setup.md

Setup

1. Create a target Google Calendar

In Google Calendar, create a separate calendar named:

Work Busy

Open its settings and copy the calendar ID. For a secondary calendar, it usually looks like an email-like ID ending in:

@group.calendar.google.com

You can use primary, but a separate calendar is cleaner.

2. Get the Outlook private iCal link

In Outlook on the web:

1. Open Calendar.
2. Go to Settings.
3. Find shared calendars / publish calendar.
4. Publish your work calendar with availability only if your tenant allows it.
5. Copy the private .ics link.

If the company blocks calendar publishing, stop here and ask IT for an approved free/busy sharing method. Do not bypass company controls.

3. Create the Apps Script

1. Open https://script.google.com/.
2. Create a new project.
3. Paste the contents of outlook-ics-to-google-busy.gs.
4. Set project timezone to Europe/Kyiv.

4. Set script properties

In Apps Script:

Project Settings -> Script Properties -> add:

OUTLOOK_ICS_URL = your private Outlook .ics URL
TARGET_CALENDAR_ID = your Google calendar ID, or primary
SYNC_DAYS = 45
SOURCE_TIMEZONE = Europe/Kyiv

Optional:

BUSY_TITLE = Busy - Work

5. Run once

Run:

syncOutlookBusyToGoogle

Approve Google Calendar and URL fetch permissions.

6. Add an automatic trigger

In Apps Script:

Triggers -> Add Trigger

Use:

Function: syncOutlookBusyToGoogle
Event source: Time-driven
Type: Hour timer
Interval: Every 1 hour

7. iPhone and Mac

On iPhone:

Settings -> Apps -> Calendar -> Calendar Accounts

Enable calendars for:

• Microsoft 365 / Exchange
• Google
• iCloud, if used

On Mac:

System Settings -> Internet Accounts

Enable Calendars for the same accounts.

Behavior

Each run deletes previously synced Busy - Work blocks inside the sync window and recreates them from the Outlook .ics feed.

The script does not copy:

• event titles
• descriptions
• locations
• attendees
• Teams links
• ConnectWise or customer/ticket details

Known Limitations

If your Outlook .ics feed contains unexpanded recurring events instead of individual occurrences, this script only syncs non-recurring instances. Most published calendar feeds expose occurrences for the published window, but tenants can differ.