> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.cortado.pro/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Calendar

> Sync your Cortado events to Google Calendar automatically

## Calendar Overview

Cortado syncs your events to a Google Calendar of your choice, so every booking shows up alongside the rest of your schedule. Sync happens automatically whenever events are created or updated, and you can trigger a manual refresh at any time.

You can configure calendar sync from **Settings > Communications > Calendar**.

## Before You Connect

<Note>
  Calendar sync requires a connected Gmail account. If you haven't connected Gmail yet, head to **Settings > Communications > Connect Gmail** first. Cortado uses the same Google authorization to access both Gmail and Calendar.
</Note>

## Connecting Your Calendar

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the Calendar section">
    Go to **Settings > Communications > Calendar**. Once Gmail is connected, Cortado fetches the list of calendars on your Google account.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Pick a calendar">
    Use the **Select a calendar...** dropdown to choose which calendar Cortado should sync events to. You can pick any calendar in your Google account — your primary calendar, a shared team calendar, or a dedicated "Events" calendar.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save">
    Click **Save**. Cortado shows a green check next to the selected calendar when it's set.
  </Step>
</Steps>

You can click **Change** on the Calendar card at any time to pick a different calendar.

<Tip>
  Many event businesses create a separate Google Calendar just for Cortado bookings. This keeps work events cleanly separated from personal and internal meetings, and makes it easy to share with team members who only need to see confirmed events.
</Tip>

## How Sync Works

Once a calendar is selected, Cortado handles sync automatically:

* **On event create** — a new Google Calendar event is added
* **On event update** — the matching Google Calendar event is updated
* **On lead acceptance** — when a customer accepts a quote, the events generated from that quote are synced as part of their creation

You don't need to do anything — sync runs in the background as you work.

## Manual Sync

Every event detail page shows a calendar sync status badge:

* **Synced** (emerald) — this event is linked to a Google Calendar event
* **Not synced** (muted) — this event hasn't been synced yet, or the sync previously failed

Next to the badge is a refresh icon. Click it to run a manual sync for that event. This is useful when:

* You want to force Cortado to push the latest event details right now
* A previous sync failed and you want to retry after fixing the underlying issue
* You've changed event times and want to confirm the calendar is up to date

Cortado will show a toast message with the result — whether the calendar event was **created**, **updated**, **skipped**, or **failed**.

## Time Zones and Calendar Views

Each event in Cortado has its own time zone. The customer portal and email notifications show event times in that event's local time zone — a 6 PM event in New York shows as 6 PM to everyone involved, no matter where they view it from.

<Info>
  Calendar **grid views** (the day, week, and month views inside Cortado) remain viewer-local so your schedule reads naturally in your own time zone. Individual event detail popovers and detail pages show each event's own time zone alongside the local display.
</Info>

## Best Practices

1. **Connect Gmail first** — calendar sync depends on the Google authorization established when you connect Gmail
2. **Use a dedicated calendar for bookings** — separating Cortado events from your personal calendar makes sharing and filtering easier
3. **Check the sync badge on event pages** — a quick glance tells you whether a booking is reflected in Google Calendar
4. **Manually re-sync after big edits** — if you change multiple event fields at once, a manual refresh confirms everything is mirrored
5. **Share your booking calendar with teammates** — Google Calendar's sharing settings let operations, staff, and managers see confirmed events without needing Cortado accounts
6. **Keep event time zones accurate** — events sync with their configured time zone, so set it correctly on each event to avoid confusion for traveling customers or staff

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Email" icon="envelope" href="/guides/integrations/email">
    Gmail connection is the foundation for calendar sync.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Events and Calendar" icon="calendar-days" href="/guides/events-calendar">
    See how events and calendar views work in Cortado.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>