How can I tell whether an invitation was accepted, declined, or left unanswered?

Start with the event itself, not just your inbox. Open the invitation in the calendar account where you organized it, then look for the guest list or response list. In Google Calendar on a computer, the event’s guest list is where you check responses. It can show accept, decline, or tentative, including when response emails are turned off. [S1]

Read the status for each guest separately. “Tentative” is a response, but it is not the same as an acceptance. If the list does not show a response, describe it as “no response visible” rather than assuming the person declined.

No. A missing response email by itself does not establish what the attendee chose. In Google Calendar, accept, decline, or tentative responses can be visible in the guest list even when response emails are off. [S1] So check the event’s guest list rather than using email as your only indicator.

If there is no status there, keep your wording neutral: “I don’t see a response yet.” The available guidance does not establish how every calendar product handles pending or delayed responses, so avoid treating an empty view as proof that someone has not replied.

Yes, there is a specific limitation described for Google Calendar: when response emails are off, RSVP statuses from third-party calendar users, such as Outlook users, are not available in the organizer’s view. [S1] That means a missing status in that situation does not necessarily tell you what the guest selected.

The guidance does not say how often this happens, whether a response will appear later, or how other calendar services handle it. If the status matters, ask the guest to confirm through a channel you already use. Keep the question simple and avoid presenting the calendar’s empty status as evidence of a decline.

Use a brief message that says what you can see and asks for the missing information. For example: “Hi [name], I’m checking the guest list for [event]. I don’t see a response next to your name. Could you let me know whether you plan to attend? If you already replied, please tell me so I can check the invitation again.”

Before following up, note the event name, the attendee, the status currently displayed, and when you checked. If the list says “declined,” record that as the displayed response; if it says “tentative,” preserve that wording. If it is blank or unavailable, record “no response visible.” This keeps your notes accurate without guessing why a status is missing.