Outlook, iCloud or Google Workspace Calendar Not Syncing?

To fix calendar sync, reconnect the account in Integrations → Calendars. Outlook work accounts may need admin approval, and iCloud needs an app-specific password.

Prerequisites

• A calendar account with Google, Microsoft 365 / Outlook or Apple iCloud, a CalDAV account (Fastmail, Nextcloud, Zoho, kSuite, mailbox.org and others), or the link to an ICS / webcal calendar feed.
• For iCloud, an app-specific password (see below). Your normal Apple ID password will not work.
• Room in your plan's limit for calendars with Reading enabled: Free Plan 1, Individual Lifetime 10, Agency Lifetime 10 (25 if purchased before September 1, 2026), Pro unlimited.

You can connect several accounts, and several calendars per account. Every calendar with Reading enabled is checked for conflicts — see Why aren't my calendar events blocking my availability in TidyCal?

Connect a Calendar Account

1. In the sidebar, click Integrations. The Calendars tab opens first.
2. Click Add Google account, Add Microsoft 365 account, Add Apple account, Add other calendar (CalDAV) or Add calendar feed (ICS).
3. Sign in and approve access. You return to TidyCal, and the account appears under Connected accounts with its calendars listed.
4. Turn on Reading enabled for each calendar TidyCal should check for conflicts.
5. Click Set primary on the calendar that should receive your TidyCal bookings. It then shows the Primary Calendar badge and "Your bookings will be added to this calendar".

What TidyCal does with the access you grant: it reads the titles and times of your events (not their descriptions) so it can avoid double bookings, and it adds your TidyCal bookings to the calendar you set as primary. TidyCal never shares your calendar with anyone else.

Microsoft 365 and Outlook

1. Go to Integrations → Calendars and click Add Microsoft 365 account.
2. Sign in with your Microsoft account.
3. Microsoft asks you to allow TidyCal to sign you in, read your profile, read your mailbox settings and have full access to your calendars. TidyCal needs calendar access to read busy times and to add bookings. Approve to continue.
4. Back in TidyCal, turn on Reading enabled for the calendars you want checked, and click Set primary on the one that should receive bookings.

Work or school accounts: if your organisation restricts which apps can be approved, Microsoft asks for admin approval instead of completing the connection. Your IT administrator can approve TidyCal for your account.

You can review or remove TidyCal's access at any time in your Microsoft account privacy settings, under the apps and services that can access your data.

Apple iCloud

Apple requires an app-specific password for apps like TidyCal.

1. Sign in to your Apple ID account and create an app-specific password. Apple explains the steps in Sign in to apps with your Apple Account using app-specific passwords. Copy the password.
2. In TidyCal, go to Integrations → Calendars and click Add Apple account.
3. Enter your Apple ID and paste the App-specific password.
4. Click Add account. Your iCloud calendars appear under Connected accounts.
5. Turn on Reading enabled for the calendars you want checked, and click Set primary if bookings should be added to an iCloud calendar.

How often iCloud is checked: Apple does not notify TidyCal when something changes, so TidyCal checks your iCloud calendars while you or a booker are using TidyCal (at most once every two minutes), and at least once an hour otherwise. The same applies to other CalDAV calendars. You can also open the calendar and click Resync at any time.

Other CalDAV Calendars and Calendar Feeds

Fastmail, Nextcloud, Zoho, kSuite (Infomaniak), mailbox.org and other CalDAV servers connect with Add other calendar (CalDAV): choose a Provider, then enter the Server, your Username and an App password created in your provider's security settings. CalDAV calendars start with Reading disabled, so turn on Reading enabled for the ones TidyCal should check, and click Set primary if bookings should be added to one of them.

A calendar that cannot be connected directly, such as an Outlook "Publish calendar" link or a Proton calendar share link, can be added with Add calendar feed (ICS). TidyCal checks a feed for conflicts every 15 minutes (and when you or a booker use TidyCal, though not more than every 5 minutes per feed). A feed is read-only: it never receives bookings. The Free Plan background-sync pause described in How Quickly Do Calendar Changes Appear? applies to feeds too. For the full steps, see Connect a CalDAV calendar or add an ICS calendar feed.

Google Workspace

1. Go to Integrations → Calendars and click Add Google account.
2. Sign in with your Google Workspace account and allow access to your calendars.
3. Turn on Reading enabled for the calendars you want checked, and click Set primary on the one that should receive bookings.

Your TidyCal login email does not have to match your Google Workspace address — the connection is made through Google sign-in, not by matching addresses.

If your organisation restricts third-party apps, your Google Workspace administrator may need to allow TidyCal before the connection works.

Google Meet links: to have Meet links created automatically, the booking type must use a calendar on a Google account — either the calendar pinned to that booking type, or your primary calendar. See Google Meet Integration.

