Using your calendar's busy time

When you connect OnceHub to your personal calendar account, OnceHub is able to read any calendar in that account to see when you're already busy. You can tell OnceHub to block any time when you're busy on your calendar. No-one will be able to book a meeting with you at a time when there is already an event on your calendar. 

To see which calendar is connected to your account, select your profile picture or initials in the top right-hand corner → Profile settings → Calendar connection.

Busy time terminology

Different calendar integrations have different terminology for referring to busy time. For instance, the Google Calendar integration shows events as either "Free" or "Busy". In comparison, Microsoft 365 Calendar and Exchange/Outlook Calendar have many more settings for showing the status of an event. These include "Free", "Tentative", "Out of Office", and more. 

• Learn more about busy time in Google Calendar
• Learn more about busy time in the Office 365 Calendar
• Learn more about busy time in Exchange/Outlook Calendar
• Learn more about busy time in iCloud Calendar

Busy time retrieval

After you've connected your calendar, you can specify which calendar or calendars should be used for retrieving busy time.

Busy time in OnceHub

When you connect your calendar account, OnceHub is able to read the calendar to see when you're already busy. Busy events are factored into any buffers you set between OnceHub scheduled events and busy time on your calendar. 

Each Booking page can have its own calendar configuration, retrieving busy time and bookings in whichever calendars you specify. To access these settings, hover over the lefthand menu and go to the Booking pages icon → Booking pages → your Booking page → Associated calendars. Busy time is automatically retrieved from your main booking calendar. You can also retrieve busy time from any other calendars in your connected account, so long as you select them within this section.

Google Calendar

How does OnceHub connect with Google Calendar? 

OnceHub communicates with the Google Calendar API using a token that is generated by Google. Your sign-in credentials are never revealed during the connection process and are never stored by OnceHub. . Once a connection is established, OnceHub reads or writes to Google Calendar in real time and no data from Google Calendar is ever saved on our servers.

Can I connect to a Google Calendar that is not related to my login ID?

You can connect to any Google Calendar, regardless of the login ID that you are using to sign in to OnceHub.

Can I create a Google Calendar account that does not use a Gmail email address?

You can create a Google Calendar account on any email address. Learn more about creating a Google Calendar for your non-Gmail email address 

I cannot connect - what should I do?

This may be due to temporary communication problems with the Google Calendar API. Please try the following:

1. Make sure cookies are enabled on your browser
2. Verify that you can log in to your G Suite account
3. Try to connect again from OnceHub. select your profile picture or initials in the top right-hand corner → Profile settings → Calendar connection. Click the Renew your connection button.

If you’re still having problems, please contact us and we will be happy to assist you.

Can I connect Google Meet? 

Yes, if you have enabled Google Meet in your Google Account, you can automatically use Google Meet for video conferencing sessions in OnceHub. Once you connect your Google Calendar, Google Meet will also be connected. 

Learn more about the Google Meet integration

Can I use Google Meet for video meetings but connect a calendar that isn't Google Calendar? 

Google Meet is available only when you connect your Google Calendar. Please contact us and we can discuss your options.

Can I connect to my G Suite Calendar?

Yes, there is no difference between connecting to a G Suite Calendar and connecting to a Gmail-based Google Calendar.

Do you support G Suite resource calendars?

G Suite resource calendars are fully supported.

I’m already connected with one Google calendar. How do I switch to another?

The simplest way to switch is to disconnect your calendar and reconnect to a new one. To disconnect, click on your profile image or initials in the top right corner and select Calendar connection. Next, disconnect and connect to another account. Learn more about connecting your Google Calendar. 

Can I cancel and reschedule in Google Calendar?

This is only supported for OnceHub. The OnceHub integration with Google Calendar can be set up to allow you to cancel or reschedule directly in your connected calendar, while all bookings remain updated in OnceHub.

How is my availability retrieved?

When you connect your Google Calendar account, OnceHub is able to read the calendar to see when you are already busy. 

• Any events labeled "Busy" on your calendar will be considered unavailable time. Busy time on your calendar will restrict the time slot options that you are able to choose from when accepting bookings from your customers, scheduling a meeting, or when sending an invitation. 
• Events labelled "Available" or "Free" will be considered as available time for meetings.

