Add a Link to an Email into a Calendar Item

dufchick · Oct 8, 2022

Hi Everyone-

I hope you are all doing OK. I have searched these forums and online and cannot find an answer. In Outlook at work, I can just drag an email into a calendar item so I have access to the email info when the calendar item is reviewed. How can I do this on my MacBook Pro using Apple mail and Apple Calendar? I know I can save the email as a PDF and include it as an attachment but that is a heck of a lot of work.

Thanks
Allison

IWT · Oct 8, 2022

Hi Allison,

I have researched this quite a bit and not found a "drag & drop" method.

But this workaround, which I've tested, is not too cumbersome:

Open the email you received.

Click to Forward that email.

Address it to yourself.

In the text of the email, say, at the top, add the date that you want to add to Calendar.
In the UK, I would put 22 October 2022 for example. You do the same using your format.

Now send the email to yourself.

When you receive it, go to the Date and hover over it. A small triangle will appear at the end part of the Date. Click on that and you will see an option to "Add to Calendar".

I've tried this a few times just now and it works and isn't a total hassle.

Try it and see what you think.

Ian

dufchick · Oct 8, 2022

Ian-

Thank you so much, however, these are directions for creating a calendar item when you find the info in the message body or subject. What I am trying to do is copy/paste the email into the notes field or some other field so I can quickly see the email from the calendar item. I am not at my work desk right now but I believe you can either copy/paste the email into the calendar item or drag it once the item has been created. Here is a quick YT video about this Outlook feature

. I am really sorry, I do not think I explained my question as fully as I should have.

Allison

IWT · Oct 8, 2022

Allison,

You explained things just fine.

I just failed to find the best solution. No problem. See you next time

Ian

pm-r · Oct 9, 2022

dufchick said:
What I am trying to do is copy/paste the email into the notes field or some other field so I can quickly see the email from the calendar item.

Apple has an article that hints to a possible solution but I don't think it is anywhere close to what you are wanting to do:

The article starts here:

Add, modify, or delete events in Calendar on Mac

Use Calendar on your Mac to keep track of all your scheduled events. Use natural language to create events or ask Siri to do it for you.

support.apple.com

And then adds another link here:

For more information, see Use events, contacts, and other items found in emails and Detect dates, contacts, and more in documents.

Use information found in Mail in other apps on Mac

In Mail on your Mac, you can add events and contact information found in emails to the Calendar and Contacts apps.

support.apple.com

I am guessing what you actually really need is some sort of automator applescript, or apple services. But I am afraid I am not such a programer who is able to help you and that department unfortunately. I wish I knew how to do such coding and applescript language.

It seems like it should be something that is already in place for ease-of-use and easy linking unless you can get more out of those articles to get what you want working than I was able to understand.

EDIT:
Maybe have a look here in case any of it might work for your situation:

Create Calendar Event from Email on Mac w/ Notes and URL

Is there a reliable way to drag or otherwise create a calendar event from an email message with: Email subject is event title Email body in event notes Link to the email message in the URL field Dragging will give me the title and URL without notes, which I can copy/paste. Siri suggestions or...

talk.automators.fm

Or maybe you could find something that works amongst the hits that are listed here:

Google Search

Now this might be getting a bit closer to what you are wanting but change it to add to Calendar notes:
APPLESCRIPT TO LINK TO APPLE MAIL MESSAGE

AppleScript to Link to Apple Mail Message - MacSparky

I’ve always like the way OmniFocus can create links to Apple Mail messages when saving an email as a task. With help from listener Jacob (@evansio), I’ve now got a script that can do that anywhere via a text expander snippet. Here’s the AppleScript: (* Returns a link to the first selected Apple...

www.macsparky.com

Or this:

How to Create a Calendar Event From an Email in Mac OS X Mail

In Mac OS X Mail, turning dates and times in email messages into events in Apple Calendar is easy and fast to do. Learn how with this guide.

www.lifewire.com

Good luck.

- Patrick
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dufchick · Oct 9, 2022

Patrick thank you. I am not sure why Apple has not addressed this, I have seen many other people ask about this same issue on the internet while searching for an answer. I did find however, that when I put a calendar item in from the date/time in an email, that there is a 'show in mail' link and if I click on that it takes me to the email, but only on my MacBook, not on my phone. I just discovered this today. Not quite as good as having the entire email inside the calendar item or accessible from all my Apple devices but its something.

pm-r · Oct 9, 2022

dufchick said:
Patrick thank you. I am not sure why Apple has not addressed this

I don't know either, but I just added some extra links for you to check out in my previous post above while you were busy typing. It would be nice if something there would work the way you want.

- Patrick
=======

Lifeisabeach · Oct 10, 2022

You may want to use a different email client. I've never been particularly fond of Apple's Mail app. I use AirMail on Mac and iPhone/iPad, and I can confirm it definitely can add emails to Calendar quite easily. I'm a little hesitant to recommend AirMail just on the basis that they went to the subscription model and pester you daily if you don't sub. But I've not found anything else that has a comparable rules feature. There are other 3rd party email apps that likely can do the job.

dufchick · Oct 10, 2022

pm-r said:
I don't know either, but I just added some extra links for you to check out in my previous post above while you were busy typing. It would be nice if something there would work the way you want.

- Patrick
=======

Patrick, thank you for the extra links. The Livewire one was very informative, the others would be probably useful if I knew a thing or two about coding. I could live with the link to email, but if I use my MacBook to put in the calendar item, the link is not there in my iPhone calendar but amazingly if I put the calendar item in with my iPhone the link to the email appears in both the iPhone and MacBook. So weird, you can share between all other apps but they left out the email app. At work this is a feature I use all the time with Outlook. Maybe there is an Apple Fairy reading this thread!

dufchick · Oct 10, 2022

Lifeisabeach said:
You may want to use a different email client. I've never been particularly fond of Apple's Mail app. I use AirMail on Mac and iPhone/iPad, and I can confirm it definitely can add emails to Calendar quite easily. I'm a little hesitant to recommend AirMail just on the basis that they went to the subscription model and pester you daily if you don't sub. But I've not found anything else that has a comparable rules feature. There are other 3rd party email apps that likely can do the job.

Thanks for the recommendation for Airmail. I was considering using Outlook, but I really like all the native Apple apps, I hate to start using other apps now.

alinabo12 · Oct 24, 2022

I recently stumbled on a feature I'd never seen mentioned anywhere (not that it hasn't been) for just this type of situation. Simply highlight the information in the email that you want to be included in the event, such as a videoconference link or phone number. It gets dutifully added when you hover the pointer over a date to reveal the outline/dropdown contextual menu giving you the option for to make an event.

I am really glad about this because of the number of webinars and meetings printable 2023 calendar
to attend and schedule. For some reason, the joining details often get left behind. I figure it has to do with the formatting involved in (some) confirmation emails preventing MacOS from recognizing that important info. Just give it a little help by highlighting it before creating the event and it works great. You don't event have to copy it to the clipboard. #stupidmactricks

dufchick · Oct 24, 2022

Alinabo12, this is awesome. Not only did it include the body of the email but because I highlighted the address of the sender from the signature it included a map as well. This is really the answer and thank you so much for posting it here!! I am going to play with that calendar site too. Thank you!

Allison