Do you use Google Calendar? I do. In fact, I rely on it every day to keep me organized and moving forward. Almost everything I add to my various Google Calendars is an event. Every so often, a task is more capable of meeting my needs.

If you’ve ever considered events and tasks, you’ve probably wondered, “What’s the difference?” Here’s my perspective on the questions you may ask yourself.

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What is the main difference between tasks and events in Google Calendar?

Although both events and tasks appear on your calendar — and could both serve your needs — they are quite different features. The difference between these two is very clear if you use Google Calendar in the way it was intended. In other words, if your calendar is used to schedule meetings, then events are meetings, and tasks are things you have to get done.

But, if you’re like me and use Google Calendar to organize the tasks you need to complete, the difference gets a bit muddy. That, of course, depends on the detail you need to keep for a task. For instance, I use Google Calendar to map out every article I have to write for all of my clients. For those entries, I have to use events. Why? Because many times I’ll add notes to the task, so I know exactly what I’m doing. I’ll include research information, contacts, links, downloads, and more. I can do that with events.

Can I add details or attachments to tasks like I can with events?

With tasks, you’re very limited in what you can add. In fact, a task can only include a title, a date/time, a description, and a category. Now, with many of the things I add to Google Calendar, a task is perfectly suitable. However, I tend to default to events simply because they are more flexible.

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Tasks are more persistent in exchange for less detail

However, one of the nice things about tasks is they remain on your calendar, never dimming — even if the set time has passed — until you mark them as done. Once you’ve marked a task complete, it’ll remain on your calendar, dimmed like past events. You can also mark a task as incomplete to bring it back to the fore.

So, consider events your Google Calendar’s bread and butter and tasks your little reminders of what you must do throughout the day. You’ll appreciate having both along for the ride once you integrate events and tasks into your workflow.

How do I create a task in Google Calendar?

Once you’ve logged into your Google Calendar on a browser, navigate to the Create menu at the top left. Select it to show the dropdown menu, and choose Task from the list. You can also choose Event or other functions here.

On Android, iPhone, or iPad, tap an empty spot on your calendar and use the “+ Task” prompt.

Can I set reminders for tasks in Google Calendar?

You can’t set reminders about upcoming tasks. A good alternative may be to create multiple tasks. The tasks feature used to be called reminders, so creating a reminder about a task might be redundant. Tasks can’t be set to include notification sounds like events can.

Can I categorize or color-code tasks in Google Calendar?

Color-coding tasks in Google Calendar can be done in a limited fashion. You can edit the color of all the tasks associated with your calendar simultaneously. Do this on a computer browser by visiting “Tasks” under “My calendars,” selecting the options (with the three vertical dots or meatball menu), and choosing from the available colors.

This could be useful for a view in which multiple employees’ or department calendars are displayed on the same view. However, all of the tasks must be the same color as one another. To add color labels to events on mobile devices, you’ll need to create those labels on a computer first. You can change the colors of events individually.

The same process applies to categorizing tasks. Tasks can only be categorized by calendar (under My Calendars). Events can be categorized individually by project type or any other label.

Can I convert a task into an event in Google Calendar?

Tasks and events are separate items. There is no automatic way to convert one to another inside Google Calendar alone. Some automation services, like Zapier, can convert tasks inside Gmail into events.

How do I manage recurring tasks versus recurring events?

Both tasks and events can be scheduled to recur. The menus for each look slightly different.

To manage a recurring task, click it and select the Edit task from the top right of the tile. You can edit the date and recurrence there. Shared tasks or subtasks cannot be repeated.

To manage a recurring meeting, click it and select Edit event from the top right of the tile. Time and recurrence options will be just below the event’s title.

Editor’s note: This article was updated by Megan Crouse in 2024.