Featured image illustrating a step-by-step guide on syncing Outlook to Google Calendar through Unito, depicted by the connected logos through circles and dotted lines.

How to Sync an Outlook Calendar With Google Calendar With Automated 2-Way Updates

Are you keeping track of events in both Outlook and Google Calendar simultaneously? Or perhaps working with colleagues or clients in one calendar app while you prefer the other? Then you’ve come to the right place to make your life simpler with Unito’s automated 2-way integration for Google and Outlook calendars.

We’re going to show you how to automatically sync multiple calendars between Outlook and Google in real-time with live updates. So if someone you work with chooses to add calendar events in one place, you’ll see a matching event appear in the other almost instantly.

New to Unito? Here’s more info about this Outlook Google Calendar integration.

When you sync events with Unito to build a shared calendar, you’re actually pairing up the fields (details) between each calendar app. That means you can choose whether to sync just the dates, event titles, invitees, or all of the above and more.

Here’s what our synced demo Google and Outlook calendars look like:

Synced calendars between Google Calendar and Microsoft Outlook
Note: Unito does not yet sync recurring meetings.

Contents

Feel free to skip ahead if you’re already in the middle of building this workflow:

Step 1. Connect Microsoft Outlook and Google Calendar to Unito

Step 2. Set up a 2-way flow between Microsoft Outlook and Google Calendar

Step 3. Set rules to filter in -or out- specific events between Gcal and Outlook

Step 4. Choose which details to sync between Google Calendar and Outlook events

Watch this calendar integration in action:

What do I need to do before connecting my calendars to Unito?

  • (optional) Log in to Outlook and calendar.google.com/ to set labels or categories in advance to specify which events to sync between calendars so you don’t include all events.
  • You can review our integration documentation for Microsoft Outlook and Google Calendar to get a better understanding of what you can -and can’t– do with this 2-way flow.
  • If you plan on syncing guests as well, make sure each contact and their email address exists in both Google and Outlook Calendar. Unito uses email addresses to identify contacts in order to carry them over between tools.

Step 1. Connect your Outlook Calendar and Google Calendar to Unito

  • Log in to the Unito App and select +Create Flow.
  • Now, select Start Here to connect Outlook and Google Calendar.
  • Specify which account and calendar you wish to sync for each.

Here’s what a completed connection looks like at this stage:

Screenshot of the Unito interface showing how to connect Microsoft Outlook and Google Calendar

When you’re ready, hit Confirm.

Step 2. Set up a 2-way flow between both calendars

Next you get to pick how Unito will create new calendar events (we call these work items, or items in sync). Later, we’ll decide which fields, or details, to keep in a live 2-way sync.

For now, just pick a source and destination tool if you only want to create events in one of your calendars from another.

Screenshot of setting a flow direction between Microsoft Outlook and Google Calendar

In our demo, we chose a 2-way flow direction so that events in Google Calendar create events in Outlook and vice versa. Next, we’ll set rules to decide which events to create and sync between those calendars.

Step 3. Set rules to filter in -or out- specific events between Gcal and Outlook

Here, we’ll set rules for specific conditions on which events should appear in an Outlook Calendar and/or Google Calendar, and stay in sync. If an event doesn’t match the rules, it won’t sync or will stop syncing.

The default setting (if you choose not to add any additional rules) is to only sync events created after you launch your flow.

An easy way to choose specific events to sync is to apply labels or colors to your preferred events and tell Unito to only sync calendar events with that condition.

When you’re ready, select Add a new trigger to to sync those labeled cards with your specified Microsoft Outlook calendar.

Set rules to filter specific events from Outlook to Google Calendar
You can sync all historical events by removing the Creation Date rule by selecting the trash bin icon to the right.

The above example shows our rules for syncing Outlook events to Google Calendar. In this case, any event from our “Red category” will sync over.

Below, you’ll see the rules we’ve chosen for this flow:

Set rules to filter specific events from Google Calendar to Outlook.

Above, we’ve told Unito to only sync “tomato” colored Google Calendar events into Outlook that took place in the past 6 months, or will take place in the upcoming 12 months.

Find out more about setting rules.

Step 4. Choose which details to sync Outlook Calendar and Google Calendar

At this stage you’ll choose individual fields to sync between Outlook and Google Calendar events. Fields are the details of your work items: title, description, guest, etc. You can choose mappings from scratch or let Unito do it automatically.