Learn more about busy time in Google Calendar

Can I disable the Google Calendar invite that is sent to my customers?

In OnceHub, you can disable the Google Calendar invite email. When your Booking page is associated with Event types, the Customer notifications section is located on the Event type. When your Booking Page is not associated with Event types, this section is located on the Booking page . 

Learn more about the location of the Customer notifications section

Once you've accessed the Customer notifications section, uncheck the box that sends the Google Calendar invite email. Learn more about the Google Calendar invite

Why do my busy times appear in wrong hours?

This is due to time zone differences between the Account time zone in your Google Calendar and the time zone on your Booking page. To change the time zone:

• In OnceHub: Go to the Overview section in your Booking page, select the new time zone and save.
• In Google Calendar: Click on Settings -> Calendar settings. At the top of the Google Calendar page, select the new time zone and save. 

Reload/refresh the OnceHub page to reflect the change.

Can I reassign a booking in Google Calendar?

No, this is not currently supported. If you wish to reassign a booking, you must do it through OnceHub. If both the original Booking owner and the Reassigned booking owner are connected to Google Calendar, the booking details will be automatically updated in Google Calendar.

What happens in Google Calendar if I reassign a booking from OnceHub?

If both the original and new Booking owner have connected their OnceHub accounts to their Google Calendar accounts, when you reassign a booking it will automatically be updated in Google Calendar. The event will be removed from the original Booking owner’s calendar and will be added to the Reassigned Booking owner’s calendar. The Customer will not be informed of the reassignment, ensuring a smooth Customer experience. Learn more about Booking reassignment

Exchange/Outlook

OnceHub communicates with your Exchange/Outlook Calendar in real time using an encrypted Exchange Web Services (EWS) connection, a well-established official Microsoft protocol. All credentials and data traffic are fully encrypted.

What does Exchange integration mean?

Exchange is a server that manages mailboxes, contacts, calendars and more. Exchange users never access Exchange directly, but rather through an email client. This can be an Outlook client on a PC or Mac, a mobile device, or web access via the browser. OnceHub integrates directly with Exchange while you keep using whichever calendar access method you're currently using.

Establishing a connection FAQs

How do I connect my Exchange/Outlook Calendar?

1. Select your profile picture or initials in the top right-hand corner → Profile settings → Calendar connection. If you are switching connections, you must disconnect from your previous connection first.
2. Click the Connect button next to Exchange/Outlook Calendar and provide your credentials.

Learn more about connecting to Exchange/Outlook Calendar

I already have a calendar connected. How do I switch to another?

Your account can only be connected to one calendar at a time. If you want to switch from one calendar to another, or from one connection method to another, you will need to disconnect the previous one and then connect the new one. 

Select your profile picture or initials in the top right-hand corner → Profile settings → Calendar connection. Click the Disconnect link and then connect to another calendar or connection method. Learn more about disconnecting a calendar

I cannot connect - what should I do?

See our step-by-step connection guide or our troubleshooting guide.

Connection characteristics FAQs

How does OnceHub connect with Exchange/Outlook Calendar?

OnceHub communicates with your Exchange/Outlook Calendar using the Exchange Web Services (EWS) API, a well-established official Microsoft protocol. All credentials and data traffic are fully encrypted. The integration uses the permissions Users already have when viewing calendars (for example, only free/busy), so no new information will be accessible to them.

Learn more about Exchange/Outlook integration security

How are my credentials stored?

When you enter your credentials to connect OnceHub to your Exchange/Outlook Calendar, your password is encrypted with AES-256 (Advanced Encryption Standard) and stored in our cloud database.

Learn more about how sign-in credentials are stored and protected by OnceHub

Which Exchange versions are supported?

Most Exchange versions are supported: Exchange Online (hosted) and On-premises Exchange (versions 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2016). 

Can OnceHub connect with shared calendars or resources (rooms)?

Your default calendar, sub-calendars (folders) and shared calendars are supported. 

Resource calendars are supported if you are connected via OAuth 2.0 or our PC connector, if the resource calendar is shared with full read/write permissions. Learn more about using Exchange/Outlook resource calendars

What happens if my password changes?

