Why aren't my calendar events blocking my availability in TidyCal?
A calendar event blocks your TidyCal availability only if it sits on a calendar with Reading enabled and is set to Busy. Work through the checks below, then resync.
Quick Checklist
- The calendar account is connected, and the account does not show Please Reconnect.
- That specific calendar has Reading enabled.
- The event is set to Busy, not Free.
- The event is on a calendar TidyCal reads, not a different one in the same account.
- If you have just changed something, resync the calendar.
Each check is explained below. To see exactly what is blocking one time slot, use Troubleshoot availability on your booking page.
Is the Calendar Connected, With Reading Enabled?
Go to Integrations → Calendars. Each connected account lists its calendars, and each calendar has a Reading enabled / Reading disabled toggle. Only calendars with Reading enabled are checked for conflicts.
- Turning Reading on shows "Calendar reading enabled!" and the first sync takes a few minutes.
- How many calendars you can read: Free Plan 1, Individual Lifetime 10, Agency Lifetime 10 (25 if purchased before September 1, 2026), Pro unlimited. Over the limit you see "You have reached your reading enabled calendar limit of N."
- If the account shows "Please Reconnect", its calendars are hidden and nothing syncs. Reconnect it — see Configure Calendars for 2-Way Sync. TidyCal also emails you ("Please reconnect your Google account"), so add service@tidycal.com to your contacts.
- Events from a disconnected account keep blocking for 30 days, then stop. Reconnect the account to keep them, or disconnect it to clear them now.
📺 Watch the video tutorial on YouTube — recorded in an earlier version of TidyCal, so some screens look different, but the checks are the same.
Is the Event Set to Busy?
TidyCal only blocks time for events that mark you as busy. What counts depends on your calendar provider:
| Event | Blocks your availability? |
|---|---|
| Set to Busy | Yes |
| Set to Free | No |
| All-day event | Only if it is set to Busy — then it blocks the whole day |
| Tentative or "Maybe" | Yes |
| Out of office | Yes, unless it is set to Free |
| Private events | Yes — marking an event private changes nothing |
| An invitation you declined | On Google, no. On Microsoft and Apple it still blocks unless you set it to Free or remove it. |
| Cancelled events | No |
| Recurring events | Yes, every occurrence |
To block time deliberately, create an event set to Busy on a calendar with Reading enabled. An all-day event set to Busy blocks that entire day.
Is the Event on a Calendar TidyCal Reads?
Every calendar with Reading enabled is checked for conflicts, across all your connected accounts, for every booking type. Events on any other calendar are invisible to TidyCal.
The Calendar setting inside a booking type is a different thing: it decides where new bookings are added, not which calendars are checked for conflicts. Your Primary Calendar works the same way — it receives bookings and has no effect on conflict detection.
Force a Resync
- Go to Integrations → Calendars.
- Click the calendar's name to open its events. The name is only clickable when Reading is enabled.
- Click Resync in the upper right. TidyCal shows "Sync process has begun, it will complete in a few minutes."
A resync pulls the calendar again from scratch, so it also clears events that were deleted in your calendar but are still blocking time in TidyCal. You can resync a calendar once a minute.
How Quickly Do Calendar Changes Appear?
- Google and Microsoft notify TidyCal when something changes, so updates usually appear within a few minutes.
- Apple iCloud has no such notifications, so TidyCal checks it while you or a booker are using TidyCal (at most once every two minutes), and at least once an hour otherwise.
- On the Free Plan, background syncing pauses for accounts with no dashboard visit and no bookings for 90 days. It restarts as soon as you sign in again or someone opens your booking page. Paid plans are never paused.
The events page for each calendar shows Last synced, plus a webhook or polling badge so you can see which method that calendar uses.
Troubleshooting
A deleted event still blocks time
- Resync that calendar (above). The resync removes events that no longer exist.
- If it persists, open the calendar's events page and check whether the event is still listed there.
Events from an account I removed still block time
- Events from a disconnected account keep blocking for 30 days.
- To clear them immediately, disconnect the account under Integrations → Calendars.
A team booking type is missing times
- Team availability combines each host's schedule and calendar, so one host can remove a slot for everyone. See troubleshooting team availability.
Everything looks right and it still doesn't block
- Open the calendar's events page and confirm the event is listed. If it isn't, TidyCal hasn't received it.
- Email support@tidycal.com with the date and time of the event, the calendar it is on, and a screenshot.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often does TidyCal sync with my calendar?
Google and Microsoft calendars are updated within minutes of a change. Apple calendars are checked while you or a booker use TidyCal, and at least hourly. You can also resync any calendar yourself, once a minute.
Do all-day events block my availability?
Only when they are set to Busy. An all-day Busy event blocks the whole day; an all-day Free event blocks nothing.
Can one booking type check only some of my calendars?
No. Every calendar with Reading enabled is checked for every booking type. Turn Reading off for a calendar you don't want checked.
Do private events block my availability?
Yes. TidyCal reads only the times, not the details, and a private Busy event blocks time like any other.
Check Your Calendars in TidyCal
➜ Open Integrations → Calendars to see connected accounts, switch Reading on or off, and resync.