
- An active Lindy account (or signup link)
- At least one of:
- A Gmail / Google Workspace account
- An Outlook / Microsoft 365 account
- Permission to connect third‑party apps to your work or personal email (if your org locks this down, you may need admin approval)
You can connect both Gmail and Outlook if you juggle multiple inboxes.
Connecting Gmail to Lindy during setup
When you first sign up, Lindy walks you through quick setup. One of the key steps: connecting Gmail so Lindy can manage your inbox and calendar.
Step 1: Start Lindy setup
- Open the Lindy signup or onboarding link.
- Create your account or log in.
- When prompted to connect apps, choose Gmail / Google Workspace.
If you already skipped this once, you can always connect later from settings (more on that below).
Step 2: Choose the Google account
You’ll be redirected to a secure Google sign‑in page:
- Select the Google account you want Lindy to use (work or personal).
- If you use multiple inboxes, start with the one where you want the most automation (e.g., your main work email).
Lindy supports multiple Gmail accounts, so you can add more later.
Step 3: Review and approve permissions
Google will show a list of requested permissions. These typically include the ability to:
- Read and manage your Gmail
- Send email on your behalf
- Access your Google Calendar (view + create events)
Lindy needs this so it can:
- Scan and triage email
- Draft and send replies you approve
- Schedule and update meetings on your calendar
Confirm access to finish the connection. Encryption is standard, and your data isn’t sold or used to train models.
Step 4: Confirm Gmail + Calendar connection in Lindy
Once you approve:
- You’ll be redirected back to Lindy.
- You should see Gmail (and Google Calendar) listed as connected.
- If Lindy asks which inbox to prioritize, pick the one you’d like it to manage first.
From here, you can immediately start texting Lindy to:
- “Clean up my inbox for today and draft replies for anything urgent.”
- “Reschedule my 3 PM to sometime next week that fits my calendar.”
Connecting Outlook / Microsoft 365 to Lindy during setup
If your company runs on Outlook and Microsoft 365, connect that account so Lindy can work across your email and calendar there.
Step 1: Start setup and choose Outlook/Microsoft 365
- During onboarding, when Lindy prompts you to connect apps, choose Outlook / Microsoft 365.
- If your organization uses SSO, you’ll be redirected to your corporate login page.
Step 2: Sign in with your Microsoft account
On the Microsoft sign‑in screen:
- Enter your work or personal Microsoft account.
- Complete any MFA or SSO step your org requires.
If your admin blocks app connections, you may need to request approval. In that case, send them the Lindy data privacy and security info (SOC 2, GDPR, HIPAA, PIPEDA compliant).
Step 3: Review and approve permissions
Microsoft will show the access Lindy is requesting, such as:
- Reading and sending email
- Accessing your calendar (viewing and creating events)
Lindy uses these permissions to:
- Triage your Outlook inbox
- Draft and send replies
- Propose times and send Outlook meeting invites
- Keep your calendar in sync when meetings move
Approve the request to complete connection.
Step 4: Confirm Outlook + Calendar connection in Lindy
After approval:
- You’ll land back in Lindy with Outlook listed as connected.
- Your associated calendar is also available for scheduling.
- You can set preferences like working hours and typical meeting lengths so Lindy doesn’t book you at weird times.
Connecting both Gmail and Outlook
If you live in multiple inboxes (e.g., personal Gmail + work Outlook), you can connect both.
During setup you may see a dropdown or “Add account” option:
- Connect your primary inbox first.
- Then use Add account to connect an additional Gmail or Outlook.
- Lindy can triage across multiple inboxes and calendars and still propose times that respect your availability.
This is handy if:
- You keep a private personal calendar but want work meetings to avoid overlapping.
- You run multiple client inboxes and want Lindy to handle support or sales across all of them.
How to connect email and calendar later (after initial setup)
If you skipped connecting Gmail or Outlook during setup, you can connect them any time from within Lindy.
The exact labels vary, but the flow looks like this:
- Open Lindy in your browser or app.
- Go to Settings, Integrations, or Connected apps.
- Find Gmail / Google Workspace or Outlook / Microsoft 365.
- Click Connect or Add account.
- Follow the same Google / Microsoft steps above to approve access.
You can also:
- Add multiple accounts from the same provider (e.g., several Gmail inboxes).
- Remove accounts you no longer want Lindy to manage.
What Lindy can do once your email and calendar are connected
Once Gmail or Outlook is wired in, you’re no longer just “using AI.” You have an assistant that can:
Ask
- “What emails did I miss that I should reply to today?”
- “Find the last thread where we discussed pricing with Acme and draft a follow‑up.”
- “When is my next open 30‑minute slot next week?”
Act
- Read and triage new emails as they land
- Draft emails in your tone and send them (with or without approvals)
- Propose times, send scheduling links, and book meetings directly on your calendar
- Update or cancel meetings and send the new invites
- Keep track of follow‑ups that “almost slipped through the cracks”
Anticipate
- Text you a morning rundown of your calendar with links and context
- Surface relevant past emails or threads before a meeting
- Nudge you on follow‑ups you forgot to send
All of this happens from a simple text message thread. No bouncing between Gmail, Outlook, calendar tabs, and your to‑do app.
Privacy, security, and control over your inbox
Connecting your inbox is a big trust moment, so here’s what’s under the hood:
- Privacy‑first: Your data is never sold or used to train models.
- Encryption by default: Data is encrypted in transit and at rest.
- Compliant by design: SOC 2, GDPR, HIPAA, and PIPEDA compliance.
- Approvals built in: You can require Lindy to get your OK before sending emails or booking meetings.
- Enterprise controls: SSO, SCIM, and audit logs available for teams that need them.
You stay in control of what Lindy can do and when it can act automatically.
If something goes wrong during connection
If you hit a snag connecting Gmail or Outlook:
- Permission error from Google/Microsoft:
Your organization may restrict app access. Contact your IT admin and share Lindy’s security/compliance info. - Account not appearing in Lindy:
Refresh the page and check Integrations/Connected Apps; if needed, disconnect and reconnect. - Wrong inbox connected:
Disconnect that account from Lindy, then reconnect with the correct Gmail or Outlook login.
If you’re still stuck, Lindy’s support team can walk through setup with you and help configure automations that match your workflow.
Once your Gmail or Outlook is connected, the next step is simple: text Lindy one thing you never want to do manually again—like “handle scheduling for all intros” or “triage my inbox every morning”—and let it run.