Install Book Time Off from the Google Workspace Marketplace, then start a direct message with the bot and send hello. It matches you by your Google email and replies with a welcome. Type /whosoff to see who’s off, ask for your balance, or book leave from a form. Leave you book in Chat emails your approver a one-click decision.
Install from the
If your team lives in Google Chat, leave can live there too. The Book Time Off app is a two-way bot: message it in a DM, @mention it in a space, or use its slash commands, and it answers with who’s off, your remaining balance and a form to book time off. It always replies. Booking from Chat runs the same validation as the app and sends the request for approval by email, so nothing replaces the app or the usual approvals; Google Chat is simply another place to get things done.
What you get
- Who’s off. Ask the bot, or type /whosoff, to see who is off today and over the next seven days. It replies with a short summary, not a calendar grid.
- Your balance. Ask the bot how many days you have left and it replies with your remaining annual leave.
- Book leave from Chat. The bot opens a short form (leave type, dates, half days, an optional note). It runs the same checks as the app, including past dates, blocked periods and your department’s max-absent limit, then sends the request for approval.
- One-click approval by email. When you book from Chat, your approver gets an email with one-click Approve and Decline buttons. The decision is made by email, not with a card inside Chat.
- Slash commands and @mentions. Use /whosoff and /help in a space, @mention the bot, or message it directly. It always replies.
- A welcome and help. Say hello for a distinct welcome message, and send /help any time to see everything the bot can do.
When you book leave from Google Chat, the request goes to your approver as an email with one-click Approve and Decline buttons, exactly like a request made in the app. There is no Approve or Decline card inside Google Chat itself; the decision is sent by email.
The bot finds each person by email, so someone’s Google account must use the same email address as their Book Time Off login. If the bot can’t find you, that mismatch is the first thing to check.
Frequently asked
Is this the same as the daily who’s-off digest?
No. The digest is a one-way summary an admin posts into a Google Chat space each morning through a webhook. The app for Google Chat is a two-way bot you message directly: it answers /whosoff, shows your balance and lets you book leave. You can use either, or both.
How is leave I book in Google Chat approved?
When you book from Chat, your approver gets an email with one-click Approve and Decline buttons, exactly like a request made in the app. There is no Approve or Decline card inside Google Chat itself; the decision is sent by email.
Can I see the full calendar in Google Chat?
No. Chat replies are summaries, not a calendar grid: who’s off today and over the next seven days, and your own remaining balance. For the full picture, open the app, or subscribe a calendar to the iCal feed.
What language does the bot speak?
English only. The rest of Book Time Off is available in many languages, but the Google Chat messages are English for now.
How does the bot know who I am?
By your email. The bot matches your Google account to your Book Time Off login by email address, so the two need to use the same email. If the bot can’t find you, that mismatch is the first thing to check.