Set up your first sync

Set up your first sync

TL;DR: The sync wizard has 4 steps — Sync scope, Field mapping, Incoming data, Outgoing data. Then click Activate Sync. Takes about 5 minutes.

Before you start

  • The app is  installed on your board⁠ 
  • Your  Google account is connected⁠ 
  • Your board has the  right columns⁠  for syncing (or you're using the  template⁠  )

Open the sync view

The sync wizard opens automatically when you first add the app to a board.
If you need to get back to it later:
    Open the board where the app is installed
    Click the Google Calendar 2-Way Sync view tab at the top of your board
    It opens on My Syncs. Click Create New Sync to start the wizard

Choose Personal or Team sync

Before the 4-step wizard, you'll see a screen asking "What do you need syncing?" — this is where you choose between two sync modes:
  • Personal sync — sync this board with your own Google Calendar. You connect one calendar, and it syncs to one board. Best for managing your own tasks and deadlines.
  • Team sync (Recommended) — each assignee on your board automatically syncs items to their own calendar. One setup manages all team members' calendars based on the People column. Built for teams. Requires the Advanced plan or higher — on other plans, choose Personal sync.
A board can have Personal syncs or a Team sync, not both. To switch a board to Team later, delete its Personal sync first.
Not sure which to pick? Start with Personal sync if you're the only one using the board. Choose Team sync if multiple people need their own calendar events from the same board. For a full comparison, see  Personal vs. Team⁠ .
Click Continue to enter the sync wizard.

Step 1: Sync scope

This is where you set the foundation — which calendar, which direction, and what entity to sync.
Choose Entity & Flow Direction:
  • Left side — select which Google calendar to sync (you can pick any calendar, not just your primary one)
  • Center — choose the sync direction : monday → Google Calendar, Google Calendar → monday, or Both Ways
  • Right side — choose whether to sync Items or Subitems
Optional settings (both off by default):
  • Sync deletions in both directions — when an item or event is deleted on one side, the other side deletes it too
  • Create as Google Meet — automatically adds a Google Meet link to new events created from monday
Sync deletions is permanent. If someone deletes an item by mistake, the linked calendar event is also gone. Enable only if you're sure.
Want to import existing past or future events? You can do this from the Import Existing Events tab in the admin panel after your sync is activated. See  Import Existing Events⁠  for details.

Step 2: Field mapping

This is where you connect your monday columns to Google Calendar event fields. Each row shows a Google Calendar field on the left and a dropdown to select the matching monday column on the right.
Required mappings (marked Required in the app):
  • Title → Item Name
  • Start Date → Date column
Common optional mappings:
  • Start Time → Hour column (leave unmapped for all-day events)
  • Duration (minutes) → Number column (defaults to 30 min if not mapped)
  • Description → Long Text or Text column
  • Location → Location or Text column
  • Attendees → Text column (comma-separated email addresses)
  • End Date / End Time → Date / Hour column (mainly for Google → monday; for monday → Google, Duration takes priority)
Each field also has a sync direction icon in the center — you can set per-field direction independently from the overall sync direction.
Check the suggested columns. The app pre-fills a column for each field, and the guess can be wrong (e.g., Description pre-filled with an Attendees column). Review every row before you click Next.
For the full breakdown of field mapping options and best practices, see  Field Mapping⁠ .

Step 3: Incoming data

Choose which Google Calendar events should create or update items in monday:
  • Any event — every event in your calendar syncs to your board
  • An event that meets conditions — only events matching your filter rules sync (e.g., only events with a specific word in the title, or from a certain organizer)
Examples:
  • Sync by Google Calendar color — give the events you want on your board one color (e.g., Basil), then filter: Color is Basil. You control exactly what lands on your board — nothing syncs unless you color it.
  • Sync only external meetings — filter events where attendees don't all match your company domain. Great for sales or account management boards where you only want client-facing meetings.
  • Sync by title keyword — filter events where title contains "client" or "meeting." Quick way to focus your board on work-related events and filter out personal calendar noise.
On the same screen, choose where new items land: the top group, one group, or groups based on rules. See  Understanding Conditional Triggering⁠ .
Existing Google Calendar events will sync with monday only when an update in Google Calendar triggers the sync. To bring in existing events, use the Import Existing Events tab after activation.
For a deeper dive into conditions and filter logic, see  Understanding Conditional Triggering⁠ .

Step 4: Outgoing data

Choose which monday items should create or update events in Google Calendar:
  • Any item — every item on your board syncs to your calendar
  • An item that meets conditions — only items matching your filter rules sync (e.g., only items where a specific column is not empty, or where status equals a certain value)
Conditions let you pick a subject (any column on your board, mapped or not) and an operator (is not empty, is, contains, etc.).
Examples:
  • Sync only confirmed items — filter items where Status is "Confirmed." Draft or tentative items stay off your calendar until they're ready.
  • Sync only items with attendees — filter where Attendees is not empty. Only meetings with participants become calendar events — internal tasks stay on the board.
Existing monday items will sync with Google Calendar only when an update in monday triggers the sync.

Activate your sync

Once all 4 steps are configured, click Activate Sync in the bottom right corner. Your sync starts running immediately.
After activation, you'll see the admin panel where you can:
  • Monitor sync status
  • Import existing events
  • Edit your sync settings at any time

Common gotchas

  • Only mapped fields trigger syncs. If you update a column that isn't mapped, nothing happens on the calendar side.
  • You can edit your sync anytime — change direction, add fields, update filters. No need to recreate it.
  • Each sync is per-board, per-calendar. To sync multiple calendars or boards, create additional syncs.
  • Filters apply to new activity only. Changing a filter doesn't retroactively sync or unsync existing items.
  • Start simple. Use "Any event" and "Any item" for your first sync. Add filters later once you see how the data flows.

Next up

Related

  •  Field Mapping⁠ 
  •  Understanding Conditional Triggering⁠ 
  •  Import Existing Events⁠ 
  •  Board Setup Best Practices⁠ 
  •  Start with a template⁠ 

Still stuck?

Email  hello@fantasymedia.io  and we'll help you get started.