Time-Blocking in rivva: Turn Tasks Into Protected Calendar Time
Learn how to turn tasks into protected calendar time using rivva's time-blocking feature. Create realistic schedules, protect focus time, and show others when you're busy.
You know what you need to do. You’ve even scheduled it in rivva. But when you look at your calendar, it’s just meetings. Your actual work is invisible.
That’s the problem time-blocking solves.
Time-blocking turns tasks into real, protected time on your calendar. Instead of just knowing what you plan to do, you can see when you’ll actually do it—and so can everyone else.
What is time-blocking?
Time-blocking turns a task into a calendar event.
When enabled, the task appears on your Google Calendar for the scheduled time, helping you:
Get a realistic view of your day See tasks and meetings together instead of separately
Protect focus time Block time from meetings and interruptions
Show others when you’re busy If your calendar is shared, people can see when you’re unavailable
Time-blocking doesn’t change the task itself. It simply mirrors it on your calendar.
When should you use time-blocking?
Time-blocking works best for:
Deep work and focus sessions Protect uninterrupted time for strategic work
Tasks that keep getting pushed or forgotten Make them visible so they actually get done
Days that feel overbooked or chaotic See a realistic view of what you can actually accomplish
Protecting time from meetings Block your calendar so others can’t schedule over your work
If you prefer a lighter approach, you can skip time-blocking and rely on rivva’s planning view instead. It’s completely optional.
When can you time-block a task?
You can time-block tasks at three points:
1. While creating a task Toggle time-blocking on during task creation
2. After the task is created Open the Task Details screen and enable time-blocking
3. Through Nia Ask Nia to create and time-block tasks for you
The process differs slightly depending on whether the task is manually scheduled or smart-scheduled.
Time-blocking a manually scheduled task
A manually scheduled task is one where Smart Schedule is turned off.
To time-block a manually scheduled task:
Make sure you’ve selected a start date and start time
Toggle Block Time on
Choose the calendar you want the task to appear on (if you have multiple calendars)
Important: If a start date and time aren’t selected, rivva won’t be able to time-block the task. Manual tasks rely entirely on the time you choose.
Time-blocking a smart-scheduled task
A smart-scheduled task is one where Smart Schedule is turned on.
To time-block a smart-scheduled task:
Turn on Smart Schedule
Click Block Time
Select the calendar you want the task added to
You don’t need to manually choose a time. rivva already schedules the task based on your energy, availability, and preferences.
Choosing a calendar for time-blocking
If you have multiple calendars connected:
You can choose which calendar the task should appear on
You can change the selected calendar at any time
Even if a calendar is hidden, time-blocking still works
This is especially helpful if you separate work, personal, or side-project calendars.
Time-blocking with Nia
You can also time-block tasks using Nia.
Here’s how it works:
Nia first creates the task
Nia then asks if you want to time-block it
Once confirmed, Nia adds the task to your calendar
Current limitations with Nia:
To set expectations, there are a few things Nia currently can’t do:
Tasks only When it comes to time-blocking, Nia can process prompts that include tasks, but not mixed prompts with tasks and calendar events.
Examples:
❌ Nia wouldn’t be able to time-block this: “Create a task to write a report and schedule a meeting tomorrow”
✅ Nia would be able to time-block this: “Create a task to write a report tomorrow”
Batch limit Nia can only process up to 3 task creations at a time.
If you ask Nia to create and time-block 7 tasks:
It will create and time-block the first 3
Then move on to the next 3
And continue until all tasks are processed
This helps ensure accuracy and prevents scheduling errors.
What happens if you move a time-blocked task on Google Calendar?
If you move a time-blocked task directly on your Google Calendar, it will also move in rivva.
Your calendar and rivva stay in sync.
What happens if a meeting conflicts with a time-blocked task?
If you accept a meeting that conflicts with a smart-scheduled, time-blocked task, the task automatically moves to a new time.
If a meeting comes in but isn’t accepted or rejected, the task won’t move. rivva waits for you to respond to the meeting before adjusting your schedule.
Still have questions about time-blocking? Reach out at support@rivva.app or message us on WhatsApp.