Shared and View-Only Calendars

Calendars that are shared with you, and calendars you subscribe to, are imported along with your own. You can turn Reading enabled on for them so their events block your availability.

A calendar you cannot edit shows View-only instead of Set primary, because TidyCal cannot add bookings to it. A calendar feed (ICS) is always read-only and is labelled Conflicts only. If you try to use one for bookings, TidyCal explains that the calendar is shared with you as view-only and asks you to get edit access or choose a calendar you own.

Troubleshooting

The account shows "Please Reconnect"

• The provider stopped accepting TidyCal's access, usually after a password change or a revoked permission. It can also happen when syncing the account has kept failing for several days. Its calendars are hidden and nothing syncs until you reconnect.
• Click Please Reconnect and sign in again. For an iCloud account, enter a new app-specific password. For another CalDAV account, Please Reconnect opens an Update calendar account page where you enter your Username and a new App password and click Update account; the server can't be changed (to use a different server, disconnect and connect the account again).
• TidyCal also emails you when this happens, so add service@tidycal.com to your contacts. While the account is disconnected, a red banner reading "Your [provider] calendar ([name]) is disconnected" with a Reconnect button appears on your TidyCal pages (not on Integrations → Calendars itself); the close button hides it until you next sign in. TidyCal may also send reminder emails, including a final warning before it stops reading the account.
• Events from a disconnected account keep blocking your availability for 30 days, then stop.

I got "New bookings are not being added to your calendar" about a view-only calendar

• Your new bookings are set to go to a calendar your account can only view, so TidyCal cannot add them to it. Check Notifications and your email for the message; while the problem lasts, TidyCal repeats it at most about once a month.
• Ask the calendar's owner to give your account permission to make changes to events (Make changes to events in Google Calendar, Can edit in Outlook), or choose a calendar you own: set it as primary in Integrations → Calendars, or pick it in the booking type's settings.
• Bookings made while the calendar was view-only are not added afterwards, so check your recent bookings in TidyCal.

Microsoft says my administrator has to approve TidyCal

• Your organisation only allows approved apps. Ask your IT administrator to approve TidyCal, then connect again.

My Apple account won't connect

• Use an app-specific password, not your Apple ID password.
• Generate a fresh one and paste it without spaces.
• Check the Apple ID you entered is the one your iCloud calendars belong to.

My CalDAV account won't connect

• "The server rejected this username or app password. Check them and try again." Use an app password from your provider's security settings, not your main password.
• "We couldn't reach this CalDAV server. Check the server address and try again." Check the address for typos.
• "This server address is not a public host, so we can't connect to it. Use the public https address of your CalDAV server." The server has to be reachable on the public internet over https.
• "You can connect up to 10 Apple or CalDAV accounts. Disconnect one to add another." Apple and CalDAV accounts count together.

My calendar feed shows an error

• "We couldn't read that feed." (followed by the reason) or "The feed link must be a public https:// or webcal:// address." Check that the link is still shared and opens a calendar. Very large feeds can be refused.
• If the feed card says Couldn't refresh, the busy times from its last successful check keep blocking. TidyCal may email you "We can't refresh your calendar feed" after repeated failures. If the link changed, remove the feed and add it again with the new link.
• A feed that shows Waiting for the first sync blocks nothing yet; give it a few minutes.

The account connected but no calendars are listed

• Open Integrations → Calendars again after a minute — the first calendar list arrives shortly after connecting. CalDAV calendars appear with Reading disabled; turn on Reading enabled for the ones you want checked.
• If it stays empty, disconnect the account and connect it again, approving every permission you are asked for.
• Still empty? Email support@tidycal.com with the provider and the account address.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does my TidyCal email have to match my calendar email?

No. You connect a calendar by signing in to that provider, so the addresses can be different.

Does TidyCal share my calendar with anyone?

No. TidyCal reads the titles and times of your events (not their descriptions) to avoid double bookings and adds your bookings to your primary calendar. Nothing is shared with other people.

Which calendar providers can I connect?

Google, Microsoft 365 / Outlook and Apple iCloud, plus other CalDAV servers (Fastmail, Nextcloud, Zoho, kSuite, mailbox.org and more) and read-only calendar feeds (ICS). You can connect more than one account (up to 10 Apple and CalDAV accounts in total), up to your plan's limit for calendars with Reading enabled.

What does 2-way sync mean?

TidyCal reads your calendar so busy times block your availability, and writes your TidyCal bookings to your primary calendar. Changes you make to a booking in TidyCal are reflected on the calendar too. This works for Google, Microsoft 365, Apple and CalDAV calendars you can edit; a calendar feed (ICS) is read-only, so it only blocks time.

Connect Your Calendar in TidyCal

➜ Open Integrations → Calendars to add an account, turn Reading on or off, and set your primary calendar.