Google Calendar Auto‑Decline Script (v1.9) — Auto‑decline conflicting Google Calendar invites with configurable look‑aheads, overlap thresholds, ignore‑list, batch‑modes, and notifications. It even has a dry‑run test mode.

Google_Calendar_Auto‑Decline_Script_Readme.md

To install and use the Google Calendar Auto-Decline Script (v1.9) by Spencer Thayer, follow these step-by-step instructions. This script automatically declines incoming Google Calendar invitations that conflict with your existing events, based on customizable settings.

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🧰 Prerequisites • A Google account with access to Google Calendar. • Access to Google Apps Script.

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📥 Step 1: Access the Script 1. Open the script’s GitHub Gist page: https://gist.github.com/spencerthayer/1a7c0e3f1e7487a2f051dd038c535d7e 2. Click on the “Raw” button to view the raw script content. 3. Select all the text (Ctrl+A or Cmd+A) and copy it (Ctrl+C or Cmd+C).

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📝 Step 2: Create a New Google Apps Script Project 1. Navigate to Google Apps Script. 2. Click on ”+ New project”. 3. In the new project, delete any placeholder code in the Code.gs file. 4. Paste the copied script into the editor (Ctrl+V or Cmd+V). 5. Rename the project to something like “Auto-Decline Calendar Invites” by clicking on “Untitled project” at the top.

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⚙️ Step 3: Configure Script Settings

Within the script, locate the CONFIG object near the top. This section allows you to customize the script’s behavior:

const CONFIG = { lookAheadDays: 7, // Number of days ahead to check for new invites minOverlapMinutes: 1, // Minimum overlap time (in minutes) to trigger auto-decline sendEmailNotifications: true, // Notify yourself when an event is auto-declined sendErrorNotifications: true, // Notify yourself if the script encounters an error notifyOrganizer: true, // Notify the event organizer when auto-declining processInBatches: false, // Process the calendar in smaller chunks batchSizeInDays: 3, // Number of days to process in each batch ignoreEvents: ["Home", "AM All Hands", "PM All Hands", "Afternoon Check-in", "Fireside Chat", "Studio Monthly"], // Events to ignore when checking for conflicts dryRun: false // If true, the script will log actions without making changes };

Note: • Set dryRun to true for testing purposes. This will log actions without making any changes to your calendar. Once you’re confident, set it to false to enable auto-declining. • Adjust ignoreEvents to include any events that should not block new invites.

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✅ Step 4: Authorize and Run the Script 1. In the Apps Script editor, click on the “Select function” dropdown and choose autoDeclineConflictingInvites. 2. Click the Run ▶️ button. 3. The first time you run the script, it will prompt you to authorize permissions. Click Review Permissions. 4. Choose your Google account. 5. Click Allow to grant the necessary permissions.

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⏰ Step 5: Set Up Automatic Execution (Optional)

To have the script run automatically at regular intervals: 1. In the Apps Script editor, click on the clock icon 🕒 in the toolbar to open Triggers. 2. Click on ”+ Add Trigger”. 3. Set the following options: • Choose which function to run: autoDeclineConflictingInvites • Select event source: Time-driven • Select type of time-based trigger: Choose an interval (e.g., Hour timer) • Select hour interval: Choose how often the script should run (e.g., Every hour) 4. Click Save.

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🧪 Step 6: Test the Script 1. Ensure dryRun is set to true in the CONFIG object. 2. Run the script manually by clicking the Run ▶️ button. 3. Open the Logs by clicking on View > Logs to see what actions the script would take. 4. If everything looks good, set dryRun to false to enable actual auto-declining.

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📬 Notifications • If sendEmailNotifications is set to true, you’ll receive an email whenever an event is auto-declined. • If sendErrorNotifications is set to true, you’ll be notified via email if the script encounters any errors. • If notifyOrganizer is set to true, the event organizer will receive an email notification when their invite is auto-declined.

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🛠️ Troubleshooting • Script Errors: Check the Execution Log in the Apps Script editor under View > Executions for detailed error messages. • Permissions Issues: Ensure you’ve granted all necessary permissions during the authorization step. • No Actions Taken: If the script isn’t declining any events, verify that there are conflicting events in your calendar and that dryRun is set to false.

