CR Calendar not updating in Google Calendar

Hello Jeremy,

Great question, and something we've heard a few times and noted during our internal testing. A quick google search shows that all applications (On the Google Calendar) face this same issue.

Google only updates calendar subscription links on their own schedule, and until Google Calendar decides to re-check the subscription, it won't show any changes on your Calendar on the website/device. The easiest way for you to see the changes would likely be to remove it, and then re-add it.

Outlook (desktop) and Apple Calendar (desktop) both have options to check these more often.

I can confirm that I am seeing the new items in my Outlook, and I can confirm that changes will populate to your calendar, but you're at the mercy of the application that refreshes it.

 

Thanks, I was wondering if it was something like that. Do you know if there is a typical refresh time? I've waited nearly 24 hours and still haven't see either item come through. Subscription is kind of a loose term I guess...

 

My Understanding for Google is normally once a day, you can force it to refresh by adding a cache buster to the end of the URL in your Google Calendar page, but it only works for that edit. If you wanted to force an update again, you'll need to edit the url again.

So for example, if your URL in the Google Calendar is : http://portal.clubrunner.ca/2313/calendar-feed
You can change it to: http://portal.clubrunner.ca/2313/calendar-feed?20171018
This will force it right away, but will only force it to update once, then it goes back to its normal once a day updates.
You can keep adding more numbers to the URL: http://portal.clubrunner.ca/2313/calendar-feed?201710181, http://portal.clubrunner.ca/2313/calendar-feed?201710182 etc to keep forcing it to refresh.

Google at this time does not allow for end users to configure a more dynamic update time, where was Outlook and Apple Mail do.

 

I'm not sure this is the problem. After more looking, I am finding items that were on the calendar before I initially subscribed the google calendar and they did not sync.

Are there any minimum required fields in a calendar item that perhaps might not be required by clubrunner but might be required for google to pick them up during a sync?

 

Additional information - using the cache buster info you provided I've been able to play with a couple different settings and it appears that a calendar item can be created in clubrunner with a start time and no end time, but google calendar will not pick that item up. Once I add an end time (and then use the cache buster to reload) the item shows up. I believe this to be the source of the problem and why even more than 24 hours later some items are not coming through on the google calendar.

 

Good Find @Jeremy Worrall !

It is odd since my outlook calendar showed the 3 that you had added. I'll bring it up with our product team, possibly we can add an end time, even if one is not set to ensure that the calendar item shows up properly in all clients.

 

using the forced refresh (cache buster) or deleting and re-adding the calendar I was able to get them to show up after adding an end time to the items - unless I do that force refresh though the items still aren't 'auto' updating, which is really disappointing (I hear you that it's a google thing related to how often they pull in a refresh of that URL, however if it takes 48 hours and still doesn't update is there another troubleshooting process we can try?)

I just added a new calendar item and will watch it through the weekend to see if it shows up on it's own. thanks for all your help

 

Keep us updated @Jeremy Worrall

 

Hey @Jeremy Worrall just checking in, did you see it update in your Google Calendar?