Managing calendar sync for Microsoft 365 Outlook Calendar

Our basic calendar sync for Microsoft 365 lets you view SimplePractice appointments and events in your Outlook Calendar. You can also create SimplePractice events and modify SimplePractice appointments from Outlook Calendar.

In this guide, we'll cover:

• Syncing your SimplePractice calendar with Microsoft 365
• Removing your Outlook Calendar sync
• Scheduling clients using Microsoft 365
• Troubleshooting Outlook Calendar sync

Note: At this time, calendar sync is only available on the Plus plan.

Syncing your SimplePractice calendar with Microsoft 365

Important: By enabling syncing between your SimplePractice calendar and an external calendar, you acknowledge and agree to follow HIPAA compliance requirements and protect the calendar information, including the secure Telehealth video link.

To connect SimplePractice with Microsoft 365:

1. Navigate to Settings > Scheduling and inquiries > Calendar
2. Click Connect next to Microsoft 365

3. Enter your Microsoft account credentials and click Next

If you’re already signed into your Microsoft account, you’ll be signed in automatically and the sync will complete.

After your calendars are connected, a new SimplePractice calendar will appear in Outlook Calendar. To view this:

1. Navigate to your Outlook Calendar
2. Click Show all under My calendars

3. Select SimplePractice

While your SimplePractice appointments and events will be visible in Outlook Calendar, any out of office blocks added in SimplePractice won’t appear in your Outlook Calendar.

Note: With basic calendar sync, only events added to the SimplePractice calendar within Microsoft 365 will appear in SimplePractice. The other calendars listed under My calendars won't sync to SimplePractice. For more information on the different types of calendar sync we offer, see Getting started with calendar sync.

Removing your Outlook Calendar sync

You can disconnect your sync with Microsoft 365 at any time. To do this:

1. Navigate to Settings > Scheduling and inquiries > Calendar
2. Click Disconnect next to Microsoft 365

To remove your SimplePractice calendar from Outlook Calendar:

1. Navigate to your Outlook Calendar
2. Under My calendars, click the 3 horizontal dots next to SimplePractice
3. Select Remove

4. Click Remove to confirm you'd like to remove this calendar

Note: After your calendar sync is disconnected, your calendars will stop syncing, and any previously synced events will be removed. You'll also receive an email confirming the disconnection.

Scheduling clients using Microsoft 365

Any event you create on the SimplePractice calendar within Microsoft 365 will appear in your SimplePractice account as a non-client event. You can use this event as a placeholder for the appointment, then recreate it in SimplePractice.

1. Navigate to your Outlook Calendar
2. Click New event
3. Select SimplePractice from the Calendar dropdown

4. Add a title and any event details
5. Click Save

6. Return to your SimplePractice account, where the event will appear in dark gray

7. Delete the placeholder event and schedule a new client appointment in its place
   • Once the appointment is recreated, it’ll sync to your Outlook Calendar

Modifying SimplePractice appointments in Microsoft 365

As long as a SimplePractice appointment isn’t locked, you can update the date, start/end time, or duration in Outlook Calendar. These changes will be reflected in your SimplePractice account.

Locked appointments are indicated by a lock icon next to the title in your Outlook Calendar. An appointment will appear as locked if it has an invoice, superbill, or progress note attached in SimplePractice.

Note: An appointment may appear as locked in an external calendar but not within SimplePractice. To learn more, see Editing an appointment.

Recurring appointment series

A recurring appointment series can only be created in SimplePractice. To learn how, see Managing recurring appointments.

After the series is created, all appointments will sync to your Outlook Calendar.

Note: If you create a recurring appointment series on the SimplePractice calendar within Outlook Calendar, it will be automatically deleted and won’t appear in SimplePractice. Changes made to a single appointment in a series from an external calendar will not apply to the rest of the series.

Troubleshooting Outlook Calendar sync

To troubleshoot your sync with Microsoft 365, try disconnecting and reconnecting your calendars.

1. Navigate to your Outlook Calendar
2. Under My calendars, click the 3 horizontal dots next to SimplePractice
3. Select Remove

4. Return to your SimplePractice account and navigate to Settings > Scheduling and inquiries > Calendar
5. Click Connect next to Microsoft 365