Calendars in eCourtDate let you share event schedules with clients and staff through embeddable, syncable calendar views, giving everyone visibility into upcoming court dates, appointments, and hearings.

### Overview

- **What it is:** A calendar management tool that creates shareable event calendars filtered by location, event type, or user. Calendars can be embedded on your agency's website, synced with popular calendar apps, and configured to allow client self-scheduling.
- **Why it matters:** Clients and staff need easy access to event schedules without calling the clerk's office. Shared calendars reduce phone inquiries, prevent scheduling conflicts, and keep everyone informed about upcoming events in real time.
- **Who uses it:** Administrators who set up calendars, staff who manage events, and clients who view or book events through shared calendar links.
- **Expected outcomes:** Fewer scheduling-related phone calls, real-time event visibility for clients and staff, reduced no-shows through calendar sync and notifications, and a professional public-facing schedule.

### Prerequisites

- Admin or Manager role with access to **Events**
- Events created in the system for the calendar to display
- Your agency's website access if you plan to embed calendars
- Calendar app credentials (Outlook, Google Calendar, or Apple Calendar) if you plan to set up sync

### How-To Steps

#### Step 1: Create a New Calendar

1. Click **Events** > **Calendars** from the top navigation.
2. Click **Create Calendar** in the upper-right corner.
3. Enter a name for the calendar (for example, "Courtroom A Schedule" or "Public Hearing Calendar").
4. Add an optional description that will be visible to anyone viewing the calendar.

#### Step 2: Set Calendar Filters

1. In the **Filters** section, select which events appear on this calendar:
   - **Location**: Choose one or more locations to show events only from specific courtrooms, offices, or buildings.
   - **Event Type**: Select the event types to include (hearings, conferences, arraignments, appointments, etc.).
   - **User**: Filter by assigned staff member to create individual or team-specific calendars.
2. The calendar preview updates as you apply filters so you can verify the correct events appear.

#### Step 3: Configure Access Settings

1. In the **Access** section, choose who can view this calendar:
   - **Public**: Anyone with the link can view the calendar without signing in.
   - **Sign-In Required**: Viewers must log in to their eCourtDate portal account to see the calendar.
   - **Passcode Protected**: Viewers must enter a passcode you set to access the calendar.
2. Select the appropriate option based on the sensitivity of the events displayed.

#### Step 4: Enable Client Self-Scheduling

1. In the **Scheduling** section, toggle **Allow Self-Scheduling** to enable clients to book events directly from the calendar.
2. Select which event types clients can book.
3. Set booking rules: how far in advance clients can book, minimum notice period, and maximum bookings per client.
4. Link an **Availability Template** to define the available time slots (see [How to Create Availability Templates](/how-to-create-availability-templates)).

#### Step 5: Embed on Your Website

1. Click the **Embed** tab in the calendar settings.
2. Copy the embed code (an iframe snippet) provided.
3. Paste the embed code into your agency's website where you want the calendar to appear.
4. Adjust the width and height parameters in the code to fit your website layout.

#### Step 6: Set Up Calendar Sync

1. Click the **Sync** tab in the calendar settings.
2. Copy the calendar subscription URL (iCal format).
3. In your calendar app (Outlook, Google Calendar, or Apple Calendar), add a new calendar subscription and paste the URL.
4. Events from this calendar appear in your calendar app and update automatically.

#### Step 7: Configure Notifications

1. In the **Notifications** section, enable notifications for calendar changes.
2. Select which events trigger notifications: new events added, events rescheduled, or events canceled.
3. Choose the notification channel: email, SMS, or push notification.
4. Click **Save** to apply all settings.

### What to Expect

Your calendar is immediately available at its unique URL and through any embed or sync you configured. Events matching your filters appear automatically, and the calendar updates in real time as events are created, modified, or canceled. Clients using self-scheduling see only available time slots and receive confirmation messages after booking.

### Best Practices

- Create separate calendars for different audiences (one for public hearings, one for internal staff, one for a specific courtroom) rather than one calendar showing everything.
- Use passcode protection for calendars that display sensitive case-related events.
- Test the embedded calendar on your website across different devices (desktop, tablet, phone) to verify the layout is responsive.
- Encourage staff to sync calendars to their personal calendar apps so they always have an up-to-date view of their schedule.
- Review calendar access logs periodically to understand how frequently clients use your shared calendars.

### Frequently Asked Questions

**Q: Can I display multiple calendars on the same web page?**
A: Yes. You can embed multiple calendar iframes on the same page, each showing a different filtered view. Arrange them side by side or stacked depending on your website layout.

**Q: Do changes to events automatically update on embedded calendars?**
A: Yes. Embedded calendars pull data in real time. When an event is added, rescheduled, or canceled, the change appears on the embedded calendar without any manual refresh.

**Q: Can clients subscribe to calendar updates via email?**
A: Yes. If notifications are enabled, clients who have opted in receive email or SMS notifications when events on the calendar change. Alternatively, clients can subscribe using the iCal URL in their own calendar app.

**Q: How do I remove an event from a calendar without deleting it?**
A: Adjust the calendar's filters so the event no longer matches. For example, if the event type or location does not match the calendar's filter criteria, it will not appear. The event remains in the system.

**Q: Is there a limit to how many calendars I can create?**
A: There is no limit. Create as many calendars as you need for different locations, event types, or audiences.

### Troubleshooting

**Issue:** Embedded calendar does not load on your website.
**Symptoms:** The calendar area on your website shows a blank space or a loading error.
**Solution:**
1. Verify the embed code was pasted correctly and completely into your website's HTML.
2. Check that your website allows iframes from the eCourtDate domain. Update your Content Security Policy if needed.
3. Test the calendar's direct URL in a browser to confirm it loads independently.
4. Clear your browser cache and reload the page.

**Issue:** Calendar sync does not update in the calendar app.
**Symptoms:** New or changed events do not appear in Outlook, Google Calendar, or Apple Calendar.
**Solution:**
1. Verify the subscription URL is correct in your calendar app settings.
2. Check your calendar app's sync frequency. Some apps only refresh subscribed calendars every few hours.
3. Remove and re-add the calendar subscription to force a fresh sync.

### Related Articles

- [How to Create Availability Templates](/how-to-create-availability-templates)
- [How to Create Workflows](/how-to-create-workflows)
- [How to Manage Automations](/how-to-manage-automations)