Calendar Sync
Sync Google Calendar and Microsoft Outlook to keep your availability up to date.
Why Sync External Calendars?
Most people already have events in Google Calendar or Microsoft Outlook. Syncing these calendars into Planim means your full schedule is visible in one place. Team members can see when you're busy without you having to duplicate events, and the AI assistant factors in your external commitments when finding meeting slots.
- Busy/free visibility — external events show up as busy blocks on your Planim calendar
- Smarter scheduling — the AI considers all your calendars when suggesting available times
- No double-booking — teammates see your real availability, not just Planim events
External calendar events appear as read-only busy blocks on your Planim calendar. They are not editable from Planim — manage them in their original app.
Connecting Google Calendar
Link your Google account to import events from Google Calendar.
Open calendar settings
Go to Settings > Calendars from the main navigation. You'll see the list of connected calendars (empty at first).
Click Connect and choose Google
Click the Connect Calendar button and select Google Calendar from the provider dropdown.
Authorize with Google
You'll be redirected to Google's OAuth consent screen. Sign in with your Google account and grant Planim permission to read your calendar events.
Choose which calendars to sync
After authorization, Planim shows all available calendars in your Google account. Toggle on the calendars you want to sync — your primary calendar, shared calendars, or holiday calendars.
Sync begins automatically
Planim immediately pulls in your events. Going forward, events stay updated through a combination of periodic polling and webhook-based real-time updates.
Connect your Google Calendar now.
Try it nowConnecting Microsoft Outlook
The process for Outlook is nearly identical to Google Calendar.
Open calendar settings
Navigate to Settings > Calendars and click Connect Calendar.
Choose Microsoft Outlook
Select Microsoft Outlook from the provider dropdown.
Sign in with Microsoft
You'll be redirected to Microsoft's login page. Sign in and authorize Planim to read your Outlook calendar.
Select calendars
Pick the Outlook calendars you want to sync. You can include your work calendar, personal calendar, or any shared calendars you have access to.
If you use both Google and Outlook, you can connect both at the same time. Planim merges busy time from all connected calendars into one unified view.
Choosing Which Calendars to Sync
After connecting a provider, you can fine-tune which specific calendars are synced. Open the connection card in Settings > Calendars and click Manage Calendars to see the full list.
- Primary calendar — your main calendar (usually synced by default)
- Shared calendars — calendars shared with you by colleagues
- Holiday calendars — national or regional holiday calendars
- Other calendars — project-specific or custom calendars
Toggle each calendar on or off. Changes take effect on the next sync cycle.
Calendar Subscription Picker
The subscription picker shows every calendar in your external account with a clear toggle for each one. Calendar names and colors from the provider are preserved so you can easily identify them.
How Sync Works
Planim keeps your external events up to date using two mechanisms:
| Method | How It Works | Speed |
|---|---|---|
| Webhooks | Google and Microsoft push changes to Planim as they happen | Near instant |
| Polling | Planim periodically checks for changes as a fallback | Every few minutes |
When you first connect a calendar, Planim performs an initial full sync to import existing events. After that, incremental updates keep everything current.
What Gets Synced
- Event title (shown on hover for your own events)
- Start and end time
- All-day status
- Busy/free status
Event descriptions, attendees, and other details from external calendars are not imported — Planim only needs enough information to show busy/free blocks accurately.
External Events on Your Calendar
Synced events appear on your Planim calendar as grayed-out busy blocks. They're visually distinct from Planim events so you can tell them apart at a glance.
- External events are read-only in Planim — click through to manage them in Google or Outlook
- They appear in Day, Week, and Month views alongside your Planim events
- The AI assistant sees them as busy time and won't suggest those slots for new meetings
Only you can see the details of your synced external events. Other workspace members see your busy/free status but not the event titles or descriptions.
Troubleshooting
Permission Issues
If Planim can't access your calendar, the OAuth token may have been revoked. Go to Settings > Calendars, disconnect the affected calendar, and reconnect it. This refreshes the authorization.
Sync Delays
Most changes sync within seconds via webhooks. If an event isn't showing up, try clicking the Sync Now button on the connection card to trigger a manual sync.
Missing Calendars
If a calendar you expect doesn't appear in the subscription picker, check that it's accessible in your Google or Outlook account. Calendars that are hidden in the provider app may not be listed.
Re-Authentication
OAuth tokens expire periodically. If Planim shows a "re-authentication needed" warning on a connection, click the connection card and follow the prompt to sign in again. Your calendar selections are preserved.
If you change your Google or Microsoft password, you may need to reconnect your calendar in Planim. The existing OAuth token becomes invalid after a password change.
Example: Syncing Work and Personal Calendars
Jake uses Google Calendar for both work and personal events. Here's how he sets up the sync:
Step 1: Connect his Google account in Settings > Calendars Step 2: In the calendar picker, he selects:
- "Work" calendar — all office meetings and calls
- "Personal" calendar — doctor appointments, kids' school events
- He skips "Holidays" and "Birthdays" — they'd clutter the view
Now when the AI looks for free slots, it sees Jake's dentist appointment on Tuesday at 3pm and doesn't suggest that time for team meetings. His colleagues only see "Busy" — not the event title — so his privacy is preserved.
Tip: If you have separate Google accounts for work and personal, connect both. Planim merges busy time from all connected providers into one view.
Manage your calendar connections.
Try it nowAvailability & Working Hours
Set your working hours so Planim shows accurate free/busy status.