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By following these steps, you can automate the process of declining conflicting Google Calendar invites, helping you maintain a well-organized schedule.

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reject-conflicts.gs

/**
 * Google Calendar Auto-Decline Conflicting Invites Script
 * VERSION 1.9 - Added organizer notification when invites are auto-declined.
 *
 * Automatically declines incoming Google Calendar invitations that conflict
 * with existing events where the user has not declined ("No").
 * Allows ignoring events based on their title.
 * Can be run directly or via a time-driven trigger (e.g., every 15/30 mins).
 */

// --- Configuration ---
// Modify these settings to customize the script's behavior.
const CONFIG = {
  // How many days into the future to check for new invites.
  lookAheadDays: 7,
  // Minimum overlap time (in minutes) required to trigger an auto-decline.
  // Set to 0 or 1 to decline any overlap.
  minOverlapMinutes: 1,
  // Send an email to yourself when an event is auto-declined? (true/false)
  // Recommended since comments cannot be added directly to the event.
  sendEmailNotifications: true,
  // Send an email notification if the script encounters a major error? (true/false)
  sendErrorNotifications: true,
  // Send an email to the event organizer when auto-declining? (true/false)
  notifyOrganizer: true,
  // Process the calendar in smaller chunks (batches)? Recommended for very busy calendars
  // or long lookAheadDays to avoid exceeding script runtime limits. (true/false)
  processInBatches: false,
  // If processInBatches is true, how many days to process in each batch.
  batchSizeInDays: 3,
  // Titles of events that shouldn't block invites (case-insensitive).
  // Example: ["Home", "Lunch", "Commute", "Focus Time"]
  // Events with these exact titles will be ignored when checking for conflicts.
  ignoreEvents: ["Home", "AM All Hands", "PM All Hands", "Afternoon Check-in", "Fireside Chat", "Studio Monthly"],
  // **SET TO true FOR TESTING ONLY**. If true, the script will log what it *would* decline
  // but will NOT actually decline any events or send decline notifications. (true/false)
  dryRun: false
};
// --- End Configuration ---


/**
 * Main function to initiate the auto-decline process.
 * This is the function you should select to run manually or set up in a trigger.
 */
function autoDeclineConflictingInvites() {
  // Use a copy of the config for this specific run
  const scriptConfig = JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(CONFIG));

  if (scriptConfig.dryRun) {
    Logger.log('🧪 DRY RUN MODE ENABLED: No events will be modified or declined.');
  }

  try {
    const calendar = CalendarApp.getDefaultCalendar();
    const now = new Date();
    const endDate = new Date(now.getTime());
    endDate.setDate(now.getDate() + scriptConfig.lookAheadDays);

    Logger.log(`Checking for conflicting invites from ${now.toLocaleString()} to ${endDate.toLocaleString()}`);

    let totalDeclined = 0;
    if (scriptConfig.processInBatches) {
      totalDeclined = processBatches(calendar, now, endDate, scriptConfig);
    } else {
      totalDeclined = processDateRange(calendar, now, endDate, scriptConfig);
    }

    Logger.log(`✅ Script finished. Processed invites up to ${endDate.toLocaleString()}. Total auto-declined: ${totalDeclined} (Dry Run: ${scriptConfig.dryRun})`);

  } catch (err) {
    Logger.log(`SCRIPT FAILED: An error occurred during execution: ${err.message}\n${err.stack}`);
    if (scriptConfig.sendErrorNotifications) {
      try {
        MailApp.sendEmail(
          Session.getActiveUser().getEmail(),
          '⚠️ Calendar Auto-Decline Script Error',
          `The Google Calendar auto-decline script encountered an error:\n\n${err.message}\n\nStack Trace:\n${err.stack}\n\nPlease check the script logs for more details.`
        );
      } catch (mailErr) {
        Logger.log(`🚨 Failed to send error notification email: ${mailErr.message}`);
      }
    }
  }
}

