Guides · Updated 23 October 2026

How to mass delete events in Google Calendar

Mass deletion usually comes up after something went wrong: a bad import created hundreds of duplicates, an old sync filled the calendar with stale entries, or a spam invite landed on every day for a month. Google Calendar has no "select all and delete" button for individual events, but there are several ways to get the same result.

Before anything else: deleting is the one bulk operation that is hard to undo. Export a backup first (Settings, Import & export, Export).

1. Delete a recurring series

If the unwanted events are occurrences of one recurring event, open one, choose Delete, and pick All events (or This and following events). That removes the whole series in one step.

2. Delete or unsubscribe from a whole calendar

If all the unwanted events live on a secondary calendar, for example one created by an import, remove the calendar itself. In Settings, open the calendar under "Settings for my calendars" and use the option to delete or remove it. Calendars you are only subscribed to can simply be unsubscribed.

This is why importing into a new, dedicated calendar is a good habit: if the import is wrong, you delete one calendar instead of hundreds of events.

Your primary calendar cannot be deleted. Google Calendar has offered an option to delete all events on the primary calendar in its settings; it removes everything, not a selection, so use it only if that is really what you want and you have a backup.

3. Search, then delete one by one

Search for a word that the unwanted events share, then delete each result. For a few dozen events this is tedious but safe, because you see every event you remove.

4. Apps Script

A script can delete events that match a search in a date range:

function deleteMatching() {
  const cal = CalendarApp.getDefaultCalendar();
  const events = cal.getEvents(new Date('2026-01-01'), new Date('2026-12-31'), {search: 'Imported'});
  events.forEach(e => Logger.log(e.getTitle() + ' ' + e.getStartTime()));
  // After checking the log, replace the line above with: events.forEach(e => e.deleteEvent());
}

Always run the logging version first. Scripts have no undo, and a broad search term can match events you want to keep.

5. An extension with preview, backup and undo

A calendar bulk-edit extension can list every match, let you untick the ones to keep, download a backup and then delete the rest. Our extension Sweepframe works this way and can restore the last operation; it is currently awaiting Chrome Web Store review.

Dealing with spam invitations

If the unwanted events come from spam invites, deleting them is only half the fix. In Google Calendar settings, under event settings, you can limit which invitations are added to your calendar automatically, for example only from known senders. Changing this prevents the next batch.

Deleting events you did not create

When you delete an event someone else organised, it is removed from your calendar; it is not deleted for other guests. When you delete an event you organised that has guests, Google Calendar may offer to notify them of the cancellation. For bulk operations on meetings with guests, decide whether you want cancellation emails to go out before you start.

Troubleshooting

Deleted events came back. If the events are created by a sync from another app or an external subscription, they will be recreated. Disconnect the source first.
An event will not delete. On shared calendars you may not have permission to change events; check your access level in the calendar's sharing settings.
Deleted by mistake. Look in the calendar Trash (in settings, under the calendar menu) and restore from there, or re-import your backup into a new calendar and move back what you need.
Too many duplicates to count. Narrow by date range: delete one month, check, then continue.

A safe order of operations

Export a backup.
Identify what the unwanted events have in common: a calendar, a word in the title, a date range, an organiser.
Pick the narrowest tool: series delete, calendar delete, script or extension.
Test on a small range, check the result, then do the rest.

Want to change events instead of deleting them? See how to bulk edit Google Calendar events.

Frequently asked questions

Can I delete multiple events at once in Google Calendar?

Not by multi-selecting individual events in the web app. You can delete a recurring series, delete a secondary calendar, or use a script or extension.

How do I undo a mass delete in Google Calendar?

Deleted events may appear in the calendar Trash for a period, from which they can be restored. A prior export is the most reliable backup.

How do I remove duplicate events after an import?

If you imported into a dedicated calendar, delete that calendar. Otherwise search for a shared word and delete the matches, or use a tool with preview.