Managing Calendar Integration for Schedule items and Appointments

Cadence offers flexible calendar integration options tailored to your event needs. This article explains the calendar subscription settings and the invite email workflows for appointments, clarifying how these settings affect customers and internal attendees. By understanding the differences between  Webcal subscriptions  and  .ics email attachments , you can ensure the most effective integration for your events.


Calendar Subscription Settings Overview

Cadence supports two primary calendar subscription settings that determine how schedules and appointments are handled:
    .1Schedule and Appointments: Includes both schedule items and appointments in calendar integration.
    .2Schedule Only: Limits calendar integration to schedule items only, with additional settings for how appointment invites are managed.
Each setting affects how internal attendees and customers receive their invites and calendar updates. Below, we detail the workflows for each configuration.


Option 1: Calendar Subscription Set to "Schedule and Appointments"

When this option is selected:
  • Both customers and internal attendees receive a nicely formatted invite email with buttons to respond (Accept, Decline, Tentative).
  • After selecting their response:
  • Customers receive an email with the .ics attachment, allowing them to add the appointment to their calendar.
  • Internal attendees:
  • Receive a confirmation email.
  • The appointment is automatically synced to their calendar via the Webcal subscription.
Key Point: This setup ensures all attendees receive a polished experience with a clear response workflow and updated calendar integration.


Option 2: Calendar Subscription Set to "Schedule" with Appointment Invite Settings

When the subscription is set to "Schedule Only", an additional setting appears to configure how appointment invites are sent:

a. Multi Email Invites

  • Both customers and internal attendees receive a nicely formatted invite email with response buttons (Accept, Decline, Tentative).
  • After selecting their response:
  • Both customers and internal attendees are automatically sent a follow-up email containing the .ics attachment, which seamlessly updates their calendar when opened or synced with their email client.
  • Updates are sent automatically via email when significant changes occur, such as date, time, or location updates. These updated emails:
  • Notify attendees of the change.
  • Include an updated .ics file reflecting the new details.

b. Single Email Invites

  • Both customers and internal attendees receive a plain text email with the .ics attachment immediately upon appointment creation and invitation sending.
  • Attendees can mark their acceptance directly in the same email (no additional emails are sent).
  • Updates to appointments (e.g., changes to date, time, or location) will also send updated plain text emails with new .ics files reflecting the changes.
Key Point: "Multi Email Invites" provides a polished workflow with confirmation steps, while "Single Email Invites" offer a faster, simpler process with minimal email exchanges.


Considerations for Static .ics Files

In all scenarios, users can manually download a static .ics file for both schedule items and appointments. However, it’s important to understand that:
    .1Static Nature: Once downloaded, the .ics file does not automatically update. If any changes occur (e.g., time, location, or attendee updates), the static file will not reflect these changes.
    .2Potential for Incorrect Information: Using static .ics files can result in outdated or incorrect information on attendees’ calendars if changes are made after the file is downloaded.
    .3Recommendation: To ensure calendar information remains accurate, use Webcal subscriptions or the dynamic email workflows outlined above.
Key Point: Static .ics files are prone to becoming stale and should only be used when automated updates are not necessary.


Summary of Workflows

Option 1: Schedule and Appointments

Attendee Type
Initial Email
Response Workflow
Customer
Nicely formatted invite email with buttons
Receives .ics file via email after responding.
Internal Attendee
Nicely formatted invite email with buttons
Receives confirmation email; appointment syncs automatically via Webcal.


Option 2: Schedule Only

a. Multi Email Invites

Attendee Type
Initial Email
Response Workflow
Customer
Nicely formatted invite email with buttons
After responding, receives an email with a .ics attachment that updates their calendar. For changes like date, time, or location, a follow-up email is sent with an updated .ics, ensuring the appointment moves to the correct time and location.
Internal Attendee
Nicely formatted invite email with buttons
After responding, receives an email with a .ics attachment that updates their calendar. For changes like date, time, or location, a follow-up email is sent with an updated .ics, ensuring the appointment moves to the correct time and location.


b. Single Email Invites

Attendee Type
Initial Email
Response Workflow
Customer
Plain text email with .ics attachment
Marks acceptance in the same email; no additional emails are sent.
Internal Attendee
Plain text email with .ics attachment
Marks acceptance in the same email; no additional emails are sent.


Conclusion

By leveraging Webcal subscriptions for automated calendar updates and .ics email attachments for direct, manual updates, Cadence provides versatile options to suit a variety of workflows. Whether you prioritize automation or control, understanding these settings helps you optimize your event management and minimize confusion among attendees.
For more details on the technical benefits and limitations of Webcal subscriptions and .ics email attachments, refer to our  educational article .