Generate Google Meet Links in Slack with n8n Automation

1. Opening Problem Statement

Meet Sarah, a project manager with a remote team scattered across time zones. Every day, she spends 15 to 20 minutes just creating Google Meet links and sharing them in Slack channels for ad-hoc discussions or quick standups. Sometimes she forgets to create the meeting link before the discussion starts, causing delays, confusion among participants, and unnecessary time-wasting. Multiply this by the number of meetings she schedules per week, and the minutes lost pile up into hours every month.

Sarah wishes for an easy way to instantly create and share Google Meet links without juggling multiple apps. This specific pain point of quickly spinning up Google Meet sessions directly from Slack channels is what this n8n workflow perfectly addresses.

2. What This Automation Does

This workflow generates Google Meet links instantly with a Slack slash command, then posts the meeting link in the Slack channel where the command was triggered. Here’s what happens when you run this workflow:

• Instant Google Meet creation: Automatically creates a 15-minute Google Calendar event with a Google Meet link starting immediately.
• Seamless Slack integration: Posts the generated Google Meet link back into the triggering Slack channel using Slack’s chat API.
• Temporary event cleanup: Deletes the temporary calendar event once the link is shared to keep your Google Calendar tidy.
• Slash command trigger: Trigger the workflow with a simple slash command like /meet in Slack.
• Automated multi-node orchestration: Coordinates Webhook trigger, Google Calendar event creation, Slack message posting, and calendar event deletion in one smooth flow.

By automating this, you save 15-20 minutes per meeting setup and eliminate the hassle of switching apps just to generate and share meeting links.

3. Prerequisites ⚙️

• n8n account (cloud or self-hosted) 🔌
• Slack workspace with administrative access to create slash commands 💬
• Google account with access to Google Calendar and permissions to create events 🔑
• Slack App created with chat:write and chat:write.public OAuth scopes
• OAuth credentials setup for Google Calendar in n8n 📅

4. Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Create a Slack App and Slash Command

Navigate to Slack API Apps. Click New App, give it a name like Instant Meet Generator, and select your workspace.

Go to OAuth & Permissions. Scroll down to Scopes and add chat:write and chat:write.public under Bot Token Scopes.

Next, select Slash Commands under Features and create a new command.

• Command: /meet
• Request URL: Paste the Webhook node’s URL from n8n (covered later)
• Description and usage hint: Add something like “Generate instant Google Meet links”

Install the app to your workspace to activate it.

Common mistake: Forgetting to install the app after adding scopes and slash commands. Your command won’t work if the app isn’t installed.

Step 2: Setup Google OAuth Credentials in n8n

Follow the official n8n Google OAuth setup guide to create OAuth credentials for Google.

In n8n, go to Credentials and add a new Google account credential for Calendar access.

Ensure you have access to the calendar you want to use for event creation. Use the same calendar for event creation and deletion nodes in the workflow.

Common mistake: Using different calendars in the event creation and deletion nodes can cause failures or orphaned events.

Step 3: Configure the Webhook Node

In n8n, open the Webhook node. Copy the webhook URL generated after saving the workflow.

Paste this URL into the Request URL field of your Slack slash command configuration.

Set the HTTP Method to POST (default).

This node listens for the slash command trigger, receiving data such as the Slack channel ID.

Expected outcome: The webhook receives POST requests from Slack and triggers the workflow.

Step 4: Configure the Google Calendar Node to Create Event

Select the Create event with google meet link node.

Set the Start time to now using the expression {{$now}} and End to 15 minutes after current time using expression {{$now.plus({minutes:15})}}.

Choose the Google Calendar you wish to use.

Under Additional Fields, enable conferenceDataUi and configure it to create a Google Meet link by selecting the hangoutsMeet conference solution.

Common mistake: Not enabling conference data disables the creation of the Google Meet link.

Step 5: Configure the Slack Node to Post the Meeting Link

Open the Send msg with Google meet link Slack node.

Connect your Slack account for authentication.

Set the Channel ID to the channel ID obtained from the webhook data: {{$json["body"].channel_id}}.

