Free vs Busy in Motion

Unlike tasks, you have direct control over whether events appear as Free or Busy in Motion. This choice impacts both how your calendar appears to others and how Motion’s AI schedules tasks around these events.

Busy events

• Tell Motion: “This time is completely blocked.”

• Motion will not schedule tasks or other events in that slot.

• Use for:

  • Must-attend meetings (client calls, team stand-ups)

  • Important presentations

  • Focus blocks where you need uninterrupted time

  • Any commitment that cannot be shifted

Free events

• Tell Motion: “I have something here, but tasks can still be scheduled.”

• The event is visible but does not block scheduling.

• Use for:

  • Optional meetings you could skip or reschedule

  • Personal placeholders (like “gym” or “errands”)

  • Background activities where multitasking is possible

  • Time you want visible but not protected

Key rule

• Busy = block time. Free = visible but flexible.

• Motion respects external calendar states, so if you mark something Free in Google, it appears Free in Motion as well.

• Booking link events are always Busy by default.

Event States & Behavior

Motion respects standard calendar event states from connected calendars (Google, Outlook, iCloud). These states determine how events display in Motion and how they interact with task scheduling.

Event State	Behavior in Motion
Busy	Blocks time completely. Tasks cannot be scheduled in this slot. Default for most meetings and all booking link events.
Free	Appears on your calendar but does not block scheduling. Tasks can be placed during this time.
Tentative	Treated as Busy by default (to prevent conflicts) but flagged visually to show uncertainty. If confirmed or declined externally, the state updates in Motion.
Declined	Hidden from your active calendar view in Motion. Tasks can be scheduled in this time slot.

Behavior rules

• Motion mirrors the state of an event from the source calendar; updates made externally flow into Motion automatically.

• If an event’s state changes (e.g., Tentative → Busy, Declined → Free), Motion will adjust scheduling accordingly.

• Booking link events always create Busy events, even if edited later.

• Tasks never override Busy or OOO events — they shift to available time instead.

Why it matters Event states give you control over how Motion prioritizes your time. Mark events accurately (Free vs Busy vs Tentative) to keep your schedule realistic and prevent tasks from being over- or under-blocked.