How Do I Create a Vacation Calendar in Google Sheets?

By Alice Nichols

Are you planning a vacation or managing your team’s vacation schedule? Keeping track of everyone’s time off can be a hassle, especially if you have to do it manually.

Fortunately, Google Sheets offers a simple and free solution to create a vacation calendar that can be accessed and edited by multiple people. In this tutorial, we’ll show you how to create a vacation calendar in Google Sheets.

Step 1: Create a New Spreadsheet

First, log in to your Google account and open Google Sheets. Click on the “Blank” option to create a new spreadsheet.

Step 2: Add Headers

To make your vacation calendar easy to read, add headers for each column. In the first row of your spreadsheet, add the following headers:

  • Date
  • Name
  • Vacation Type (e.g., PTO, Sick Leave)

You can customize these headers based on your needs.

Step 3: Add Dates and Names

In the “Date” column, enter the dates for which you want to track vacations. You can either enter them manually or use the auto-fill feature by dragging down the cell handle.

In the “Name” column, enter the names of employees or team members whose vacations you want to track.

Step 4: Add Vacation Types

In the “Vacation Type” column, add different types of vacations such as PTO (paid time off), sick leave, personal days off, etc. This will help you keep track of different types of leaves taken by employees.

Step 5: Highlight Vacations

Now it’s time to highlight vacations in your calendar. To do this:

  • Select all cells in the table except for the header row.
  • Click on “Format” in the top menu and select “Conditional formatting. “
  • Under “Format cells if,” choose “Text contains.

  • In the text box, type the vacation type you want to highlight, for example, “PTO. “
  • Select a background color or font color that will help you easily distinguish vacations from other entries.
  • Click on the “Done” button to save your settings.

Repeat this process for all types of vacations you want to track.

Step 6: Share Your Calendar

Once you’ve created your vacation calendar, it’s time to share it with your team. To do this:

  • Click on the “Share” button in the top right corner of your spreadsheet.
  • Add email addresses of people you want to share your calendar with.
  • Select one of three access levels: editor, viewer, or commenter. Editors can edit your calendar while viewers can only view it. Commenters can add comments but cannot make any changes.

Conclusion

Creating a vacation calendar in Google Sheets is easy and can save you a lot of time. By following these simple steps, you can create a comprehensive and organized vacation schedule for your team that everyone can access and edit.

So what are you waiting for? Start creating your own vacation calendar today!