/**
 * Processes the calendar check in batches (e.g., week by week).
 * Useful for avoiding script execution time limits on large calendars.
 * @param {CalendarApp.Calendar} calendar The CalendarApp object for the default calendar.
 * @param {Date} startDate The overall start date for checking.
 * @param {Date} endDate The overall end date for checking.
 * @param {Object} config The configuration settings for this run.
 * @return {number} The total number of events declined across all batches.
 */
function processBatches(calendar, startDate, endDate, config) {
  let batchStart = new Date(startDate.getTime());
  let totalDeclinedCount = 0;
  // Ensure batchSizeInDays is positive to prevent infinite loops
  const batchDays = Math.max(1, config.batchSizeInDays);
  const batchSizeMillis = batchDays * 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000;

  Logger.log(`Batch processing enabled (Batch size: ${batchDays} days).`);

  while (batchStart < endDate) {
    let batchEnd = new Date(batchStart.getTime() + batchSizeMillis);
    if (batchEnd > endDate) {
      batchEnd = new Date(endDate.getTime()); // Don't go past the overall end date
    }

    // Prevent processing if batchStart somehow becomes >= batchEnd
    if (batchStart >= batchEnd) {
        Logger.log(`Skipping zero-duration batch from ${batchStart.toLocaleDateString()}.`);
        break;
    }

    Logger.log(`--- Processing Batch: ${batchStart.toLocaleDateString()} to ${batchEnd.toLocaleDateString()} ---`);
    totalDeclinedCount += processDateRange(calendar, batchStart, batchEnd, config);

    // Move to the next batch start date
    batchStart = new Date(batchEnd.getTime());
  }

  Logger.log(`--- Batch processing complete. Total declined: ${totalDeclinedCount} ---`);
  return totalDeclinedCount;
}

/**
 * Processes a specific date range, finding and potentially declining conflicting invites.
 * @param {CalendarApp.Calendar} calendar The CalendarApp object for the default calendar.
 * @param {Date} startDate The start date for this specific range check.
 * @param {Date} endDate The end date for this specific range check.
 * @param {Object} config The configuration settings for this run.
 * @return {number} The number of events declined in this date range.
 */
function processDateRange(calendar, startDate, endDate, config) {
  let declinedCount = 0;
  try {
    // 1. Get all events in the specified date range.
    const eventsInRange = calendar.getEvents(startDate, endDate);

    // 2. Filter these events to find only those where the user's status is INVITED.
    const potentialInvites = eventsInRange.filter(event => {
      try {
        // Ensure the event object is valid and has getMyStatus method
        if (event && typeof event.getMyStatus === 'function') {
          return event.getMyStatus() === CalendarApp.GuestStatus.INVITED;
        }
        return false;
      } catch (e) {
        // Log error getting status, but don't stop the script
        Logger.log(`⚠️ Error getting status for an event (ID potentially ${event ? event.getId() : 'unknown'}): ${e.message}. Skipping this event.`);
        return false;
      }
    });

    if (potentialInvites.length === 0) {
        Logger.log(`No pending invites found in range ${startDate.toLocaleDateString()} to ${endDate.toLocaleDateString()}.`);
        return 0; // No invites to process in this range
    }

    Logger.log(`Found ${potentialInvites.length} pending invite(s) in range ${startDate.toLocaleDateString()} to ${endDate.toLocaleDateString()}. Checking for conflicts...`);

    // 3. Iterate through each potential new invite.
    potentialInvites.forEach(invite => {
      let inviteTitle = '(Untitled Event)'; // Default title
      let inviteId = 'unknown';
      try {
        inviteId = invite.getId(); // Get ID early for logging
        inviteTitle = invite.getTitle() || inviteTitle; // Use fetched title or default
        const inviteStart = invite.getStartTime();
        const inviteEnd = invite.getEndTime();

        // Skip if event data is incomplete (e.g., missing times)
        if (!inviteStart || !inviteEnd) {
          Logger.log(`⚠️ Skipping invite "${inviteTitle}" (ID: ${inviteId}) due to missing start/end time.`);
          return; // continue to next invite in forEach
        }

