Skip to content

IA.md

Latest commit

 

History

History
221 lines (190 loc) · 10.6 KB

IA.md

File metadata and controls

221 lines (190 loc) · 10.6 KB
brand Notion Calendar
tagline Your calendar, connected to your workspace
category Productivity
website https://calendar.notion.so

Information Architecture — Notion Calendar

Overview

Notion Calendar (formerly Cron) is a calendar application deeply integrated with Notion workspaces, combining time management with project and document context. The IA bridges two worlds — calendar events and Notion database items — allowing users to see their schedule alongside linked Notion pages, documents, and tasks. It features scheduling links, multi-calendar overlay, and keyboard-driven navigation for power users.

Site Map

Notion Calendar
├── Calendar Views
│   ├── Day View
│   ├── Week View (default)
│   ├── Month View
│   ├── Multi-day Custom View
│   └── Agenda / List View
├── Event Detail
│   ├── Title
│   ├── Date / Time / Duration
│   ├── Location (physical or virtual link)
│   ├── Attendees (with availability)
│   ├── Video Conferencing (Zoom, Meet, Teams auto-link)
│   ├── Description / Notes
│   ├── Linked Notion Page
│   ├── Recurring Settings
│   ├── Reminders
│   └── Calendar (which calendar)
├── Notion Integration
│   ├── Linked Notion Databases
│   ├── Database Items as Calendar Events
│   ├── Notion Page Preview (inline)
│   └── Open in Notion
├── Scheduling Links
│   ├── My Scheduling Page
│   ├── Availability Slots
│   ├── Duration Options
│   ├── Buffer Time
│   ├── Meeting Location Default
│   └── Shared Link
├── Sidebar
│   ├── Mini Calendar (date picker)
│   ├── Calendar List (toggle visibility)
│   │   ├── Personal Calendars
│   │   ├── Work Calendars
│   │   ├── Shared Calendars
│   │   └── Notion Database Calendars
│   ├── Other People's Calendars (overlay)
│   └── Upcoming Events
├── Availability
│   ├── Check Availability (compare with attendees)
│   ├── Find a Time
│   └── Overlay teammates' calendars
├── Settings
│   ├── Account
│   ├── Connected Accounts (Google, Notion)
│   ├── Calendar Settings
│   ├── Working Hours
│   ├── Default Meeting Duration
│   ├── Default Video Conferencing
│   ├── Time Zone
│   ├── Keyboard Shortcuts
│   ├── Appearance (dark/light)
│   └── Notifications
└── Website
    ├── Product Overview
    ├── Download (macOS, Windows, iOS, Android)
    ├── Pricing (included with Notion)
    └── Help Center

Navigation Model

  • Type: Left sidebar + top toolbar
  • Left Sidebar: Mini calendar, calendar list (toggle visibility), Notion databases, other people's calendars
  • Top Toolbar: View switcher (Day/Week/Month), Today button, navigation arrows (prev/next), settings
  • Keyboard-Driven: Heavy keyboard shortcut support (legacy from Cron); c to create, t for today, number keys for views
  • Event Creation: Click/drag on calendar grid → Quick event form; or c shortcut
  • Notion Link: Click linked Notion page in event → Opens Notion page in-app or in Notion
  • Multi-Calendar Overlay: Toggle teammate calendars to see combined availability

Content Model

Entity Key Attributes Relationships
Event title, start/end time, location, description, attendees, recurrence, reminders, conferencing link, status (busy/free), calendar → Calendar, → Notion Page, → Attendees
Calendar name, color, source (Google, Notion database), visibility toggle, owner → Events
Notion Database (synced) database name, date property mapping, Notion workspace → Events (derived from database items)
Scheduling Link URL, duration options, availability rules, buffer time, location default, booking confirmations → Calendar, → User
Attendee name, email, RSVP status (accepted/declined/tentative), calendar overlay → Event
Notion Page (linked) title, page preview, workspace → Event
Working Hours day-of-week, start/end time, time zone → Availability
Time Zone primary, secondary (display), travel detection → Events, → Views

User Flows

Scheduling a Meeting

See open time slot on calendar → Click and drag to set duration → Event form opens: add title, attendees, location → Toggle attendees' calendar overlay → Find mutual free time → Add video conferencing (auto-generates Zoom/Meet link) → Link a Notion page for meeting notes → Save → Invites sent

Using Scheduling Links

Settings → Scheduling → Create scheduling link → Set availability: which days, which hours, which calendar to check → Set options: 15/30/60 min durations, buffer between meetings → Share link with external person → They see available slots → They book → Event auto-created on both calendars

