Using your G-Cal or Outlook Events inside Forecast

⏱️ 4 minute read

Forecast's Calendar Integration connects your Google, iCal, or Outlook calendar to Forecast. Once connected, you can view and access Forecast tasks directly from your calendar and create calendar meetings from within Forecast tasks.
With Calendar Events, you can also link your Forecast profile to your Google or Outlook account to view your calendar events within Forecast and easily convert them into Timesheet entries.

This article covers:

• Enabling Forecast's Calendar Integration
• Linking Google/Outlook Account to Your User Profile
• Registering Time for Calendar Events
• Unlinking Google/Outlook Accounts From Your User Profile

Enabling Forecast's Calendar Integration

Before users can link their individual calendars, the calendar integration must be enabled in Forecast. Once enabled, you'll be able to activate the option to view Google or Outlook calendar events inside Forecast.

• For set-up details, refer to Overview of Forecast's Calendar Integration.

To activate View your Google/Outlook calendar events inside Forecast

1. Click Admin in the top bar. 
2. Select Integrations from the dropdown. 
3. Click Calendar.
4. Click Activate.
   

Linking Google/Outlook Account to Your User Profile

Once the integration is enabled, users can link their Forecast profiles to their personal Google or Outlook calendars. The steps below outline how to link a Google Calendar. The steps for Outlook are similar.

To link Google calendar to a user profile

1. Click your profile icon in the top right corner.
2. Scroll down to Calendar Integration.
3. Click Link Google Account/Link Outlook Calendar under View your Google calendar events inside Forecast.
   
4. A Sign in with Google/Microsoft window will open.
5. Select the Google/Microsoft account you want to link.
6. A permission window will appear.

1. Tick the box next to Select All, then click Continue. 
2. Your linked calendar will now be visible next to Linked Google Account.
3. Under Shown Calendars, select the calendar/s you wish to view within Forecast 
4.  Check Privacy Settings to view private calendar events within Forecast. 
   
5. Your Google Calendar events will now appear in My Timesheets. 
   

Registering Time for Calendar Events

Once your calendar is linked, you can register time in Forecast using your calendar events. Time can be logged against existing tasks, projects or internal time categories. If no relevant task exists, you can create one from the event.

To register time to existing Forecast tasks

1. Click My Work in the top bar. 
2. Select My Timesheets.
3. Click the calendar event.
4. The Create time entry window opens.
5. Use the Search field to find a task or select one from the list.
6. Use Filter by type to narrow the results list.
   
7. Select the item from the results list.
8. Forecast prefills the time entry with the details from the event. 
   • Date: The date from the calendar event.
   • Time entry: The amount of time scheduled for the calendar event. 
   • Note: The name of the calendar event. 
9. Adjust details if needed and click Save.
10. The event will appear grayed out and the new timesheet entry will appear below.

To create new tasks and time registrations

1. Click My Work in the top bar. 
2. Select My Timesheet.
3. Find the event in the calendar. 
4. Right-click the event and select Convert to task.
5. In Select project, choose the destination project for the task and click Select.
6. Task modal opens and Forecast prefills the task with the details from the event. 
   • Task name: The name of the calendar event.
   • Estimate: The amount of time the event is scheduled for. 
   • Assignee: The logged in user.
7. Click into Time Entries. 
8. Enter the time and click Add.
9. The event will appear grayed out and the new timesheet entry will appear below.

Unlinking Google/Outlook Accounts From Your User Profile

If you no longer wish to have your Google or Outlook calendar linked to Forecast, you can unlink your account from Forecast at any time.

To unlink Google/Outlook calendar

1. Click the profile icon in the top right corner.
2. Select Profile from the dropdown.
3. Scroll to Calendar Integration.
4. Click Unlink Account.

Your Google/Outlook account is now disconnected and calendar events will no longer appear in My Timesheets.

Related Articles

• Overview of Forecast's Calendar Integration
• Integrating Forecast with Google Calendar
• Integrating Forecast with Outlook Calendar
• Forecast's Google Calendar integration FAQs