If your Outlook password is changed, you must reconnect with the new password to restore the connection. Learn more about resolving connection issues

What happens if there’s an issue with the connection?

During a connection failure, Booking pages cannot accept bookings. This measure is taken to prevent the possibility of double bookings. 

To enable bookings, you must either restore the connection by reconnecting, or disconnect your calendar by clicking the Disconnect link and then reconnect again. Learn more about disconnecting a calendar

Working with Exchange/Outlook Calendar FAQs

Can I disable the Exchange/Outlook Calendar invite that is sent to my Customers?

You can disable the Exchange/Outlook Calendar invite email by hovering over the left-hand menu and going to the Booking pages icon → Event types → your Event type →Customer notifications and uncheck the box that sends the Exchange/Outlook Calendar invite email.

I cannot see my scheduled meeting in my Exchange/Outlook Calendar

In your Exchange/Outlook Calendar, make sure that the calendar in which your meeting was scheduled is selected. Find it in the calendar list in the left bar and click it to select it. 

You can also select the activity in the Activity stream, then click the action menu (three dots) in the right-hand pane and select View Calendar event (Figure 1).

Figure 1: View Calendar event

There is a time offset between my calendar and OnceHub

This might be due to time zone differences between the account time zone in your Exchange/Outlook account and the time zone on your Booking page. To change the time zone:

• In OnceHub: Go to the Time zone subsection in the Overview section on your Booking page, select the new time zone and click Save.
• In Exchange: Go to the settings in your calendar (Outlook, browser or other email client) to update the time zone. Reload/refresh the OnceHub page to reflect the change.

Can I set default Exchange/Outlook Calendar reminders when events are created via OnceHub?

Yes, you can configure default Exchange/Outlook Calendar reminders in the connected Exchange/Outlook Calendar. Go to your OnceHub Account and click Profile in the left sidebar. Click on Calendar connection and use the Default Exchange/Outlook Calendar reminders drop-down menu to select the value that you want.

Figure 2: Default Exchange/Outlook Calendar reminders

Can I update OnceHub scheduled meetings in my connected Exchange/Outlook Calendar?

Yes, when you are connected to Exchange/Outlook Calendar, you can select whether changes made to OnceHub events in your connected calendar are reflected in OnceHub. 

When a OnceHub scheduled event is deleted in your Exchange/Outlook Calendar, it will cancel the booking in OnceHub. When a OnceHub scheduled event is moved in your Exchange/Outlook Calendar, the booking will be rescheduled in OnceHub. Learn more about cancel and reschedule from within your Exchange/Outlook Calendar

iCloud

Connecting to your iCloud Calendar

1. Select your profile picture or initials in the top right-hand corner → Profile settings → Calendar connection. If you are switching connections, you must disconnect from your previous connection first.
2. Click the Connect button next to iCloud Calendar.
3. The Connect to iCloud Calendar pop-up will open. Enter your Apple ID and app-specific password and click Connect.

Learn more about connecting to iCloud Calendar

Most common questions

How does OnceHub connect with iCloud Calendar?

OnceHub communicates with your iCloud Calendar using the CalDav protocol. When you enter your credentials to connect OnceHub to your iCloud Calendar, your password is encrypted with AES-256 (Advanced Encryption Standard) and stored in our cloud database.

Learn more about how sign-in credentials are stored and protected by OnceHub

What is busy time caching?

To ensure fast performance, we employ a caching mechanism for the busy times in your connected iCloud Calendar.

Can OnceHub connect with shared iCloud Calendars?

OnceHub can access an additional calendar that is not part of your iCloud account if the owner of that calendar has shared it with you. Learn more about sharing calendars in iCloud Calendar

How do I create an iCloud app-specific password for OnceHub?

Apple requires users to use app-specific passwords for all third-party applications such as OnceHub. An app-specific password is a single-use password for your Apple ID that lets OnceHub securely access the information you store in your iCloud calendar. To create an app-specific password, follow these steps:

1. Sign in to your Apple ID account page.
2. Click Settings.
3. Under Apple ID, click Manage. 
4. In the Security section, turn on Apple two-factor authentication if it is not on already. On older devices, use Apple two-step verification instead.
5. Under App-Specific Passwords, click Generate Password.
6. Enter a password label (for example, "OnceHub").
7. Click Create.
8. Once the app-specific password is generated, copy it.

