One-Way Calendar Sync
One-way calendar sync automatically exports your Sessions Health appointments to external calendar applications like Apple Calendar, Google Calendar, and Microsoft Outlook.
💡 Before You Begin: Check out our Syncing External Calendars Overview guide and video tutorial to compare sync options and select your client privacy settings.
In this article:
- How One-Way Sync Works
- Getting Your Sync URL
- Adding the URL to Your External Calendar
- Updating Privacy Settings or Refreshing Your Sync
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Related Resources
How One-Way Sync Works
- Direction: Sessions Health > External Calendar (view-only).
- Future Window: Automatically exports appointments up to 6 months in advance.
- Making Changes: Always create, edit, or cancel appointments inside Sessions Health. Changes made directly on external calendars will not be sent back to Sessions Health.
Getting Your Sync URL
Follow these simple steps inside your account to generate and copy your unique calendar web link.
- Go to Calendar in the left navigation menu.
- Select the Gear icon in the top-right corner and choose Sync Calendar.
- Under How would you like to sync your calendar?, select One-Way Sync using a URL.
- Copy the generated web address link shown in the box.
ℹ️ Need to revoke access? If you ever want to stop sharing your feed, select Reset. This immediately turns off the old web link and generates a new one. Anyone using the old link will lose access to your schedule.
Adding the URL to Your External Calendar
Open your external calendar app, create a new calendar subscription (often labeled "Add from URL" or "Subscribe"), and paste your copied link.
Refer to your calendar provider's support guide for step-by-step instructions:
- Apple Calendar Setup Guide (iPhone)
- Apple Calendar Setup Guide (Mac Desktop)
- Google Calendar Setup Guide
- Microsoft Outlook Setup Guide
Updating Privacy Settings or Refreshing Your Sync
If you change how client names display or notice your external calendar isn't updating, follow these steps to force a fresh sync:
- Remove the Old Feed: In your external calendar app, delete or unsubscribe from your existing Sessions Health calendar feed.
- Update Display Settings (Optional): In Sessions Health, select your new display preference (such as Use Internal ID).
- Reset Your URL (Optional): Select Reset on the Sync Calendar page to revoke access to your previous web link and generate a new one.
- Re-Subscribe: Copy the sync URL and add it back into your external calendar app as a new calendar subscription.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which calendar apps work with One-Way Sync?
One-way sync works with any application that accepts .ics or "Subscribe from URL" calendar feeds.
Why are new or updated appointments taking a long time to show up in Google Calendar?
Google Calendar refreshes URL feeds only once or twice a day (up to 24 hours), and Google does not provide a way to force an instant update. Other apps, like Apple Calendar on iPhone, allow you to set refresh intervals as fast as every 15 minutes.
Why don't changes I make on Google Calendar show up in Sessions Health?
One-Way sync is strictly view-only. Events modified on an external calendar will not send updates back to Sessions Health and can break your feed sync.
How far into the future do my appointments sync?
Appointments sync up to 6 months in advance. As time moves forward, new appointments scheduled within that 6-month window will automatically appear during your external app's next scheduled refresh.
What happens if I select "Reset" on a One-Way Sync link?
Selecting Reset invalidates the previous web link immediately. Anyone or any app using the previous link will immediately lose access to your schedule until updated with your new link.
Need real-time updates and availability blocking?
If you use Google Calendar and need faster updates plus personal event blocking, set up Two-Way Google Calendar Sync instead.
Related Resources
For more guidance, see the following resources: