Calendar Integration¶
[Draft — pending review]
Ordinate can push meeting schedules to staff calendars in Outlook, Google Calendar, and other calendar applications. There are two methods, each suited to different audiences.
Two Methods Compared¶
| ICS Attachment | Direct Calendar Integration | |
|---|---|---|
| How it works | Sends an email with an ICS file attached. Recipient manually adds to their calendar | Automatically adds, updates, and removes entries in the recipient's calendar |
| Updates | Recipient must manually delete the old entry and add the new one | Calendar entry updates automatically when the meeting changes |
| Cancellations | Recipient must manually remove the entry | Calendar entry is automatically removed |
| Sender identity | Can show a custom name (e.g. your organisation) | Shows the application name |
| Compatibility | Works with any calendar application | Best with Microsoft Outlook |
| Best for | External guests — cross-platform, professional, recipient controls their calendar | Internal staff — seamless, automatic, no manual action needed |
Tip
Use ICS attachments for external guests and direct integration for internal staff. ICS templates are configured in Message Templates by enabling the Calendar Attachment option.
Direct Calendar Integration¶
Direct integration automatically manages calendar entries for staff. When a participant is added to a meeting, a calendar entry appears in their calendar. When the meeting is updated, the entry updates. When it is cancelled, the entry is removed.
Who Gets Calendar Entries¶
This is controlled at three levels:
- Event level — calendar integration can be enabled or disabled per event, with a default setting for staff (see Event Settings)
- Person level — each person can override the event default to opt in or out
- Status threshold — a minimum meeting status can be set (e.g. only Approved or Confirmed meetings generate calendar entries)
What Appears in the Calendar Entry¶
- Name — the meeting name
- Date and time — in the event's timezone. If the recipient's device is in a different timezone, the calendar will adjust automatically
- Location — the zone name (e.g. "GE Chalet"), not the specific room. This is deliberate — room assignments change frequently, and using the zone reduces unnecessary calendar updates
- Body text — a configurable message, typically including a direct link back to the meeting in Ordinate for full details
Info
For meetings without an allocated location, the text from the Unallocated Meeting Location setting in Event Settings is used instead.
Update Delay¶
When a meeting or participant is created or updated, Ordinate waits a few minutes before pushing the calendar update. This gives users time to make additional changes without sending multiple updates in quick succession.
Calendar Replies¶
Recipients can respond to calendar entries with Accept, Tentative, or Decline. These responses are received back into Ordinate and update the participant's confirmation status automatically.
Limitations¶
- Changes in Outlook do not sync back — if a user edits the meeting title or time in their own calendar, Ordinate will not see those changes. Ordinate is always the source of truth.
- Participant list — Ordinate cannot currently populate the Outlook participant list in the way that native Outlook meetings do.
- Creating meetings from Outlook — it is not possible to create an Ordinate meeting by creating one in Outlook.
For the event-level calendar settings, see Event Settings. For calendar integration within the meetings section, see Calendar Integration under Meetings.