Equip supports two ways to view Equip events outside of Equip: Calendar Syncing and Calendar Subscriptions. They are not the same. Use this guide to choose the right option for a user or account.
Quick recommendation
Choose Calendar Syncing when the user signs in with Google or Microsoft SSO and wants Equip events pushed into that connected calendar.
Choose Calendar Subscriptions when the user needs a read-only calendar feed that can be added to Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, Outlook, or another app that supports calendar URLs.
Calendar syncing
Calendar syncing pushes registered Equip events to a user's connected Google or Microsoft calendar. It requires the user to authenticate with a connected Google or Microsoft account and have Enable Event Syncing turned on.
Best for: users who use Google or Microsoft as their main calendar and want Equip to create/update matching external calendar events.
Setup location: the user's Calendar Settings page.
Account setting: admins can use Auto-Enable Event Syncing for New Users from Account Settings > Calendar Settings.
Direction: one-way from Equip to the connected Google or Microsoft calendar.
Calendar subscriptions
Calendar subscriptions provide a private read-only calendar feed URL for a user's registered Equip events. This is not a paid Equip subscription; it simply means the external calendar app subscribes to the user's Equip calendar feed.
Best for: users who need to view Equip events in an external calendar app without using Google or Microsoft event syncing.
Setup location: the user's Calendar Settings page or the Subscribe to Calendar option on the user's events page.
Direction: one-way read-only feed from Equip to the external calendar app.
Refresh timing: the external calendar app controls how often it checks the feed for updates.
Side-by-side differences
Connection type: syncing uses a connected Google or Microsoft account; subscriptions use a private calendar URL.
Where events appear: syncing creates events in the connected calendar; subscriptions show a separate subscribed Equip calendar.
Editing: Equip remains the source of truth for both. Changes made in the external calendar do not update Equip.
Availability: syncing appears for Google/Microsoft SSO users; subscriptions appear when calendar subscriptions are enabled for the account and the user is eligible.
Security: syncing depends on the user's connected account; subscriptions depend on keeping the private URL limited to the right audience.
Common scenarios
A staff member uses Google or Microsoft SSO and wants Equip events on their work calendar: use Calendar Syncing.
A participant needs a simple calendar feed in Apple Calendar or Outlook: use Calendar Subscriptions.
An admin wants new eligible users to have syncing enabled automatically: use Auto-Enable Event Syncing for New Users.
A subscription URL was shared with the wrong person: regenerate the calendar subscription link from the user's Calendar Settings.
Related articles
Syncing Events to an Individual's Calendar
Using Calendar Subscriptions
Introduction to the Calendar