Overview
Our two-way sync functionality allows your organization to effortlessly connect Gable HQ spaces with Outlook room resources. This integration ensures that events in Outlook Calendar and Gable bookings remain aligned across both platforms.
With this feature, users can create or modify Outlook calendar events, which will automatically sync with the Gable platform. Likewise, any bookings added or updated in Gable will immediately appear in Outlook, delivering a seamless and cohesive experience.
Setup
Initiate the Outlook Calendar Integration
The integration app requires installation using a Microsoft account with administrator consent permissions.
Two ways to open the consent window:
Company admin > Settings > Integration > Microsoft Outlook > Connect
Company admin > Settings > Locations > Company HQ > Edit (Hq with floorplan) > Edit meeting room > select Microsoft calendar provider > Connect
Admin consent window
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Note that the user must have administrative privileges on their Microsoft account. If the user lacks the necessary permissions, the following popup window will appear
Set basic configuration
Turn on 2-way sync: yes/not
Import bookings from Outlook to Gable: yes/no
Onboard users and import their booking
Main guest: yes/no
Invitees: yes/no
Suppress notifications: yes/no
Map resources
Once the integration is successful, you can map the Gable HQ spaces with corresponding Outlook room resources from the floorplan edit UI.
How it works
What happens when you activate Two-Way sync?
HQ meeting rooms that were previously linked will automatically switch to a two-way sync connection.
All calendar events initially created through a Gable booking will be transferred from the resource calendar to the organizer's personal calendar.
Gable bookings within the specified timeframe will be synced to Outlook Calendar.
The default timeframe includes events from 90 days in the past to 90 days in the future.
All calendar events associated with connected resources within the selected timeframe will also sync to Gable.
The following event details will be included in the sync:
Date and Time
Organizer
Resource
Additional Invitees (*pending attendees are not hidden)
Invitee RSVP Status (*pending organizer requesting for responses)
Gable notifications for bookings on synced resources will not be sent, all notifications will be sent by Outlook Calendar.
Check-in notifications will still be sent via Gable, as Outlook does not have a comparable check-in feature.
What happens when you de-activate Two-Way sync?
Bookings created in Gable will remain exclusively in Gable.
Calendar events will no longer be imported into Gable.
Any bookings made in Gable will have their corresponding events removed from the organizer's calendar.
For Gable bookings that originated from Outlook Calendar, the calendar events will stay intact, but the associated bookings in Gable will be deleted.
Mapping between Gable to Outlook spaces
This guide assumes you have already created rooms in Outlook
Mapping through Floorplan
Find the HQ meeting room tag you'd like to link with an Outlook resource.
Select the room, then use the left-hand panel to scroll and pick the corresponding Outlook room you'd like to sync it with.
Click "Connect" in the dialog box.
Once confirmed, Gable will link the rooms, creating events in Outlook Calendar and bookings in Gable for the paired resource.
After pairing your first resource, wait a few minutes for the process to complete. Refresh your browser, and you'll see that Outlook Calendar events and Gable bookings are now synchronized for the linked resource.
If something doesn't appear to work as expected, please contact us before proceeding with additional pairings so we can resolve the issue.
Once you've verified that the first pairing is working correctly, you can continue pairing your next resource.
FAQs
This section provides answers to several common questions regarding the functionality of Gable's two-way sync feature.
Can calendar events made by users not onboarded to Gable be synced?
Yes, we offer a feature that enables syncing users who have not been onboarded to Gable. These users can be added as primary guests or included as invitees in events within Gable. When this happens, a Gable user profile will be created for them, and the Welcome email will be suppressed.
Multi resource booking
We create the booking in Gable on the first resource that accepted the event. Only one Gable booking will be created.
Sync timeframe
The default sync period is set to 90 days in the past and 90 days into the future. If you need to adjust these settings, please reach out to support@gable.to.
Sync Refresh
The system updates weekly to ensure the synchronized data always extends 90 days ahead
What if permissions block writing to the user's calendar?
Gable relies on a number of permissions to be granted to ensure the two-way sync between your HQ meeting rooms and resources works. If these permissions are revoked for whatever reason, we will see this flagged in our logs. Our team will reach out about this if we see it happen.
What happens when I delete a space in Gable?
If a space is deleted in Gable, the corresponding sync pair associated with that space will automatically be removed. Cleanup will be performed similar to the description under “What happens when you de-activate Two-Way sync?” - scoped to the deleted space.
