# Calendar Integrations

## Types of Calendar Integrations

### **One-way Calendar Sync**

**Reservations appear on your existing calendar.** Flexbooker generates an iCal feed, and the feed is shared with your existing calendar. iCal feeds work with most types of calendars including Outlook, Google Calendar, and Apple iCal. 

### **Two-way Calendar Sync** 

**Reservations appear on your existing calendar *****and***** events on your existing calendar are blocked off on your kiosk calendar.**

The kiosk's calendar can integrate directly with your external Google, Outlook, or iCloud calendar to synchronize events and bookings in both directions. New kiosk reservations will automatically appear in your external calendar. New events added to your external calendar will automatically block off reservation availability on your kiosk's calendar. 

{% hint style="info" %}
The 2-way calendar sync is particularly useful for locations with Virtual Court Kiosks in rooms that are frequently used for other purposes. It prevents Virtual Court Kiosk reservations when your room is being used for another event.
{% endhint %}

## **Setting up a One-way Calendar Sync**

### Part A: Generate an iCal Feed with Flexbooker

1. From your login page, click **Setup** in the header

   <figure><img src="https://4238399650-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FyZvD9lYgTJmtegWoswTM%2Fuploads%2FVTzPFfLwBWUMkZMIGyCI%2FScreen%20Shot%202023-06-21%20at%203.16.45%20PM.png?alt=media&#x26;token=610584cd-99e3-41bc-9778-1c8b9c4472f2" alt="Screenshot of Flexbooker homepage with highlighted setup page"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>
2. Click on **External Calendars** on the left hand menu and then on **+ Add Feed** under iCal Feeds.

   <figure><img src="https://files.helpdocs.io/fhkva4n1qo/articles/qxwpfmizjr/1620178310694/screen-shot-2021-05-04-at-6-28-18-pm.png" alt="iCal Calendar feeds button selected"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>
3. With the dropdown next to **Choose New Feed Kiosk**, select the name of your **location**.

   <figure><img src="https://4238399650-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FyZvD9lYgTJmtegWoswTM%2Fuploads%2FIPW2U4kJxj8P8bOIg0ky%2Fimage.png?alt=media&#x26;token=f718d887-01de-4eed-b3e1-9170713a22ce" alt="Screenshot of Flexbooker set up page and setting up a calendar integration"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

{% hint style="warning" %}
**Important:** Do **not** select the name of your staff account. The staff account will be used to manage the reservations but will not contain any reservations.
{% endhint %}

4. Click **Save**. This will generate a feed URL that will allow you to access the kiosk's calendar with another. The feed URL will look similar to this (although each feed you publish will have its own unique URL): <https://www.flexbooker.com/iCal/f334de67-a37d-4b0e-a380-833459b73458>

{% hint style="info" %}
**If using Microsoft Office or Outlook as your calendar:** Due to a non-standard way that these programs handle timezones, please add this to the end of the URL for your feed: *?forOutlook=tru&#x65;**.*** It should look like this after: [https://www.flexbooker.com/iCal/f334de67-a37d-4b0e-a380-833459b73458?forOutlook=true](https://www.flexbooker.com/iCal/f334de67-a37d-4b0e-a380-833459b73458)
{% endhint %}

<figure><img src="https://4238399650-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FyZvD9lYgTJmtegWoswTM%2Fuploads%2Fu2hnCyonuobflEUlQP6j%2Fimage.png?alt=media&#x26;token=dff6af57-7d64-49e9-9d8c-72ba9d9397f0" alt="Screenshot of Flexbooker set up page with established calendar sync set up"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

### Part B: Import Your Flexbooker Calendar Feed Into Your Calendar

Almost all calendar systems support the iCal feed published from your FlexBooker account.&#x20;

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="Google Calendar" %}

1. Open a new browser window and go to Google Calendar. Click on the dropdown button (or the "Add" link in the old Google Calendar version) in the "Other Calendars" section on the left-hand side.
2. Choose "Add by URL".
3. On the pop-up, paste the URL of your FlexBooker iCal Feed in the selected text field.
4. Click "Add Calendar" to finish.
   {% endtab %}

{% tab title="Outlook 2007" %}

1. Select "Tools", then "Account Settings" in your Outlook 2007 Calendar menu.
2. Select "Internet Calendars" and click "New".
3. Paste the link to your FlexBooker iCal feed in the location field.
4. Set up the display name for your calendar and/or add a description in "Subscription Options"
   {% endtab %}

{% tab title="Apple iCal" %}

1. Select the 'Calendar' menu and then select 'Subscribe'
2. Enter the calendar URL into the 'Calendar URL' field.
3. Click 'Subscribe' to load the feed into your calendar.
   {% endtab %}
   {% endtabs %}

## **Setting Up a Two-way Calendar Sync**

### 1. [Email us](mailto:kiosks@tlsc.org) to let us know you'd like to set up the 2-way calendar sync.&#x20;

Please include the email address associated with your external calendar.

### 2. Log in to FlexBooker [here](https://a.flexbooker.com/User/Login) with the new account details we give you.

We will give you temporary log in access to the kiosk's account. Once you receive the credentials, log in to the kiosk's account where the reservations are stored, and link it to your external calendar. This login will not be your usual staff account used to manage reservations.&#x20;

### 3. From your login page, click *Setup* in the header

<figure><img src="https://4238399650-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FyZvD9lYgTJmtegWoswTM%2Fuploads%2F4GkHGfyfzWQz3Zitlpyj%2FScreen%20Shot%202023-06-21%20at%203.16.45%20PM.png?alt=media&#x26;token=d75559be-df20-4b17-bd91-8ec847331884" alt="Screenshot of Flexbooker homepage with highlighted setup page"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

### 4. Click on *External Calendars* on the left hand menu and then on *+ Add Calendar Integration* under *Other Calendar Integrations*.

<figure><img src="https://files.helpdocs.io/fhkva4n1qo/articles/qxwpfmizjr/1620179817641/screen-shot-2021-05-04-at-6-55-38-pm.png" alt="Screenshot of Flexbooker setup with highlighted calendar integration settings"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

### 5. Sign in to the email account associated with your external calendar.&#x20;

Confirm you are giving FlexBooker access to your external calendar.&#x20;

<div align="left"><figure><img src="https://4238399650-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FyZvD9lYgTJmtegWoswTM%2Fuploads%2FoPnjBNq2irOME65I26ZT%2FStep%205.png?alt=media&#x26;token=3b611354-7a02-4304-b5d5-b8b94c84eaf4" alt="Sample email accounts that are supported with calendar integration"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

### 6. Verify which calendar you would like to sync with, and choose how to handle appointments.&#x20;

Some providers allow you to have multiple calendars under one account.

Choose the first option: "Push all Flexbooker bookings into my external calendar, and block times in Flexbooker when I'm marked as busy in my external calendar (MOST POPULAR)"

<figure><img src="https://4238399650-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FyZvD9lYgTJmtegWoswTM%2Fuploads%2FW8t7wC6GhgyhnLQnHoRx%2FStep%206.png?alt=media&#x26;token=37771959-a013-4d0a-b4b6-44e509a84b5b" alt="Screenshot of setting up a calendar integration "><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

### 7. Click *Save and Begin Synchronization*.&#x20;

When complete, you should see events from your external calendar marked as busy on your kiosk calendar and kiosk reservations on your external calendar.

{% hint style="warning" %}
**Don't forget to sign out of the kiosk's account.** The access you were granted is temporary and you will not be able to manage the reservations on that account. Please sign back into your original account with your email and the password you created initially.
{% endhint %}