In the message text, use the expression: Join me here: {{$node["Create event with google meet link"].json.hangoutLink}} to dynamically insert the Google Meet URL.

Disable link unfurling for a cleaner message.

Expected outcome: Slack posts a message with the direct Google Meet link in the Slack channel where the slash command was used.

Step 6: Delete the Temporary Calendar Event

Open the Delete temporary calendar event Google Calendar node.

Set the operation to Delete.

Use the event ID from the created event node: {{$node["Create event with google meet link"].json.id}}.

Select the same calendar as the creation node to maintain consistency.

This keeps your calendar free of clutter from short-lived temporary events.

Step 7: Activate and Test the Workflow

Activate your workflow in n8n. Go to Slack and type /meet in a channel you want to generate a Google Meet link for.

If configured correctly, a message with the Meet link will appear instantly.

Common mistake: Not activating the workflow or testing the command outside your Slack workspace where the app is installed.

5. Customizations ✏️

• Adjust meeting length: Change the end time expression in the Google Calendar “Create event” node from 15 to any number of minutes you prefer.
• Customize Slack message: Modify the message text in the Slack node to add custom instructions or tags (e.g., tagging a user or team).
• Use a dedicated calendar: Create and select a separate Google Calendar specifically for these temporary meetings to keep events organized.
• Change slash command name: Rename the Slack slash command from /meet to another term that fits your team’s culture (requires updating the Slack App slash command settings).
• Enable event reminder notifications: In the calendar event creation node, add reminders notification settings to alert participants before the meeting.

6. Troubleshooting 🔧

Problem: “Slack command returns 404 not found”

Cause: Webhook URL in Slack slash command is incorrect or not matching the one in n8n.

Solution: Double-check the webhook URL copied from the Webhook node and paste it exactly into Slack’s slash command settings.

Problem: “Google Meet link not created; no conference data returned”

Cause: The Google Calendar node is not set to create conference data or lacks required permissions.

Solution: Verify the conferenceDataUi setting is enabled and OAuth credentials allow creating Google Meet links.

Problem: “Slack message not sent or wrong channel”

Cause: Incorrect expression for Slack channel ID or Slack node authentication issues.

Solution: Confirm the channel ID uses the expression exactly as {{$json["body"].channel_id}} and check that Slack OAuth token has necessary scopes.

7. Pre-Production Checklist ✅

• Test Slack slash command with a test channel to confirm the webhook triggers properly.
• Verify Google Calendar API credentials and permissions for event creation and deletion.
• Confirm Slack app has chat:write and chat:write.public scopes and is installed in your workspace.
• Ensure timezone settings are consistent between Slack users and Google Calendar events.
• Backup existing Google Calendar events if necessary before extensive testing.

8. Deployment Guide

Once tested, activate the workflow in n8n’s production environment.

Make sure the workflow is set to active to receive slash command triggers live.

Monitor your workflow executions via n8n’s execution log for errors or failures.

Adjust OAuth refresh tokens if needed to prevent authorization expiry.

9. FAQs

Can I use a different IM tool instead of Slack?

The workflow is tailored to Slack’s slash commands and chat API node, so replacing Slack would require adjusting the trigger mechanism and message posting node to another service.

Does this consume Google API quota quickly?

Each event creation and deletion counts against your Google Calendar API quota, but typical usage for a team’s meeting links is unlikely to exceed free quota limits.

Is my Google Meet link secure when shared this way?

Google Meet links inherit Google’s security features. The workflow only creates links and shares them in your private Slack channels, so access is controlled by your Slack workspace permissions.

10. Conclusion

By building this custom n8n workflow, you now generate instant Google Meet links directly within Slack channels using a simple slash command. Sarah’s frustration of wasting time copying and sharing meeting links vanishes, replaced with smooth, instant meeting setups that save about 15-20 minutes per meeting prep.

Your team enjoys faster meetings with less friction, plus a clutter-free Google Calendar thanks to the automatic deletion of temporary calendar events. Next, you might automate meeting reminders using Google Calendar and Slack or expand this workflow to include meeting notes capture.

Give it a try today, and see how much time you reclaim in your workday!