Note: in order to sync specific guests or attendees, they must already exist in your Google and Outlook contacts (identified by email address).

Click + Add mapping to sync a new field, then Select a field for each tool and find the field you wish to map.

You can set individual sync directions here for each of your fields in case you’d like to prevent changes in one app from affecting the other.

For example, if you set a one-way sync for descriptions from Outlook to Google Calendar, then changes to the description in Outlook will appear in Google Calendar, but not the other way around.

Click Confirm when you’re satisfied with your field mappings to proceed.

Find out more about field mappings.

Step 5. Save, close, and launch your Outlook – Google Calendar flow!

And that’s it! You’ve just completed a flow between Outlook and Google Calendar. Congratulations!

If you’ve followed the steps above, your flow will now: 

  • Create a new calendar event in either calendar based on activity in the other, following the rules we set up in step 3.
  • Sync dates, times, guests, card/event titles and descriptions between your calendar and keep them up to date in real-time.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out and let us know. Our live support team is ready to jump in and lend a hand to make sure your flows always function as intended.

Call-to-action block - Sign up and create your first Outlook + Google Calendar flow in a few steps.

What’s next after syncing events between Microsoft Outlook and Google Calendar?

Why sync Google Calendar with Outlook Calendar?

If you’ve ever had to manually copy-paste or import/export events from one calendar to another, then you know how frustrating it can be to keep those events updated. Staying on top of personal and professional events in both Outlook and Google Calendar can be a hassle as you juggle work and other responsibilities that demand your time. One solution is to set up a unified calendar in your preferred app that syncs events from both calendars to a single place designed to help you save time and simplify planning.

A unified calendar gives you visibility over upcoming responsibilities either for your personal life, professional life, or anyone you share calendars with including: staff, teammates, clients, friends or family. Since Unito’s integrations for Outlook and Google Calendar offer comprehensive privacy options, you can customize which details from each calendars to show or hide from the other through your field mappings.

Frequently asked questions about syncing Google Calendar with Outlook

How do I sync Outlook calendar and Google Calendar natively?

Open Outlook and click on the “calendar icon” in the bottom left corner. In the top menu, select “Add Calendar” and choose “From Internet.” Paste your Google Calendar’s secret address in the pop-up window. This links both calendars, allowing you to view your Google events in the Outlook calendar with a side-by-side view.

A key difference here is that connecting calendars this way will not enable a 2-way sync. You will simply be able to see events in the other calendar.

How often does Unito update and sync calendar events?

This will depend on your plan with Unito. There are options for updates every 15 minutes, 5 minutes, and real-time. Consult our pricing page for more details.

What calendar app syncs Outlook calendars with Google?

Unito Sync Platform can support outlook integration, default Google apps, and can integrate calendar details easily and automatically with 2-way sync. You don’t need to download Microsoft Outlook, the Microsoft Outlook app, or Outlook mobile app to do this.

How do I export my Outlook events to Gmail?

To connect your Outlook with Gmail, open Outlook settings, and navigate to the “Email” tab of the dropdown menu. Click “Add Account” and enter your Gmail email address. Follow the prompts to link your Gmail account to your Outlook, allowing you to manage your Gmail and Outlook emails together.

Can I migrate Google Calendar to Outlook?

You can migrate events between shared calendars using Unito to send events with a 1-way flow direction to a destination calendar.

How do I share two calendars from Outlook Calendar with Google Calendar?

Share scheduled meetings from your Google Calendar with Outlook by obtaining the calendar’s public URL and adding it as an internet calendar in Outlook.

To share your Google Calendar, open the settings, select your calendar, and choose “Settings and sharing.” From there, you can set sharing options and send invitations to others to view or manage your calendar.

Can I sync Outlook Calendar with Google Calendar?

Yes, you can sync your Outlook calendar with Google Calendar by using the steps outline in this guide, or by adding your Google account to Outlook and enabling calendar syncing. Keep in mind however, that only Unito supports real-time 2-way syncing between shared calendars.

What happens if this integration creates double bookings?

In the event of a double booking, launch either account and click settings. Select calendar name or click Outlook to review the details of each event. When you integrate calendars with Unito, both will appear simultaneously, so you’ll have to edit the calendar section of each app and choose which meeting to keep and which to postpone.