What happens if I delete a resource in Outlook Calendar?
If a space is removed from Outlook, the corresponding sync pair in Gable will remain, but any future changes to that booking in Outlook will not sync.
Are on-demand bookings supported by two-way sync?
No, on-demand bookings in Gable are not supported. This limitation stems from the fact that Outlook does not accommodate chargeable bookings in the same manner as Gable.
Are overnight bookings supported?
No, overnight bookings are not supported, as bookings are limited to 24-hour calendar days. For bookings spanning midnight, users should create two bookings to cover both calendar days.
Are repeating bookings supported?
No, recurring bookings are supported at this point and they will not be reflected in Gable.
Does two-way sync respect my Gable booking rules?
Two-way sync bookings from Outlook bypass Gable’s rules, as Outlook doesn’t support Gable’s engine or notify users if their booking conflicts with Gable’s policies (e.g. room assignment restrictions)
Can we use two-way sync and one-way sync at the same time?
No, you can choose either two-way sync or one-way sync at a time, but it’s not possible to use both simultaneously.
Can we integrate with Outlook and Google tenants simultaneously?
No, you can only integrate with one provider at any given time.
How does two-way sync handle "race conditions"?
"Race conditions" occur when two bookings request the same resource simultaneously—one via Gable, the other via Outlook. In this case, Only a single event will be accepted by the resource, and that booking will be confirmed. The other booking will be rejected.
What happens with bookings that don't begin and end at 30-minute intervals?
Gable will respect any start and end times established via Outlook; however, direct bookings made through Gable are limited to 30-minute intervals.
For example, a reservation synced from Outlook with times like 10:12 AM to 1:51 PM will remain unchanged. However, you won’t be able to book the same room in Gable from 10:00 AM to 10:12 AM or 1:51 PM to 2:00 PM.
Please note that this only affects bookings with non-standard start or end times. Standard reservations, such as 8:00 AM–8:30 AM, are not impacted and require no adjustments.
This approach ensures a smooth process, allowing users to retain bookings that closely match their original Outlook schedules.
What subscription is required to use two-way sync?
Two-way sync is available to all companies that have HQ enabled in their subscriptions
What happens if a resource pairing fails while I'm setting it up?
Most often, this would happen due to permissions issues. When saving a space-resource pair, if subscription fails, you’ll see an error. Verify Gable has proper permissions for two-way integration, as outlined above. Remove the sync pair and retry. If the error persists, contact our team for help.
What happens if we unsync our spaces from our rooms/resources?
If you choose to unsync your space pairings, bookings will no longer sync between Gable and Outlook. This means schedules in these two systems will no longer update to reflect each other. Any bookings made in Gable will stay only within Gable, and bookings created on your calendar will remain solely on the calendar.
Can non-calendar users book sync spaces?
All bookings for two-way sync spaces must be made by users with active calendars on the tenant/provider connected to Gable. This ensures synced bookings are placed in Outlook and spaces are reserved.
If a user without a calendar tries booking, Gable will remove it to maintain scheduling consistency. Without an active license or calendar, users can’t access resources, preventing conflicts and ensuring seamless synchronization between Gable and your external provider.
Can we book rooms through group calendars?
All events must be scheduled by one designated user who has an active and licensed Outlook Calendar. This is required to ensure successful booking through Gable, as we mandate that a single user manages all reservations).
Can I create events directly on/as a room calendar in Outlook?
No - all events must be scheduled using a single user calendar that is active and linked to a licensed Outlook Calendar. The event creator must secure the room by adding it to the event directly.
Will our Outlook-side integrations work with two-way sync?
Bookings made through Outlook, with all relevant controls set up in the event composer, will trigger any integrations you've configured. However, just like with one-way sync, third-party integrations will not function for bookings initiated within Gable
If a user checks in via the Gable app or Teams, will that count as a check-in for the Zoom room as well?
No, this would require a separate integration between Gable and Zoom room
Would room check-in notification still be sent from Gable?
Yes, Check-in notifications will still be sent via Gable, as Outlook does not have a comparable check-in feature.
I am invited to an event that I am not seeing in my Gable account.
In the case that the organizer hides the attendees, we do not sync the attendees to Gable, and it will not show in your Gable Account.
I am not seeing all my invited attendees in the Gable’s Booking
In the case that the attendee list is hidden, Gable do not sync the attendees list
Still Have Questions? Please reach out to us at support@gable.to