Set up your first sync
TL;DR: The sync wizard has 4 steps — choose what to sync, map your fields, set incoming filters, set outgoing filters. Then click Activate Sync. Takes about 5 minutes.
Before you start
- The app is installed on your board
- Your Outlook 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 Outlook Calendar view tab at the top of your board
The Sync Setup panel appears on the left with 4 steps
Step 1: Choose what to sync
This is where you set the foundation — which calendar, which direction, and what entity to sync.
Choose Entity & Flow Direction:
- Left side — select which Outlook calendar to sync (you can pick any calendar, not just your primary one)
- Center — choose the sync direction : monday → Outlook, Outlook → 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 events as Teams meetings — all synced events automatically include a Microsoft Teams meeting link
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 Past Events — What to Know for details.
Step 2: Map your fields
This is where you connect your monday columns to Outlook event fields. Each row shows an Outlook field on the left and a dropdown to select the matching monday column on the right.
Required mappings (sync won't work without these):
- 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)
Each field also has a sync direction icon in the center — you can set per-field direction independently from the overall sync direction.
Step 3: Filter incoming events
Choose which Outlook 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 Outlook category — create a category called "Sync to monday" in Outlook, then filter: Category is "Sync to monday." You control exactly what lands on your board — nothing syncs unless you tag 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.
Existing Outlook events will sync with monday only when an update in Outlook Calendar triggers the sync. To bring in existing events, use the Import Existing Events tab after activation.
Step 4: Filter outgoing items
Choose which monday items should create or update events in Outlook:
- 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 of your mapped columns) and an operator (is not empty, equals, 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 items in a specific group — only items in the "Confirmed Meetings" group sync to Outlook. Move items into that group when you want them on your calendar.
- 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 Outlook 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 Past Events — What to Know
- Board Setup Best Practices
- Start with a template