How to plan a large Google Calendar clean-up

A large-scale calendar clean-up — whether across a school, a Workspace organisation, or a complex multi-calendar environment — benefits from careful planning before any events are deleted. This guide covers the key steps.

Step 1: Define the scope

List every calendar that needs to be cleaned. For each one, note:

• The calendar name and owner
• Who has access to it and at what level
• Whether any tools or integrations connect to it
• The approximate number of events you expect to remove

Step 2: Agree the cut-off date

Confirm the cut-off date with relevant stakeholders. For an annual clean-up, this is typically the start of the current year or financial year. For a project or campaign clean-up, it is the end date of the project or campaign. For a migration clean-up, it is typically the migration date.

Step 3: Communicate

Notify everyone who has access to the affected calendars. Give them the cut-off date and enough advance notice to save anything they need from past events.

Step 4: Export backups

Export ICS backups of each calendar before starting. Store them in a shared location accessible to the relevant team.

Step 5: Execute in batches

Process calendars in logical batches — all room booking calendars together, all timetable calendars together, all team planning calendars together. Verify each batch before moving to the next.

Step 6: Verify and document

After each batch, open a sample of the cleared calendars and confirm the results. Document what was cleared, when, who authorised it, and what cut-off date was used.