You can now use your new app-specific password to connect OnceHub to your iCloud Calendar.

What happens if my Apple ID password changes?

If you change your primary Apple ID password, all your existing iCloud app-specific passwords are automatically revoked, and must be generated again. You will need to reconnect your OnceHub account using a new app-specific password.

Learn more about iCloud app-specific passwords

Can I set Default iCloud Calendar reminders when events are created via OnceHub?

Yes, you can configure Default iCloud Calendar reminders in the connected iCloud Calendar. 

Select your profile picture or initials in the top right-hand corner → Profile settings → Calendar connection and use the Default iCloud Calendar reminders drop-down menu to select the value that you want (Figure 1).

Figure 1: Default iCloud Calendar reminders

Can I disable the iCloud Calendar invite that is sent to my Customers?

In Booking pages, you can disable the iCloud Calendar invite email by hovering over the lefthand menu and selecting the Booking pages icon → Event types → your Event type→  Customer notifications and unchecking the box that sends the iCloud Calendar invite email. 

I cannot see my scheduled meeting in iCloud Calendar

In your iCloud Calendar, make sure that the calendar in which your meeting was scheduled is selected. Find it in the calendar list in the left bar and click it to select it. 

You can also select the activity in the OnceHub Activity stream, then click the action menu (three dots) in the right-hand pane and select View Calendar event (Figure 2).

Figure 2: View Calendar event

Why do my busy times appear in wrong time slots?

This might be due to time zone differences between the account time zone in your iCloud account and the time zone on your Booking page. To change the time zone:

• In OnceHub: Go to the Overview section of your Booking page and edit the page's time zone.
• In iCloud: Sign into your iCloud account and click Settings. Under Time Zone/Formats, click on the currently selected time zone. The Time Zone & Formats pop-up will appear. You can then select a time zone on the map, or click the time zone name below the map and select a time zone from the menu. Finally, click Done.

Learn more about busy time in iCloud Calendar

I’m already connected with one iCloud account. How do I switch to another?

Your account can only be connected to one calendar at a time. If you want to switch from one iCloud account to another, you will need to disconnect the previous one and then connect the new one.

Disconnect your calendar by going to your OnceHub Account, select your profile picture or initials in the top right-hand corner → Profile settings → Calendar connection. Disconnect your iCloud account and reconnect with the new iCloud account.

I cannot connect - what should I do?

This may be due to temporary communication problems with the iCloud API. Please try the following options:

1. Make sure you're using an iCloud app-specific password.
2. Make sure cookies are enabled on your browser.
3. Verify that you can login to your iCloud account.
4. Try to connect again from OnceHub.

Learn more about troubleshooting iCloud Calendar connection issues

If you’re still seeing issues, please contact us and we'll be happy to assist you.

Microsoft 365 (Office 365)

Office 365 Calendar connection with OAuth 2.0 FAQs

OnceHub communicates with your Office 365 Calendar in real time using using an OAuth 2.0 connection.

Read on to find answers to some of the most common questions related to your Office 365 Calendar via OAuth 2.0 connection. 

Connecting to your Office 365 Calendar via OAuth 2.0

1. Select your profile picture or initials in the top right-hand corner → Profile settings → Calendar connection. 
2. If you are switching connections, you must disconnect from your previous connection first.
3. Click the Connect button next to Office 365 Calendar via OAuth.
4. A pop-up window will appear asking you to choose an account to connect to OnceHub. Select the correct account and confirm the connection.
5. Click Accept to give OnceHub permission to access your calendars.

Learn more about connecting to Office 365 Calendar via OAuth 2.0

Most common questions

Which Office 365 edition is required to connect with OnceHub? 

To be able to connect OnceHub to your Office 365 Calendar, you must have a calendar in Outlook on the web for business (Outlook Web App), which is provided with Exchange Online. Learn more about which Office 365 edition is required

Will I be connected to Microsoft Teams for video meetings as well? 