        Logger.log(`🔎 Checking invite: "${inviteTitle}" (${inviteStart.toLocaleString()} - ${inviteEnd.toLocaleString()}) ID: ${inviteId}`);

        // 4. Find all events that overlap with this invite's time.
        const overlappingEvents = calendar.getEvents(inviteStart, inviteEnd);
        let conflictFound = false;
        let conflictingEventDetails = ""; // Store details of the event causing the conflict

        // 5. Check each overlapping event for a genuine conflict.
        for (const existingEvent of overlappingEvents) {
          const existingEventId = existingEvent.getId();
          // Skip checking the invite against itself.
          if (existingEventId === inviteId) {
            continue;
          }

          let existingTitle = '(Untitled Event)'; // Default title for existing event
          try {
            existingTitle = existingEvent.getTitle() || existingTitle;

            // --- Check: Ignore based on Event Title ---
            if (config.ignoreEvents && config.ignoreEvents.length > 0 && existingTitle) {
              // Case-insensitive check against the ignore list
              if (config.ignoreEvents.some(ignoredEvent =>
                  existingTitle.toLowerCase() === ignoredEvent.toLowerCase())) {
                Logger.log(`--> Ignoring event "${existingTitle}" (ID: ${existingEventId}) because its title is in the ignored events list.`);
                continue; // Skip this event, don't consider it a conflict
              }
            }
            // --- End event title ignore check ---

            // --- Proceed with Conflict Check ---
            const existingStatus = existingEvent.getMyStatus();
            const existingStart = existingEvent.getStartTime();
            const existingEnd = existingEvent.getEndTime();

            // Check for valid time data on the existing event
            if (!existingStart || !existingEnd) {
                Logger.log(`⚠️ Skipping comparison with existing event "${existingTitle}" (ID: ${existingEventId}) due to missing time data.`);
                continue; // Skip to next overlapping event
            }

            // A conflict exists if:
            // a) The user hasn't declined the existing event (YES, MAYBE, or OWNER/null status).
            // b) The events actually overlap in time (start_existing < end_invite AND end_existing > start_invite).
            // c) The duration of the overlap meets the minimum threshold.
            if (existingStatus !== CalendarApp.GuestStatus.NO && existingStart < inviteEnd && existingEnd > inviteStart) {

              // Calculate overlap duration
              const overlapStart = new Date(Math.max(inviteStart.getTime(), existingStart.getTime()));
              const overlapEnd = new Date(Math.min(inviteEnd.getTime(), existingEnd.getTime()));

              // Ensure overlap is valid (end > start) before calculating duration
              if (overlapEnd > overlapStart) {
                  const overlapMillis = overlapEnd.getTime() - overlapStart.getTime();
                  // Use Math.floor for a conservative overlap calculation (must fully complete the minute)
                  const overlapMinutes = Math.floor(overlapMillis / (1000 * 60));

                  if (overlapMinutes >= config.minOverlapMinutes) {
                    conflictFound = true;
                    // Store details concisely for potential use in email notification
                    conflictingEventDetails = `"${existingTitle}" (${overlapMinutes} min overlap)`; // Removed ID for simplicity in email
                    Logger.log(`--> Conflict detected with: ${conflictingEventDetails}`);
                    break; // Found a qualifying conflict, no need to check other overlapping events for this invite.
                  } else {
                     // Log ignored overlaps only if they are positive
                     if (overlapMinutes >= 0) {
                         Logger.log(`--> Minor overlap (${overlapMinutes} min) with "${existingTitle}" (ID: ${existingEventId}), below threshold (${config.minOverlapMinutes} min). Ignoring.`);
                     }
                  }
              }
            }
          } catch (e) {
            Logger.log(`⚠️ Error checking existing event "${existingTitle}" (ID: ${existingEventId}) for conflict: ${e.message}. Skipping this comparison.`);
            // Continue checking other potentially overlapping events
          }
        } // End loop through overlapping events