Viewing Notion Database as Calendar

Settings → Connect Notion Workspace → Authorize → Select Notion database with a date property → Database items appear as events on the calendar (color-coded) → Click database event → See Notion page preview → Open full page in Notion → Changes sync bidirectionally

URL / Route Structure

calendar.notion.so/                         # Web app / landing
calendar.notion.so/app                      # Calendar web app
calendar.notion.so/scheduling/{username}    # Public scheduling page
calendar.notion.so/scheduling/{username}/{linkSlug}  # Specific scheduling link
calendar.notion.so/download                 # Desktop/mobile app downloads
notion.so/product/calendar                  # Product page on Notion site
calendar.notion.so/settings                                     # Settings
calendar.notion.so/settings/accounts                             # Connected accounts
calendar.notion.so/settings/calendars                            # Calendar settings
calendar.notion.so/settings/general                              # General settings
calendar.notion.so/settings/availability                         # Working hours
calendar.notion.so/settings/appearance                           # Theme settings
calendar.notion.so/settings/shortcuts                            # Keyboard shortcuts
calendar.notion.so/scheduling                                    # My scheduling pages
calendar.notion.so/help                                          # Help center
notion.so/product/calendar                                       # Product page
notion.so/help/category/calendar                                 # Calendar help docs

Search & Filter

  • Event Search: Search events by title, attendee, or description across all calendars
  • Calendar Filtering: Toggle calendars on/off to filter visible events
  • Date Navigation: Jump to specific date via mini calendar or keyboard shortcut
  • Availability Check: Visual overlay of multiple people's calendars to find free slots
  • Notion Database Filter: Inherits Notion database filters (status, assignee, date range)
  • No Content Search: Calendar app; search is limited to events, not documents (documents live in Notion)

Responsive Behavior

Breakpoint Behavior
Desktop App (macOS/Windows) Full sidebar + week view; keyboard shortcuts; multi-monitor support; menu bar quick-view
Web App Same as desktop; responsive but optimized for wide screens
Mobile App (iOS/Android) Day/3-day/week/month views; swipe navigation; simplified event creation; push notifications for reminders
Tablet Week view with larger touch targets; sidebar toggleable
Menu Bar (macOS) Floating mini calendar + upcoming events; quick event creation without opening full app

Access Control

Role Capabilities
Calendar Owner Full CRUD on own events; manage calendars; create scheduling links; set working hours
Calendar Viewer (shared) View events on shared calendar; no edit access
Calendar Editor (shared) View and modify events on shared calendar
Event Attendee View event details, RSVP, add to own calendar
Scheduling Link Visitor View available time slots; book a meeting (no account required)
Notion Workspace Member View Notion-linked database events on calendar; open Notion pages
Notion Workspace Admin Manage Notion ↔ Calendar integration settings for workspace
Free Notion User Basic calendar features included
Paid Notion User Full calendar features including Notion database sync, scheduling links

Keyboard Shortcuts

Action Shortcut
Create event C
Go to today T
Day view 1
Week view 2
Month view 3
Next period J or →
Previous period K or ←
Delete event Backspace
Quick search /
Settings , (comma)

Calendar Sources

Source Sync Type Features
Google Calendar Bidirectional Full CRUD, color sync, attendee management
Notion Database Bidirectional Date property → calendar event; page preview
iCloud (via Google) Read-only Import Apple calendar events
Exchange/Outlook Read-only View corporate calendar events

Unique Differentiators

  • Notion page linking: Attach Notion pages to events for meeting agendas and notes
  • Multi-timezone: Display secondary timezone; auto-detect travel timezone
  • Menu bar widget (macOS): Quick glance at upcoming events without opening app
  • Overlay calendars: See teammates' availability overlaid on your calendar
  • Scheduling links: Built-in Calendly-like booking pages with availability rules
  • Keyboard-first: Every action accessible via keyboard shortcuts (Cron heritage)
  • Zero-config video: Auto-detects and generates Zoom/Meet/Teams links

Working Hours & Availability

  • Per-day configuration: Set different hours for each day of the week
  • Buffer time: Automatic gaps between back-to-back meetings (5/10/15/30 min)
  • Minimum notice: Prevent same-day bookings (e.g., require 4-hour lead time)
  • Date exceptions: Block specific dates from scheduling (vacations, holidays)
  • Multi-calendar check: Check multiple calendars for conflicts before showing availability

Event Quick Actions

  • Drag to reschedule: Drag event to new time slot
  • Drag to extend: Drag bottom edge to change duration
  • Duplicate: Option-drag to create a copy
  • Color coding: Events inherit calendar color; manual override available
  • Join meeting: One-click join button for Zoom/Meet/Teams links detected in event