How to Sync Multiple Calendars in vcita

Take control of your schedule by learning how to manage two calendars for a single staff member to prevent overbooking.

By linking multiple calendars to one email account and connecting that account to the platform, you ensure that personal and professional commitments block your availability accurately. This is particularly useful if you maintain a personal calendar for private appointments and a work calendar for business meetings, and you need both to impact your availability on the platform.

Step 1: Prepare Your Main Email Account

Before connecting to the platform, you must consolidate your calendars under one primary email address.

1. Choose the main email account you want to connect to the platform.
2. Share your second calendar (such as a personal or secondary work calendar) into this main email account.
3. Verify that both calendars are visible within that single email account.

Step 2: Retrieve the Calendar Link

If your second calendar is hosted on a different service, you must get a sharing link to add it to your main account.

For Google Calendars

1. Open Google Calendar on a computer.
2. In the "My calendars" section on the left, hover over the calendar you want to share.
3. Click the three vertical dots for Options.
4. Select Settings and sharing.
5. Navigate to the "Integrate calendar" section.
6. Copy the URL found under "Secret address in iCal format".

For Outlook Calendars

1. Sign in to Outlook.com or the New Outlook desktop app.
2. Click the Settings (gear) icon.
3. Navigate to Calendar and select Shared calendars.
4. Locate the "Publish a calendar" section.
5. Select the calendar you want to share from the dropdown menu.
6. Choose a permission level, such as "Can view all details".
7. Click Publish.
8. Copy the provided ICS link.

Step 3: Add the Second Calendar to Your Main Account

Once you have the link, you must add it to the primary account that you will connect to the platform.

1. Open the Outlook account you plan to connect to the platform.
2. Navigate to the Calendar view.
3. If using the desktop app, click Add Calendar on the Home tab.
4. If using the web version, click Add calendar in the left navigation pane.
5. Select the option to add a calendar from the internet.
6. Paste the ICS URL or Secret address you copied previously.
7. Complete the prompts to finish adding the calendar.

Step 4: Connect the Account to the Platform

After both calendars appear under one email account, connect that account to the platform.

1. Open the platform.
2. Click Settings.
3. Click Availability & Calendar.
4. Locate the "Calendar sync" or "Connected calendars" section.
5. Click Connect calendar.
6. Complete the authorization flow for Google or Outlook to grant the platform access.

Step 5: Configure Availability Settings

You must specify which calendars the platform should monitor to prevent double bookings.

1. In the platform, navigate to Settings.
2. Click Availability & Calendar.
3. Locate the section labeled "Calendars that affect my availability."
4. Select the checkboxes for your primary work calendar and your secondary calendar.
5. Click Save.

Step 6: Test the Configuration

Confirm that the setup correctly blocks your time.

1. Create a test event on your primary calendar.
2. Create a test event on your secondary calendar.
3. Open your public booking page.
4. Verify that the times for both test events appear as unavailable.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I connect two different email accounts to one staff member?

The platform requires you to link both calendars to a single email account first. You cannot directly connect two separate email logins to one staff profile.

Q: Will my clients see the details of my personal calendar events?

The platform uses the "busy" status from your selected calendars to block time, but you should ensure you set appropriate permission levels when publishing or sharing your calendar.

Q: What should I do if my second calendar events are not blocking my time?

Verify that the second calendar is visible under your main connected email account and ensure you have checked the box for that specific calendar in the "Calendars that affect my availability" settings.

Q: Why are some of my calendar events not syncing to block my availability?

For an event to block your availability, it must be set to "Busy" in your external calendar. Events marked as "Free" or "Available" will not be synced as blocks, so always ensure your appointments are set to "Busy" status.

Q: How often does the platform check for updates on my secondary calendar?

The platform typically syncs in real time with your primary connected account. However, if the secondary calendar is added via a URL (ICS), there may be a slight delay depending on how often the provider updates that feed.

Q: Can I choose which specific events from my second calendar block my time?

The platform checks the entire calendar you have selected. If you want an event to not block your time, you must change that specific event's status to "Free" within your Google or Outlook settings.

Q: Does this setup work for all staff members?

Yes. Each staff member can follow these steps to connect their own consolidated email account to ensure their individual availability is accurate across multiple calendars.