        // 6. If a qualifying conflict was found, decline the invite (unless in dryRun mode).
        if (conflictFound) {
          if (config.dryRun) {
            Logger.log(`🧪 [Dry Run] Would decline invite: "${inviteTitle}" (ID: ${inviteId}) due to conflict with ${conflictingEventDetails}.`);
            // Simulate incrementing declined count for accurate dry run reporting
            declinedCount++;
          } else {
            Logger.log(`🚫 Declining invite: "${inviteTitle}" (ID: ${inviteId}) due to conflict with ${conflictingEventDetails}.`);
            try {
              // --- Simplified setMyStatus Call (using Enum as documented) ---
              invite.setMyStatus(CalendarApp.GuestStatus.NO);
              // --- End Simplified Call ---

              declinedCount++;
              // Log success immediately after the call
              Logger.log(`--> Successfully declined "${inviteTitle}" (ID: ${inviteId}).`);

              // Send notification email if enabled
              if (config.sendEmailNotifications) {
                 try {
                    MailApp.sendEmail(
                      Session.getActiveUser().getEmail(),
                      'ℹ️ Calendar Invite Auto-Declined',
                      `The event "${inviteTitle}" scheduled for ${inviteStart.toLocaleString()} ` +
                      `was automatically declined by your script due to a conflict with ${conflictingEventDetails}.`
                    );
                 } catch (mailErr) {
                    Logger.log(`🚨 Failed to send decline notification email for event ID ${inviteId}: ${mailErr.message}`);
                 }
              }
              
              // Send notification to the organizer if enabled
              if (config.notifyOrganizer) {
                try {
                  // Get the organizer's email
                  const organizer = invite.getCreators()[0]; // This gets the first creator (usually the organizer)
                  
                  if (organizer) {
                    MailApp.sendEmail(
                      organizer,
                      'Regarding your calendar invitation: Auto-Declined',
                      `I wanted to let you know that I won't be able to attend "${inviteTitle}" scheduled for ${inviteStart.toLocaleString()} ` +
                      `as it conflicts with another meeting in my calendar. Feel free to suggest an alternative time if needed.\n\n` +
                      `This is an automated message sent by a Google Calendar management script.\n\n` +
                      `Thank You`
                    );
                    Logger.log(`--> Sent notification to organizer: ${organizer}`);
                  }
                } catch (organizerErr) {
                  Logger.log(`🚨 Failed to send notification to organizer for event ID ${inviteId}: ${organizerErr.message}`);
                }
              }
            } catch (e) {
              // Catch error specifically from the setMyStatus call
              Logger.log(`🚨 Error attempting to decline event "${inviteTitle}" (ID: ${inviteId}): ${e.message}. Decline failed.`);
              // If setMyStatus fails, don't increment declinedCount (or decrement if needed, though less clean)
              // For simplicity, we assume if error caught here, decline didn't happen.
            }
          }
        } else {
          Logger.log(`👍 No qualifying conflicts found for "${inviteTitle}" (ID: ${inviteId}).`);
        }
      } catch (e) {
        // Catch errors processing a specific invite (e.g., getting ID, title, times), log, and continue with the next invite
        Logger.log(`🚨 Error processing invite (ID: ${inviteId}): ${e.message}\n${e.stack}. Continuing...`);
      }
    }); // End loop through potential invites

  } catch (e) {
     // Catch errors related to fetching events for the range (e.g., Calendar Service errors)
     Logger.log(`🚨 Error processing date range ${startDate.toLocaleString()} - ${endDate.toLocaleString()}: ${e.message}\n${e.stack}`);
     // Optionally re-throw or notify if this is critical depending on desired script behavior on failure
     // throw e; // Uncomment to potentially stop the script on range processing errors
  }
  return declinedCount;
}


/**
 * Helper function to run the script in TEST (Dry Run) mode.
 * Select this function from the dropdown in the Apps Script editor and click "Run".
 * It will use the main CONFIG settings but force dryRun = true,
 * logging actions without modifying your calendar.
 * IMPORTANT: This function temporarily modifies the global CONFIG object for the duration
 * of its execution and restores it using a finally block.
 */
function testAutoDeclineWithoutDeclining() {
  Logger.log("--- Starting Test Run (Dry Run Mode) ---");

