How to Display Your Google Calendar Inside Outlook

The simplest way to see Google Calendar in Outlook

You cannot directly embed Google Calendar into Outlook the way you embed one Outlook calendar into another. Instead, you have two practical routes: subscribe to your Google Calendar as a read-only feed inside Outlook, or sync your Google Calendar events to Outlook so they appear as your own calendar. Which one you choose depends on whether you want to see Google events without changing them, or whether you want to manage them from Outlook itself.

The subscription method (read-only) works on all versions of Outlook and takes about five minutes. The sync method is more seamless but requires either Outlook on the web or the Outlook desktop app on Windows, and it lets you edit Google Calendar events directly from Outlook.

Key Takeaways

You can subscribe to your Google Calendar inside Outlook as a read-only calendar, which displays Google events but does not let you edit them from Outlook.
To subscribe, you need your Google Calendar's public address (a long string of characters ending in @group.calendar.google.com), which you find in Google Calendar settings.
Syncing Google Calendar to Outlook requires the Outlook desktop app on Windows or Outlook on the web, and lets you edit events from either platform.
Changes made in Google Calendar always show up in Outlook within a few minutes, but changes made in Outlook may take longer to reach Google Calendar depending on your setup.

Subscribe to Google Calendar as a read-only calendar in Outlook

This method works on Outlook desktop (Windows and Mac), Outlook on the web, and Outlook mobile apps. The Google Calendar appears in your calendar list but you cannot edit events from Outlook — you can only view them. If you need to make changes, you open Google Calendar in a browser.

First, get your Google Calendar's address. Open Google Calendar in a browser, click the three dots next to the calendar name you want to add, and select Settings and sharing. Scroll down to Integrate calendar and copy the long string under Public address in iCal format. It looks like abc123def456@group.calendar.google.com. If you do not see this option, your calendar may not be set to public — click Access permissions and make sure Make available to public is turned on.

Now open Outlook. In Outlook desktop, click File > Open & Export > Import/Export, then select Import an iCalendar (.ics) or vCalendar file. Paste the Google Calendar address you copied. In Outlook on the web, click + Add calendar at the bottom left, select Subscribe from web, and paste the address there. The calendar appears in your list within a few seconds.

Sync Google Calendar to Outlook using the desktop app on Windows

If you use Outlook desktop on Windows, you can set up two-way sync so Google Calendar events appear in your Outlook calendar and you can edit them from either platform. This requires connecting your Google account to Outlook.

Open Outlook and go to File > Account Settings > Account Settings. Click New and select Google as the account type. Sign in with your Google account and allow Outlook to access your calendar. Outlook then syncs your Google Calendar events to your main Outlook calendar. Any event you create or edit in Google Calendar shows up in Outlook within a few minutes. Events you create in Outlook may take longer to sync back to Google Calendar — usually between 15 minutes and an hour.

If you have multiple Google Calendars, only your primary calendar syncs this way. To add other Google Calendars, use the subscription method above for each one.

Sync Google Calendar to Outlook on the web

Outlook on the web (the browser version at outlook.com or outlook.office.com) also syncs with Google Calendar, though the setup is slightly different. Click the gear icon in the top right, then View all Outlook settings. Go to Calendar > Shared calendars and click Add a calendar. Choose From the web and paste your Google Calendar's public iCal address (the same one you use for the subscription method).

This creates a read-only view in Outlook on the web. If you want two-way sync in the browser version, you need to connect your Google account: click the gear icon, go to Accounts, and select Connected accounts. Add your Google account and Outlook will sync your primary Google Calendar.

What happens when you edit events in both places

If you subscribe to Google Calendar (read-only), you can only edit events in Google Calendar itself. Changes appear in Outlook within a few minutes.

If you sync Google Calendar to Outlook, you can edit events in either place. Changes made in Google Calendar show up in Outlook quickly — usually within five minutes. Changes made in Outlook take longer to reach Google Calendar, sometimes 15 minutes to an hour, because Outlook has to send the change back through Google's servers. If you edit the same event in both places at nearly the same time, Google Calendar's version usually wins because it syncs more frequently.

Troubleshooting: Calendar does not appear or stops updating

If your Google Calendar does not show up in Outlook after you subscribe, check that the calendar is set to public in Google Calendar settings. If it is already public and still does not appear, try removing and re-adding it. In Outlook desktop, right-click the calendar name and select Delete, then repeat the subscription steps. In Outlook on the web, hover over the calendar name and click the three dots, then Delete.

If the calendar appears but stops updating, the subscription link may have expired. Remove the calendar and re-subscribe using the current public address from Google Calendar settings. If you synced using your Google account and events stopped syncing, sign out of your Google account in Outlook and sign back in: go to File > Account Settings > Account Settings, click your Google account, and select Change or Remove.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I edit Google Calendar events directly from Outlook?

Only if you sync using your Google account in Outlook desktop on Windows or Outlook on the web. If you subscribe to the calendar as a read-only feed, you can view events but must open Google Calendar in a browser to edit them.

Will events I create in Outlook show up in Google Calendar?

Only if you have set up sync using your Google account. If you only subscribed to Google Calendar, events you create in Outlook stay in Outlook and do not reach Google Calendar. Sync is one-way from Google to Outlook in that case.

Can I add multiple Google Calendars to Outlook?

Yes. If you synced your primary Google Calendar using your account, you can subscribe to other Google Calendars using the read-only method. Get the public iCal address for each calendar from its settings and subscribe to each one separately.

What if I use Outlook on a Mac?

Outlook on Mac does not support syncing Google Calendar through your account the way Windows does. You can only subscribe to Google Calendar as read-only. Use the subscription method with the public iCal address, which works the same way on Mac as on Windows.

Do I need to keep Google Calendar open for Outlook to stay in sync?

No. Once you subscribe or sync, Outlook checks for updates on its own schedule. You do not need to have Google Calendar open in a browser for events to appear in Outlook.

This guide is for general information only and is not medical, financial, legal, or other professional advice. For decisions specific to your situation, consult a qualified professional. See our Editorial Policy.