Guides › Meetings & Calendar
Decline meetings kindly or suggest an email instead
Get polite, ready-to-send replies that decline a meeting, ask for an agenda first or offer a written update in its place.
When to use it
When an invite lands that you don't need to attend
Step by step
Decide what you need
Work out whether you should decline, send someone else, join for part of it, or just get the notes.
Get a set of replies
Paste the invite details with this prompt.
Prompt to copyI've been invited to this meeting: [title, organiser, purpose]. I'd prefer to [decline / ask for an agenda / join for 15 minutes / send a written update instead] because [reason]. Write 3 short options (under 50 words each) I can put in the calendar decline note or an email. Polite, positive, not apologetic, and offer to help in another way where it makes sense.Respond in your calendar
Choose 'No' or 'Maybe' on the invite and paste your note into the message box, or propose a new time if that's what you need.
What you get
Option 2: Thanks for including me, Paul. I don't think I'm needed for the whole session, so I'll skip this one. Could you share the notes? If a decision needs my input, I'm happy to reply by email the same day.
Tips
- Save your favourite reply as a template so declining takes ten seconds next time.