Yes, if your Office 365 account includes Microsoft Teams, you'll be connected automatically when you connect your Office 365 Calendar via OAuth 2.0. Learn more

Can I disable the Office 365 Calendar invite that is sent to my Customers? 

You can disable the Office 365 Calendar invite email by hovering over the lefthand menu and selecting the Booking pages icon → Event types → your Event type → Customer notifications and unchecking the box that sends the Office 365 Calendar invite email. 

Note The Customer notifications section will be on the Event type if the Booking page is associated with at least one Event type. If a Booking page is not associated with any Event types, the section will be in the Booking page settings instead. 

How does OnceHub connect with Office 365 Calendar?

When you connect your Office 365 Calendar to OnceHub via OAuth 2.0, OnceHub communicates with the Office 365 REST API (v2.0) and Microsoft Graph API using a token that is generated by Microsoft. Your sign-in credentials are never revealed during the connection process and are never stored by OnceHub. Once a connection is established, OnceHub reads or writes to your Office 365 Calendar in real time. 

What is busy time caching?

To ensure fast performance, we employ a caching mechanism for the busy times in your connected Office 365 Calendar. It is turned on by default. We recommend you keep caching enabled unless a OnceHub team member recommends you disable it.

Can OnceHub connect with shared Office 365 Calendars or resources (Rooms)?

Your default calendar, sub-calendars (folders), and calendars that have been shared with you are supported. 

Can I set default Office 365 Calendar reminders when events are created via OnceHub?

Yes, you can configure default Office 365 Calendar reminders in the connected Office 365 Calendar. 

Select your profile picture or initials in the top right-hand corner → Profile settings → Calendar connection and use the Default Office 365 Calendar reminders drop-down menu to select the value that you want (Figure 1).

Figure 1: Default Office 365 Calendar reminders

Learn more about configuring your Office 365 Calendar via OAuth 2.0 connection

I cannot see my scheduled meeting in Office 365 Calendar

In your Office 365 Calendar, make sure that the calendar in which your meeting was scheduled is selected. Find it in the calendar list in the left bar and click it to select it. 

You can also select the activity in the Activity stream, then click the action menu (three dots) in the right-hand pane and select View Calendar event (Figure 2).

Figure 2: View Calendar event

Why do my busy times appear in wrong time slots on my Booking page?

This might be due to time zone differences between the account time zone in your Office 365 account and the time zone on your Booking page. To change the time zone:

• In OnceHub: Go to the Overview section of your Booking page and edit the page's time zone.
• In Office 365: Click on Settings -> Options - > Settings -> Regional and change the time zone.
  Reload/refresh the OnceHub page to reflect the change.

Learn more about busy time in Office 365 Calendar

I’m already connected with one Office 365 account. How do I switch to another?

Your account can only be connected to one calendar at a time. If you want to switch from one Office 365 Calendar to another, you will need to disconnect the previous one and then connect the new one.

Disconnect your calendar by selecting your profile picture or initials in the top right-hand corner → Profile settings → Calendar connection. Disconnect your Office 365 account and reconnect with the new Office 365 account.

Learn more about disconnecting a calendar

What happens if there’s an issue with the connection?

During a connection failure, Booking pages cannot accept bookings. This measure is taken to prevent the possibility of double bookings. 

To enable bookings, you must either restore the connection by reconnecting, or disconnect your calendar by clicking the Disconnect link and then reconnect again. Learn more about disconnecting a calendar

I cannot connect - what should I do?

This may be due to temporary communication problems with the Office 365 API. Please try the following options:

1. Make sure cookies are enabled on your browser.
2. Verify that you can log in to your Office 365 account.
3. Try to connect again from your OnceHub Account.

Learn more about Office 365 Calendar via OAuth 2.0 connection troubleshooting

If you’re still seeing issues, please contact us and we'll be happy to assist you.

Testing Exchange connectivity

The Microsoft Remote Connectivity Analyzer is a useful tool for several purposes:

• Determining your EWS URL (if EWS is enabled).
• Verifying that your work email is managed on an Exchange server.
• Verifying Exchange connectivity.

