This article walks you through how to import your external calendar (Google, Outlook, Apple, etc.) into Rula so your events and calendar blocks sync with your Rula calendar. This will allow other calendared events and blocks to sync with your Rula calendar, making it easier to manage your availability.
External events will show up on your Rula calendar as blocks. These blocks will block availability on your calendar, giving you a true sense of your schedule.
This calendar feature is currently in early access with a small group of providers in our network. We’ll notify you once it becomes more widely available.
Guided Steps
To import an external calendar to your Rula calendar for the first time:
Before you begin, be sure to find your external calendars' iCal link.
- Log in to the Rula provider portal.
- Click on the Schedule tab.
- Click Sync Calendar in the upper right-hand corner of the screen.
- Click Import external calendar.
- Copy and paste your iCal link into the provider portal.
- Click Import calendar.
- A pop-up will appear, alerting you that events from your external calendar will block your availability for patients. Click Confirm.
- Your external calendar has now been imported!
Importing a second external calendar:
- Log in to the Rula provider portal.
- Click on the Schedule tab.
- Click Sync Calendar in the upper right-hand corner of the screen.
- Click Import external calendar.
- Click + Import calendar
- Copy and paste your iCal link into the provider portal.
- Click Import calendar.
- A pop-up will appear, alerting you that events from your external calendar will block your availability for patients. Click Confirm.
- Your external calendar has now been imported!
How to pull your iCal link
It's important to ensure you are pulling the correct link from your external calendar to import it into your Rula calendar. If you pull the wrong link, you may encounter an error message.
If you need help walking through how to pull your iCal link, the articles below provide step-by-step guidance depending on the type of calendar you want to import.
If you are using a calendar not mentioned above, you can still import that calendar as long as you have an iCal formatted link. You should be able to find this in your calendar settings, looking for keywords like "iCal format".
For example: https://calendar.google.com/calendar/ical/jane.doe%40rula.com/public/basic.ics
Helpful Tips
Public Calendar: Make sure your external calendar is publicly available! This will ensure your events sync properly with your Rula calendar.
Managing your external calendar: To manage external events, you'll need to return to that calendar. You can delete external events from your Rula calendar; however, they will remain in your external calendar.
Calendar limit reached error: Rula only supports two imported external calendars at one time. If you try to import more than two, you'll receive an error message.
Calendar link errors: If you encounter an error with your calendar link, there are two possible issues: you may have added the wrong link type (not an iCal/ICS link), or your external calendar needs to be made publicly available.
Calendar sync errors: Occasionally, you may need to resync your external calendar. If this happens, remove the calendar, then go back to your external calendar and grab the iCal link again to re-import it.
FAQ
Can I remove the imported calendar later?
Yes! Once you import a calendar, you can always remove it later. Simply click Remove to the right of the imported calendar, then click Confirm removal.
How many calendars can I import?
At this time, you can only import up to two external calendars to your Rula calendar.
Will syncing an external calendar affect my Rula appointments?
Syncing pulls events on your Rula calendar as blocks. It will not cancel, modify, or affect any of your existing Rula appointments.
What will sync to my Rula calendar from my imported calendar?
We will only sync external events where you are marked as "Busy". Any event marked as "Free", such as a reminder or birthday, will not sync to your Rula calendar.
If I deleted an external event, can I add it back to my Rula calendar?
To add this event back to your calendar, you'll have to manually create a new block on your Rula calendar.
I just updated my external calendar, but the event is not showing up on my Rula calendar. What do I do?
Rula will re-sync your imported calendar every hour. If you add a new event, it may take some time to see it appear on your Rula calendar. Please contact Rula if you still do not see your external event appearing after an hour.
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