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Getting Started with Zawly: Setting Up Your Family Calendar

Learn how to create your family workspace, invite members, and set up your shared calendar in minutes. The complete guide to starting with Zawly.

Getting Started with Zawly: Setting Up Your Family Calendar

Setting up a shared family calendar app shouldn't take hours. With Zawly, you can have your entire family organised in minutes. This guide walks you through every step of creating your family workspace and getting everyone on the same page.

Why Use a Shared Family Calendar?

Before diving into setup, it's worth understanding why thousands of families are switching to shared calendar apps like Zawly:

  • No more double-booking — when everyone sees the same calendar, clashes become obvious
  • Kids learn independence — they check the calendar themselves instead of asking "what's happening today?"
  • Less parental nagging — the calendar reminds everyone, not just you
  • Spend less time coordinating — one quick glance shows who needs to be where

Step 1: Create Your Account

  1. Go to zawly.app/sign-up and create your account using your email address.
  2. Verify your email by clicking the link sent to your inbox.
  3. You'll be redirected to the onboarding page where you can create your first family.

Step 2: Create Your Family Workspace

Your family workspace is the private area where your calendar and expenses live:

  1. Enter your family name — many families use surnames like "The Johnson Family" or "Smith Household".
  2. Optionally add a profile picture or family photo.
  3. Select your country — this enables public holiday integration so bank holidays appear automatically on your calendar.
  4. Click Create Family — your workspace is now ready.

Step 3: Invite Family Members

A shared family calendar only works when everyone joins. Here's how to invite your household:

  1. In your Zawly dashboard, click on Family in the sidebar.
  2. Click Invite Member and enter their email address.
  3. They'll receive an invitation email with a link to join your family workspace.
  4. Once they accept, they'll see the same calendar and expenses as everyone else.
  5. Repeat for each family member — parents, children (if old enough), and anyone else in your household.

Tips for Successful Invitations

  • Use the same email they'll check regularly
  • Send a WhatsApp or text letting them know to expect the email
  • Make sure they check their spam folder if the email doesn't arrive within 10 minutes
  • You can resend invitations from the Family page if needed

Step 4: Add Your First Events

Now for the fun part — populating your shared calendar:

  1. Go to the Calendar page from the sidebar.
  2. Click on any date to add an event.
  3. Enter the event title (e.g., "School Pickup", "Dentist Appointment", "Work Meeting").
  4. Set the start time and end time.
  5. Add any notes — useful for things like "bring swimming kit" or "conference room B".
  6. Choose whether it repeats — daily, weekly, bi-weekly, tri-weekly, quad-weekly, monthly, or yearly.

Step 5: Set Up Recurring Routines

Most family life runs on recurring events. Instead of adding "School Run" every week, set it once:

  1. Create an event called "School Run".
  2. Set the time (e.g., 8:15 AM to 8:45 AM).
  3. Under Recurrence, select Weekdays (or your preferred pattern).
  4. The event now appears every weekday automatically.
  5. Everyone in the family sees it instantly.

What Makes Zawly Different?

Unlike other family calendar apps, Zawly combines your calendar with household expense tracking:

  • See your monthly income and spending on the same dashboard
  • Track who spent what and on what category
  • No premium tiers or hidden fees — completely free forever

Common Setup Problems (and Solutions)

"My family member didn't get the invitation email"

  • Check they're using the correct email address
  • Ask them to check their spam/junk folder
  • Use the Resend Invitation button on the Family page

"I can't see events I just added"

  • Refresh the calendar page
  • Check you're looking at the correct month
  • Make sure you clicked Save after creating the event

"The calendar looks empty"

  • You've likely just started — add a few recurring events first
  • Ask other family members to add their regular commitments
  • Give it a week — most families add 10-15 regular events quickly

Next Steps

Now that your family is set up, spend 15 minutes adding your regular routines:

  • School runs, work schedules, and commute times
  • Weekly activities (sports, music lessons, clubs)
  • Regular appointments (dentist, doctor, hair)
  • Monthly bills and when they usually hit your account

The more you add now, the less you'll have to think about later.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is Zawly really free for families? A: Yes. Zawly is completely free with no paid feature gates, no premium tiers, and no credit card required. We built it for our own families and want to keep it that way.

Q: Can children use Zawly? A: Absolutely. Any family member you invite can use Zawly. For younger children, you might add events on their behalf, while teenagers can manage their own calendar entries.

Q: How many family members can I invite? A: There's no hard limit. Most families have 2-8 members, but Zawly can handle larger households too.

Q: Can I use Zawly on my phone? A: Yes. Zawly is mobile-first and works beautifully on phones, tablets, and computers. No app download needed — it runs in your web browser.

Q: What if I want to leave a family workspace? A: You can leave a family at any time from the Family settings page. If you're the last admin, you'll be prompted to assign another admin first.

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