Requirements

To use this tool, you'll need:

1. Your Outlook email address and password.
2. Your Domain\UserName - Enter your email in this field if Domain\UserName are not used in your organization.
   • The domain: This can usually be found in the documentation explaining how to connect a mobile phone or email client to your work mail account.
   • Your user name: This is usually the internal ID with which you log into internal systems.

Testing connectivity

Open Microsoft Remote Connectivity Analyzer and follow these steps:

1. Select the Synchronization, Notification, Availability, and Automatic Replies option (Figure 1).Figure 1: Microsoft Remote Connectivity Analyzer
2. Fill out (all fields are required): Email, Password and Domain\UserName (with a backslash). Try your email address if you don't know your Domain\UserName (Figure 2).
3. Check the "I understand..." checkbox (Figure 2).
   Figure 2: Enter credentials and click 'I understand...' 
4. Complete the verification test and click Verify (Figure 3).
   
   Figure 3: Verify
5. Click the Perform Test button (Figure 3).
   
   Figure 3: Perform test
6. Wait for the results and verify that the connectivity icon is green.
7. Click Expand All.
   Figure 4: Connectivity Test results
8. Press Ctrl + F keys on your keyboard to open the browser's search box.
9. Type ewsurl (one word, no spaces).
10. Copy the EWS URL, located between the <EwsUrl> tags, without the tags (Figure 5). Figure 5: Copy your EWS URL
11. Go back to your OnceHub Account and paste the EWS URL in the appropriate field in the connection box.

How to determine the EWS URL

Our integration with Exchange/Outlook Calendar requires the address of your Exchange server, called EWS URL (Exchange Web Services URL). This is usually auto-detected using your email address, but sometimes the auto-detection may fail. A common cause of failure is when your Exchange admin disabled auto-detection. In such cases, the first User of the account connecting to Exchange will need to provide the EWS URL. Additional Users of the same account will not need to provide it again.

I cannot access my email account via the browser

The easiest method to obtain the EWS URL is by logging into your mailbox (email account) via the browser. Even if you don't normally do so, but know how to do it, we recommend you try. Once in your mailbox in the browser, copy the server address or the entire URL and paste it into the OnceHub field labeled EWS URL.

• An Exchange email server's address may look like this: mail.server.com
• The entire URL of your email account may look like this: https://mail.server.com/owa
• You can also manually insert your server address into the format https://mail.server.com/ews/exchange.asmx — this is your actual EWS URL

Any of these options will work, because OnceHub will format the EWS URL for you in the background. In some rare cases, this method doesn't provide the correct EWS URL. If connection still fails, use this tool instead: Microsoft Remote Connectivity Analyzer

I cannot access my email via the browser

If you cannot access your email account via the browser, use this tool by Microsoft to discover your EWS URL: Microsoft Remote Connectivity Analyzer.

On-premises Exchange admins only

Users with access to PowerShell can obtain the EWS URL directly from the Exchange server. Open PowerShell on the Exchange server and type this command: Get-WebServicesVirtualDirectory |Select name, *url* | fl

None of the above worked

If none of these methods revealed the EWS URL, use our Exchange/Outlook Calendar troubleshooting guide. You may need to contact your internal help desk or IT department.

The OnceHub integration with Exchange/Outlook Calendar works regardless of whether you are using Exchange in cached mode or non-cache mode. The Cached Exchange Mode is the default mode in Outlook and is the recommended option to optimize performance.

The performance of the connector will be affected depending on the mode that you have enabled in Outlook:

• When using the Cached Exchange Mode, a copy of your Exchange/Outlook Calendar is stored on your computer. This copy provides quick access to your data and is frequently synced with the Exchange server.  The cached mode is less memory and CPU intensive on both the client-side and the server-side than the non-cached mode, improving performance.

• If you are using Exchange/Outlook Calendar and working in non-cached mode, Outlook is retrieving data from the server on any sync. This means that Outlook and the connection to OnceHub will respond slower than in the Cached mode.

If you are experiencing slow performance in your connection to OnceHub, the first thing to check is that Cached Exchange mode is enabled. Learn more about turning on Cached Exchange/Outlook Calendar Mode