Google Chat · Coming soon
Leave tracking in Google Chat: coming soon
The Absenca Google Chat bot isn't available yet. Until it is, approved leave syncs to Google Calendar, Google Chat can show who's out of office once they turn out-of-office on, and people sign in with Google.
Free for up to 10 people · 11 to 50 people: $37.50 a month on Pro
Absenca's Google Chat bot isn't available yet: it's built, but it isn't in the Google Workspace Marketplace and can't be added to a Workspace today. Absenca already works alongside Google Chat, though: approved leave syncs to each person's Google Calendar, and with out-of-office turned on, Google Chat can show them as out of office to colleagues who message them directly.
When the bot launches, people will type /leave to request time off and /whosout to see who's away, and approvers will decide from a card without leaving Chat. Until then, leave is booked in the web app, every request reaches the approver by email, and the full leave system runs underneath. Absenca is free for up to 10 people. Pro is $37.50 a month for up to 50 people, or $33.75 a month billed annually ($405 a year).
What you get
In Google Calendar today
Approved leave syncs to each person's own Google Calendar, all day or for the hours of a half day. Calendar sync is on every plan, the free Starter plan included.
Out of office in Chat today
Turn on out-of-office and Absenca adds a Google Calendar out-of-office entry for the leave. On Google Workspace, Chat can show it to colleagues who message that person.
Coming: /leave and /whosout
/leave will open a request form in Chat, /whosout will list who's away today and this week, and approvers will approve or reject from a card.
Coming: who's off, in a space
A daily or weekly summary of who's away will post to the space you choose.
Where the Google Chat bot stands
The bot is built, with slash commands for balances, who's out, leave and overtime requests, holidays and approvals. What's left is publishing it through the Google Workspace Marketplace, so it can't be added to a Workspace yet.
Already in Slack too? The Slack bot is live today.
What works with Google Workspace today
Each person connects their Google Calendar once; from then on approved leave is written to it, and taken off again if it's cancelled. People who turn on out-of-office also get a Google Calendar out-of-office entry covering the leave, which Google Chat can show in direct messages on Workspace accounts, where your admin allows Calendar status in Chat.
Staff sign in with their Google account, and each new request is emailed to the right approver with a button that opens the approval queue. A shared team calendar of who's off is on Pro and the Custom Pack, not on the free Starter plan. See the Google Workspace and Google Calendar pages for the details.
What the Google Chat bot will do
Requests: /leave and /toil will open forms for leave and overtime, and /balance, /entitlements, /holidays, /blackouts and /calendar will answer in Chat.
Approvals: approvers will get each new request as a card with Approve and Reject, and /pending will list what's waiting.
Visibility: /whosout for who's away today and this week, and a daily or weekly summary in a space you choose.
Why teams choose Absenca
- Google Chat bot: coming soon, not available yet
- Approved leave syncs to Google Calendar today
- Optional out-of-office entries that Google Chat can show in direct messages
- Google sign-in, no extra password
- Free for up to 10 people; Pro is $37.50 a month for up to 50 people
Frequently asked questions
- Does Absenca have a Google Chat bot?
- Not yet. The Absenca Google Chat bot is built but can't be added to a Workspace until it's published in the Google Workspace Marketplace. Today, Absenca works alongside Google Chat through Google Calendar sync and Google sign-in.
- When will the Google Chat bot be available?
- There's no date yet. When it launches, this page will say so, and you'll add the Absenca app in Google Chat and manage it in Absenca under Settings, Integrations.
- Will people see in Google Chat that someone is on leave?
- They can, on Google Workspace accounts. With out-of-office turned on, Absenca adds an out-of-office entry to the person's Google Calendar, and Google Chat can show that status in direct messages if your Workspace admin allows Calendar status in Chat.
- Can we use Absenca with Google Workspace in the meantime?
- Yes. People sign in with Google and book leave in the web app, approvers get an email for every request, and approved leave appears in Google Calendar.