Calendar Sync

Calendar Sync connects external calendars (Google Calendar, Outlook, iCloud) with the platform’s Calendar Booking system through two-way synchronization. Appointments booked in the platform appear on your external calendar. Events on your external calendar block availability so clients cannot double-book your time. This eliminates manual cross-referencing between systems and prevents the overlapping appointments and missed meetings that happen when personal and client schedules live in separate places.

What Calendar Sync Does

Calendar integrations are configured at the user level, so each team member connects their own external calendar. This ensures personal availability is reflected in the booking system.

Linked Calendar is the primary external calendar that receives new bookings from the platform. When a client books through your booking page, the event is written to your Linked Calendar so it appears alongside other commitments. Writer access is required during OAuth connection. The Linked Calendar is automatically added as a Conflict Calendar, meaning events on it block booking availability and bookings created in the platform push to external calendar.

Conflict Calendars are where the platform reads events from to determine availability. Any event marked “Busy” on a Conflict Calendar blocks the corresponding time slot in the platform, making it unavailable for new bookings. You might have a work calendar as your Linked Calendar but also personal Google Calendar, shared team calendar, and holiday calendar as Conflict Calendars. The platform checks all before showing open slots to clients.

Sync modes control integration depth. Default Sync (one-way) syncs events both directions but external events appear as blocked slots only without creating CRM contacts or triggering workflows. Two-Way Sync creates full appointments for external events, automatically creates contacts for guests, and triggers workflows just like platform-created appointments.

Key Configuration Options

Google Calendar connection requires valid Google account (personal Gmail or Google Workspace), Admin or user-level access to calendar settings, and granting all requested permissions during OAuth flow (Calendar read/write, Profile, Email). Both personal and Workspace accounts are fully supported with no tier requirement. Check Settings > Integrations > Google for missing-permissions warnings and click Reconnect if needed.

Outlook Calendar connection works with Microsoft 365, Outlook.com, Live.com, and Hotmail accounts. Requires active cloud-hosted account and writer access to send events back. Important limitation: local Outlook events not synced to cloud are invisible to the platform. On-premises Exchange servers are not supported. You can connect multiple Outlook accounts per sub-account, and same account can connect across multiple sub-accounts.

iCloud Calendar connection follows the same pattern: navigate to Connections, click Add New, select iCloud Calendar, and authenticate with Apple ID credentials. Useful for team members managing personal schedules through Apple’s ecosystem.

Time zone alignment is critical. The platform uses the time zone set in your user profile while external calendar uses its own setting. Mismatches cause events to appear at wrong times. Confirm time zone is correct under Settings > My Profile, check external calendar time zone setting, and keep fixed “home” time zone rather than letting it update automatically if you travel frequently.

Multiple calendars per user should follow this organization: designate one primary work calendar as Linked Calendar (where all platform bookings are written), add all other calendars as Conflict Calendars (personal, shared team, holiday calendars block availability), and enable write-back on only primary Linked Calendar to avoid duplicate events across calendars. You can connect calendars from different providers simultaneously.

How Sync Works in Practice

When a client visits your booking page and selects a time slot, the platform runs this availability check:

1. Checks calendar availability settings (business hours, working days)
2. Queries all Conflict Calendars for events during requested time slot
3. Checks Linked Calendar for existing appointments
4. If time slot is clear across all calendars, it shows as available
5. When client confirms, event is created in platform and simultaneously pushed to Linked Calendar

From the Calendar tab, you see three types of entries: external events as shaded blocks, platform bookings as colored events, and blocked slots marked Unavailable. Cancellations and reschedules sync automatically. If booking is cancelled in platform, corresponding event on external calendar is updated or removed.

Pro Tips

• Keep write-back enabled on only one calendar. Enabling on multiple calendars creates duplicate events that clutter your schedule and confuse your team.
• Use Conflict Calendars for personal commitments. Link personal calendar as Conflict Calendar so family events and appointments automatically block booking slots without manual availability updates.
• Reauthorize after security changes. Any time you change Google or Microsoft password, update two-factor authentication, or modify app permissions, immediately reauthorize calendar connection. Broken sync is worse than no sync because you assume availability is accurate when it’s not.
• Periodically verify sync is working. Create test event on external calendar and confirm it blocks corresponding time slot in platform’s booking widget. Takes 30 seconds and catches silent failures before they cause real client double-bookings.
• Choose Default Sync for most users. Only enable Two-Way Sync if you genuinely want external calendar guests imported as CRM contacts and triggering automations. Switching from Two-Way back to Default does not remove already-created contacts.

Common Questions

Can I use one calendar across multiple users?

No. Calendar integrations are user-specific. Each user must connect their own external calendar for personalized scheduling and sync. Sharing a single calendar connection across multiple user profiles is not supported.

Can I sync multiple Google Calendars?

Yes. Link multiple Google Calendars. Configure one as Linked Calendar for bookings and add others as Conflict Calendars to prevent double-bookings across all of them.

What types of Outlook accounts are supported?

Office 365, Outlook.com, Live.com, and Hotmail calendars work. Any cloud-hosted Microsoft calendar is supported. On-premises Exchange servers and Outlook Desktop accounts not synced to cloud are not supported.

Why are my calendar events not appearing in the platform?

Check three things: calendar is listed under Connected Calendars on Connections page, you have set up Linked Calendar in Calendar Configuration section, and sync is enabled with writer access granted during OAuth connection.

What causes Google Calendar sync to break?

Most common causes are token expiry, calendar being deleted, and permissions being revoked after initial connection. Navigate to Settings > Integrations > Google for missing-permissions warning and click Reconnect if needed.