First, you need to create a notification for your event in an online calendar (Google Calendar, Yandex Calendar).

  • Log in to your Google (or Yandex) account and open the calendar app.
  • Choose the date and time for creating a reminder.
  • Click on the chosen date and time to create a new event or reminder.
  • Enter the reminder text that will appear in the notification.
  • Set the notification parameters, such as the timing and reminder method (sound alert or email).
  • After entering all the data, save the reminder you created.

How to insert a calendar event link into an email

  • Log in to your account and open the calendar. Find the event you want a link for, and click on it to open it.
  • In the top-right corner of the event window, you'll see a «Share» icon (usually a three-dot icon or a chain-link icon).
  • In the menu that appears, select «Copy link».
  • Go to creating a new email or open an existing one.
  • Type the text «Add to calendar» and turn it into a hyperlink (by pasting the copied address from your clipboard).
  • If needed, you can add extra text or instructions to your email to notify the recipient about the event.

The downside of this approach is that a user won't be able to add an event from Google Calendar to their Yandex Calendar, or vice versa. So you'll have to create references to your event in several online calendars and send the campaign. Alternatively, you can create a reminder with an ICS (iCalendar) file, a format supported by nearly all online calendars.

How to create an ICS file

The ICS (iCalendar) file format is a standard format for exchanging calendar data. It's used to create calendar events, meetings, and reminders that can be imported into various calendar apps and services.

To create such a file, you can use a specialized service (Event Generator), or use code. Working with the service is much more convenient — for instance, Event Generator lets you fill in all the necessary data, and as a result you get two links at once: one to the source ICS file, and another — a ready-made link to your event in Google Calendar, which you can immediately copy and paste into your email. Then, by following the link and opening the ICS file, the user will be able to import it into their online calendar.