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Overview

How ModePilot turns your calendar into a live work state

ModePilot combines events from your selected Google Calendar with your working schedule, mode rules, and manual overrides. It resolves those inputs into one current work state so Slack, boundaries, time views, and activity history do not each have to interpret the day separately.

Primary inputsCalendar + schedule
Decision layerModes + overrides
Current resultOne resolved work state

Product model

Calendar structure becomes operational behavior

Calendar events describe what is happening. Schedule policy describes when work is allowed. Modes describe how recognized activities should behave. ModePilot evaluates those layers together and makes the result visible before it updates connected tools.

01Read calendar context

ModePilot reads timed events, all-day events, Google Calendar out-of-office blocks, and ModePilot-managed habit events from your selected calendar.

02Apply schedule policy

Weekly windows, split shifts, date exceptions, the workday reset hour, flexible finishes, and after-hours rules establish the boundaries around the day.

03Resolve the current work state

Mode rules, event metadata, keyword matches, priorities, buffers, and any active manual override determine the state that best represents what is happening now.

04Send one result downstream

Slack status, presence and DND, the desktop app, time views, notifications, and activity history all consume the same resolved state.

Slack is an output, not the source of truth

ModePilot uses Slack's official integration to apply the state it has already resolved. It is not designed to simulate activity or keep someone artificially present.

Getting started

Set up the system in this order

Establish the inputs before adding more automation. A clear calendar, schedule, and mode model makes every downstream output easier to understand and troubleshoot.

  1. 01

    Connect Google Calendar and Slack

    Choose the calendar ModePilot should interpret, then authorize the Slack workspace where it should apply status, presence, and DND. Calendar events may come from you, ModePilot habits, booking tools, or another connected system.

    Open Integrations
  2. 02

    Define when you work

    Add normal work windows, split shifts, exceptions, flexible-finish rules, and outside-working-hours behavior. The schedule is active policy, not display-only availability.

    Read the schedule guide
  3. 03

    Configure the modes you need

    Create narrow modes for activities whose behavior should differ—such as calls, deep work, lunch, or offline time. Set matching rules, priority, Slack behavior, and reporting treatment.

    Read the modes guide
  4. 04

    Verify the live state before relying on it

    Use the Dashboard to compare the current mode, reason, end time, next event, and intended outputs before relying on the automation throughout the day.

    Open the Dashboard
  5. 05

    Add recurring structure after the core works

    Use Habits to place recurring blocks onto Google Calendar. Those managed events then flow through the same schedule and mode engine as every other event.

    Read the habits guide

Core guides

Go deeper into each system layer

These guides explain the configuration model and the boundaries between the systems. Start with Schedule and Modes; add Habits once the underlying state model behaves predictably.

Schedule and boundaries

Work windows, reset hour, split shifts, flexible finishes, late-work recovery, and after-hours behavior.

Read guide
Modes

Stable mode keys, visible names, event matching, priority, Slack outputs, and out-of-office behavior.

Read guide
Desktop app

Linux installation, one-time connection codes, connected computers, tray support, and quick overrides.

Read guide
Habits

Recurring calendar-block definitions, placement rules, managed events, and safe handling of manual moves.

Read guide

Verification

When the result looks wrong, follow the state backwards

Begin with the resolved state, then work back through the source event and applied action. This is usually faster than starting with Slack or changing several rules at once.

Start with the Dashboard

Confirm the current mode, the reason ModePilot selected it, when it ends, and what should happen next.

Open
Check the Calendar view

Verify that the source event, overnight span, and projected status timeline match the day you intended.

Open
Review Activity history

See which actions ModePilot applied, what changed, and whether an integration or background process reported a problem.

Open