  // Backup the original configuration
  const originalConfig = JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(CONFIG));

  try {
      // --- Temporarily override global CONFIG for this test run ---
      CONFIG.dryRun = true; // Force dry run globally for this execution
      Logger.log(`Forcing dryRun = ${CONFIG.dryRun} for this test execution.`);

      // --- Run the main logic with the dryRun setting forced ---
      autoDeclineConflictingInvites(); // Call the main function which now respects the overridden CONFIG.dryRun

  } catch(e) {
      // Log any errors that occur during the test run itself
      Logger.log(`🚨 Error during test run execution: ${e.message}\n${e.stack}`);
  } finally {
      // --- Restore the original global CONFIG ---
      // Use 'finally' to ensure the original configuration is restored
      // even if the script encounters an error during the test run.
      for (const key in originalConfig) {
          if (originalConfig.hasOwnProperty(key)) {
              CONFIG[key] = originalConfig[key];
          }
      }
      Logger.log(`Original configuration restored. dryRun is now: ${CONFIG.dryRun}`);
      Logger.log("--- Test Run Finished ---");
   }
}

Here’s how to install, configure, test and schedule the auto‑decline script in your Google Calendar via Apps Script:

1. Create a new Apps Script project

   1. Go to https://script.google.com/ and click New project.
   2. In the top‐left, give it a name like “Calendar Auto‑Decline.”

2. Paste in the script

   1. In the default Code.gs, delete any boilerplate.
   2. Copy your entire script (from /** Google Calendar Auto‑Decline… through to the closing } of testAutoDeclineWithoutDeclining()) and paste it into Code.gs.
   3. Click File → Save.

3. Adjust your configuration
   At the top of the file you’ll see the CONFIG object. Modify these to suit your preferences:

   const CONFIG = {
     lookAheadDays: 7,            // how far ahead to scan
     minOverlapMinutes: 1,        // any overlap ≥ 1 min triggers decline
     sendEmailNotifications: true, // notify yourself on each auto-decline
     sendErrorNotifications: true, // notify yourself if the script errors
     notifyOrganizer: true,       // email the organizer when declining
     processInBatches: false,     // split into smaller date chunks?
     batchSizeInDays: 3,          // days per batch if above = true
     ignoreEvents: [              // exact titles to skip when checking
       "Home", "AM All Hands", "PM All Hands", 
       "Afternoon Check‑in", "Fireside Chat", "Studio Monthly"
     ],
     dryRun: false                // set true to TEST without actually declining
   };

   – Tip: start with dryRun: true so you can inspect what would happen without affecting your calendar.

4. Authorize & run a dry‑run test

   1. In the Apps Script editor, select the function dropdown (just above the code) and choose testAutoDeclineWithoutDeclining.

   2. Click the ▶️ Run button.

   3. The first time, you’ll be prompted to grant:

      • View and manage your calendars
      • Send email as you

   4. Approve the scopes.

   5. Open View → Logs to see which events would be declined.

5. Switch off dry‑run & test live

   1. Back in Code.gs, set dryRun: false.
   2. Run autoDeclineConflictingInvites once manually (▶️ Run) to make sure it actually declines any detected conflicts.
   3. Inspect your calendar and email inbox for decline notices.

6. Set up an automatic trigger

   1. In the left sidebar, click the ⏰ Triggers icon.

   2. Click + Add Trigger (bottom right).

   3. Configure:

      • Choose which function to run: autoDeclineConflictingInvites
      • Deployment: Head
      • Select event source: Time‑driven
      • Type of time based trigger: Minutes timer → every 15 minutes (or 30 mins, whichever you prefer)

   4. Click Save.

7. Verify

   • Return to Triggers to confirm it’s active.
   • Check your Executions (in the left sidebar) after a few runs to confirm success.
   • Look in your Calendar and Email for the expected decline notices.

---

🎉 That’s it! Your Calendar will now automatically decline any incoming invites that conflict with your existing events—complete with optional email alerts and organizer notifications.