The fastest way: use Outlook's built-in Gmail import

Outlook can read your Gmail calendar directly without leaving the application. Open Outlook on your computer, go to File > Open & Export > Import/Export, then select Import from another program or file. Choose Comma Separated Values (.csv) and point it to a calendar file you've exported from Gmail. Outlook will add those events to your calendar in a few seconds.

This method works on Windows and Mac versions of Outlook, and it's the simplest route if you only need to move events once. The downside is that changes you make in Gmail won't automatically show up in Outlook — you'd need to export and import again each time.

If you use Outlook on the web (Outlook.com), the process is slightly different but just as straightforward. Log into your Outlook.com account, select Calendar, then look for the Add calendar button. Choose Subscribe from web and paste the calendar URL from Gmail. Outlook.com will then display your Gmail events alongside your other calendars.

Key Takeaways

  • Outlook's desktop version can import a Gmail calendar file in a few clicks using the Import/Export tool, though changes in Gmail won't sync automatically.
  • Outlook.com (web version) can subscribe to a Gmail calendar using a public calendar URL, which updates automatically when you change events in Gmail.
  • To export your Gmail calendar as a file, open Google Calendar, find the calendar name in the left sidebar, click the three-dot menu, and select Export calendar.
  • If you use Microsoft 365 or a work Outlook account, your IT department may have already set up calendar syncing through your organization's settings.

Getting your Gmail calendar URL for live updates

If you want Outlook to show your Gmail calendar with live updates, you need the calendar's public URL. Open Google Calendar, find the calendar you want to share in the left sidebar under Other calendars, click the three-dot menu next to it, and select Settings and sharing. Scroll down to Integrate calendar and copy the Public URL — it will look something like https://calendar.google.com/calendar/u/0/r?cid=....

This URL only works if you've made the calendar public in Google Calendar's sharing settings. By default, your personal Gmail calendar is private, so you'll need to check the Make available to public option first. Once you've done that, anyone with the URL can see your events, so only use this method if you're comfortable with that level of sharing.

After you have the URL, go to Outlook.com, select Calendar, click Add calendar, choose Subscribe from web, and paste the URL. Outlook will check the calendar every few hours and pull in any new or changed events.

Exporting Gmail calendar events as a file

To move your Gmail calendar into Outlook as a one-time import, you need to export it as a file first. Open Google Calendar, click the three-dot menu next to the calendar name in the left sidebar, and select Export calendar. Google will download a .zip file containing an .ics file (the standard calendar format). Extract the .ics file and save it somewhere you can find it.

Then open Outlook on your computer, go to File > Open & Export > Import/Export, select Import from another program or file, choose Comma Separated Values (.csv) or iCalendar (.ics) depending on your file type, and browse to the file you just saved. Outlook will ask which calendar to import into — select the one you want and click Finish.

All the events from your Gmail calendar will now appear in Outlook. If you add new events to Gmail later, they won't automatically show up in Outlook unless you repeat this export-and-import process.

Why syncing doesn't work both ways

Outlook and Gmail don't have a built-in two-way sync like they do with some other calendar services. If you import your Gmail calendar into Outlook, events you create in Outlook won't appear in Gmail, and vice versa. This is because Gmail and Outlook are separate services run by different companies, and they don't share a direct connection for calendar data.

The workaround is to pick one calendar as your main one and use it for everything. If Gmail is your primary email, create events in Google Calendar and view them in Outlook using the subscription method. If Outlook is your main calendar, create events there and only check Gmail Calendar when you need to see something specific.

Some people solve this by using a third-party tool like Zapier or IFTTT, which can watch for new events in one calendar and automatically create them in the other. These services charge a monthly fee and require you to connect both accounts, but they do provide true two-way syncing.

Using Outlook with a Gmail account directly

If you access Gmail through Outlook's email client (by adding your Gmail account to Outlook), you can also add your Gmail calendar to the same window. Open Outlook, go to File > Account Settings > Account Settings, and look for your Gmail account in the list. If it's already there, Outlook may have automatically added your Gmail calendar — check the Calendar section on the left sidebar to see if it appears.

If your Gmail calendar doesn't show up automatically, you can add it manually by going to Calendar > Manage Calendars > Add Calendar and selecting your Gmail account from the dropdown. This method only works if you've already connected your Gmail account to Outlook for email, and it requires that your Gmail account uses a standard Gmail address (not a custom domain).

This approach is cleaner than importing a file because Outlook will check your Gmail calendar regularly and show you updates. However, events you create in Outlook's calendar still won't sync back to Gmail — they'll only appear in Outlook.

Troubleshooting common problems

If Outlook isn't showing your Gmail calendar after you've subscribed to it, check that the calendar URL is correct and that you've made the calendar public in Google Calendar settings. Outlook.com updates subscribed calendars every few hours, not instantly, so give it some time before assuming something is wrong. If events still don't appear after a few hours, try unsubscribing and re-adding the calendar with the URL.

If you're importing a .ics file and Outlook says the file is corrupted, make sure you extracted the .ics file from the .zip folder that Google sent you. Sometimes the .zip file itself won't import — you need the .ics file inside it. Also check that you're using the right import method for your version of Outlook; older versions may not support .ics files and may need a .csv file instead.

If you added your Gmail account to Outlook for email but the calendar still isn't showing up, sign out of Outlook completely and sign back in. Sometimes the calendar needs a fresh connection to appear. You can also try removing the Gmail account from Outlook and re-adding it — Outlook will usually detect the calendar the second time around.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I see my Gmail calendar and Outlook calendar side by side?

Yes. In Outlook.com or Outlook on the desktop, both calendars will appear in the left sidebar under My calendars and Other calendars. You can toggle each one on or off by clicking the checkbox next to its name, and events from both will show on the main calendar view in different colors.

Will events I create in Outlook show up in Gmail?

No. Outlook and Gmail don't sync in both directions. Events created in Outlook stay in Outlook, and events created in Gmail stay in Gmail. You'll need to create events in whichever calendar is your primary one and check the other calendar when you need to see something specific.

What if I delete an event in Gmail after importing it to Outlook?

If you imported the calendar as a file, deleting the event in Gmail won't remove it from Outlook — they're no longer connected. If you subscribed to the calendar using a URL, Outlook will eventually remove the event when it syncs, usually within a few hours. To speed this up, unsubscribe and re-subscribe to the calendar.

Do I need to make my Gmail calendar public to add it to Outlook?

Only if you're using Outlook.com and want live updates. If you're importing a file into Outlook on your desktop, the calendar can stay private — you're just exporting your own data. For the subscription method in Outlook.com, yes, you must make the calendar public in Google Calendar settings.

Can I add multiple Gmail calendars to Outlook?

Yes. If you have more than one calendar in Google Calendar, you can export each one separately and import them all into Outlook, or subscribe to each one individually in Outlook.com using their public URLs. Each calendar will appear as a separate item in your Outlook calendar list.