Create shareable event calendars that display upcoming events, then embed them on your website, sync with external calendar applications, or share them directly through your portal.

### Overview

Event calendars give your agency a way to publish upcoming events in a format that clients and staff can view, subscribe to, and sync with their own calendar applications. You can filter calendars by location, event type, or user so that each audience sees only what is relevant to them. Calendars can be embedded on your agency website or portal, shared as a direct link, or synced with Outlook, Google Calendar, and Apple Calendar. For agencies that enable self-scheduling, clients can also book events directly from the calendar. This feature is useful for courts publishing hearing schedules, probation departments sharing reporting days, and administrative offices coordinating public-facing events.

### Prerequisites

Before creating an event calendar, make sure you have:

- An active eCourtDate account with Admin or scheduling permissions
- Events already created in your agency (see [How to Manage Events](/how-to-manage-events))
- At least one **Location** configured if you plan to filter the calendar by location
- A **Portal** set up if you plan to embed the calendar on a portal page (see [How to Create Web Portals](/how-to-create-web-portals))

### How-To Steps

#### Step 1: Navigate to Calendars

1. Click on **Events** in the top navigation bar.
2. Click the **Calendars** tab to view existing calendars or create a new one.

#### Step 2: Create a New Calendar

1. In the left column, locate the **Create Calendar** form.
2. Enter a descriptive **Name** for the calendar (e.g., "Courtroom A Schedule" or "Community Service Sessions").
3. Select the **Location** to filter which events appear on the calendar. Leave blank to include all locations.
4. Select an **Event Type** to limit the calendar to specific types of events.
5. Select a **User** to show only events assigned to a specific staff member.
6. Click the **Create** button.

You will be redirected to the calendar detail page where you can adjust settings and preview the output.

#### Step 3: Configure Calendar Settings

1. In the **Settings** section, choose the **Default View** for the calendar (month, week, or day).
2. Enable or disable **Show Past Events** depending on whether you want clients to see historical events.
3. Enable **Allow Self-Scheduling** if you want clients to book available slots directly from the calendar.
4. Set the **Timezone** to match your agency's local time.
5. Click **Save** to apply your settings.

#### Step 4: Share the Calendar Link

1. Click the **Copy Link** button to copy the calendar URL.
2. Share the link through any of the following methods:
   - Paste it into a **Message Template** to include in outbound texts or emails
   - Add it to your **Portal** sidebar or a custom page
   - Post it on your agency website or social media channels
3. Optionally, click **Generate QR Code** to create a scannable code for physical postings at your courthouse or office.

#### Step 5: Embed the Calendar on a Website

1. Click the **Embed Code** button to copy the HTML embed snippet.
2. Paste the snippet into the HTML of your agency website or content management system.
3. Adjust the width and height attributes in the embed code as needed to fit your page layout.
4. Publish the page and verify the calendar renders correctly.

#### Step 6: Sync with External Calendar Applications

1. Click the **Subscribe** button to copy the iCal subscription URL.
2. Open your preferred calendar application:
   - **Outlook:** Go to **File** > **Account Settings** > **Internet Calendars** > **New**, then paste the URL.
   - **Google Calendar:** Click the **+** next to "Other calendars," select **From URL**, then paste the URL.
   - **Apple Calendar:** Go to **File** > **New Calendar Subscription**, then paste the URL.
3. Set the refresh interval to keep the external calendar up to date (recommended: every hour or every day).
4. Events from eCourtDate will appear in your external calendar and update automatically based on the refresh interval.

### What to Expect

After creating and sharing your calendar, clients and staff who access the link will see a visual calendar displaying your agency's events filtered by the criteria you selected. If self-scheduling is enabled, clients can click on an available slot to book directly. Events sync with external calendar applications based on the refresh interval you configured. Any changes you make to events in eCourtDate (rescheduling, cancellations, new events) will be reflected on the shared calendar after the next refresh.

### Best Practices

- **Create separate calendars for different audiences.** For example, create one calendar for public hearings and another for internal staff meetings so each group sees only relevant events.
- **Use location filters strategically.** If your agency has multiple courtrooms or offices, filter calendars by location to reduce clutter and help clients find the right schedule.
- **Keep the default view simple.** Month view works best for calendars with a few events per day. Switch to week or day view for schedules with many time slots.
- **Update events promptly.** Changes to events in eCourtDate propagate to shared calendars, so keeping your events current ensures clients always see accurate information.
- **Test embedded calendars across devices.** Preview the calendar on desktop and mobile browsers to make sure it displays correctly for all visitors.

### Frequently Asked Questions

**Q: How often do external calendar subscriptions refresh?**
A: The refresh interval depends on the external application. Outlook and Apple Calendar typically refresh every few hours by default. Google Calendar may take up to 24 hours. You can manually refresh in most applications to see the latest changes immediately.

**Q: Can clients book events directly from the calendar?**
A: Yes, if you enable **Allow Self-Scheduling** in the calendar settings. Clients will see available time slots and can book directly. This works best when paired with availability templates (see [How to Create Availability Templates](/how-to-create-availability-templates)).

**Q: Can I restrict who can view the calendar?**
A: Yes. If you share the calendar through an authenticated portal page, only signed-in clients can view it. If you share the direct link or embed it publicly, anyone with the link can see the calendar.

**Q: Will canceled or trashed events appear on the calendar?**
A: No. Events that are trashed or archived are automatically excluded from public calendars. Only active events within the configured date range will display.

**Q: Can I display multiple calendars on the same portal or website?**
A: Yes. You can embed multiple calendar snippets on the same page or add multiple calendar links to your portal. Each calendar operates independently based on its own filter criteria.

### Troubleshooting

**Issue:** The embedded calendar is not displaying on your website.
**Symptoms:** The page loads but the calendar area is blank or shows an error.
**Solution:**

1. Verify the embed code was copied completely and pasted correctly into your website HTML.
2. Check that your website allows iframes, as some content management systems block them by default.
3. Confirm the calendar is active and has events within the visible date range.
4. Clear your browser cache and reload the page.

**Issue:** Events are not syncing to Outlook, Google, or Apple Calendar.
**Symptoms:** New or updated events in eCourtDate are not appearing in your external calendar.
**Solution:**

1. Verify the subscription URL was entered correctly in your external calendar application.
2. Check the refresh interval in your calendar app and try a manual refresh.
3. Ensure the events in eCourtDate are active (not trashed or archived) and fall within the calendar's date range.
4. If the issue persists, sign in to eCourtDate and create a ticket by clicking the ticket button in the bottom right corner of the screen.

### Related Articles

- [How to Manage Events](/how-to-manage-events)
- [How to Create Availability Templates](/how-to-create-availability-templates)
- [How to Create Web Portals](/how-to-create-web-portals)
- [How to Create a Virtual Event](/how-to-create-a-virtual-event)
- [How to Manage Booking Appointments](/how-to-manage-booking-appointments)