Google Workspace Calendar Integration

Overview

The Google Workspace Calendar integration enables automatic synchronization of Out of Office events from Google Calendar into Jira. When users create “Out of Office” events in their business Google Calendar, Out of Office Assistant automatically creates corresponding absence rules in Jira, ensuring seamless coordination across teams and projects.

Understanding Google Calendar Integration

How the Integration Works

Event-Driven Synchronization:

• Event Detection: Out of Office Assistant monitors Google Calendar for events tagged as “Out of Office”

• Automatic Rule Creation: Creates Jira absence rules based on Google Calendar event details

• Template Application: Uses configurable templates to define rule parameters

• Bidirectional Updates: Changes in Google Calendar automatically sync to Jira rules

Integration Benefits:

• Unified Calendar Management: Manage absences from familiar Google Calendar interface

• Automatic Jira Updates: Eliminate manual rule creation in Jira

• Team Coordination: Ensure all team members see accurate absence information

• Mobile Accessibility: Update absences on-the-go using Google Calendar mobile apps

Integration Architecture

Prerequisites and Requirements

Google Workspace Requirements

Account Type:

• Business Account Required: Integration only works with Google Workspace (business) accounts

• Personal Accounts Not Supported: Personal Gmail accounts will not connect successfully

• Administrator Approval: May require Google Workspace admin approval for app permissions

Required Permissions:

• ‘https://www.googleapis.com/auth/calendar.readonly’

• ‘https://www.googleapis.com/auth/userinfo.email’

• ‘https://www.googleapis.com/auth/userinfo.profile’

Jira Requirements

User Permissions:

• Access to Out of Office Assistant app

• Permission to create absence rules

• Project access for rule targeting

• Integration configuration permissions

System Requirements:

• Jira Cloud instance

• Out of Office Assistant app installed

• Active user account with appropriate permissions

Initial Setup and Configuration

Step 1: Access Integration Interface

Navigation Path:

1. Open Out of Office Assistant: Apps → Out-Of-Office Assistant

2. Access Integrations: Click “Integrations” tab

3. Locate Google Calendar: Find Google Calendar section in integration list

4. Connection Status: Review current connection status (Connected/Disconnected)

Step 2: Connect Google Calendar

Connection Process:

1. Click Connect: Click “Connect Google Calendar” button next to Google Calendar

2. Account Selection: Choose your Google Workspace account

3. Permission Grant: Review and accept required permissions

4. Connection Confirmation: Verify successful connection status

Important Notes:

• Business Account Only: Ensure you select a Google Workspace (business) account

• Permission Review: Carefully review requested permissions before granting access

• Single Account: Only one Google account can be connected per Jira user

Using Google Calendar Events

Event Creation Process

Step-by-Step Event Creation:

1. Open Google Calendar: Access your business Google Calendar

2. Create New Event: Click on desired date/time

3. Event Details: Enter event title and duration

4. Tag Selection: Select “Out of Office” tag/category

5. Duration Configuration: Set all-day or specific hours

6. Save Event: Confirm event creation

Event Configuration Options

Event Types Supported:

Event Duration Examples:

Event Duration Filter

Event Duration Filter Out of Office

The "Create rules for" dropdown allows you to filter which Google Calendar Out of Office events will trigger your automatic Out of Office message in Jira. The integration only processes events that are specifically marked as "Out of Office" in Google Calendar. You can further refine this by setting a minimum duration requirement:

• All events - Creates Out of Office messages for any Out of Office calendar event, regardless of duration

• ≥ 1 hour - Only triggers for Out of Office events lasting 1 hour or more

• ≥ 4 hours - Only triggers for Out of Office events lasting 4 hours or more

• ≥ 1 day - Only triggers for Out of Office events lasting 24 hours or more (default setting)

• ≥ 4 days - Only triggers for extended Out of Office events lasting 4 days or more

This filter helps you control which Out of Office events should activate your Jira Out of Office status. For example, if you select "≥ 1 day", the integration will ignore shorter Out of Office appointments and only activate for full-day or multi-day absences, ensuring your Jira Out of Office message is only set for significant time away from work.

Synchronization Behavior

Automatic Sync Process

Sync Frequency:

• Automatic Sync: Every 15 minutes

• Manual Sync: Available via “Sync integrations” button

• Event Detection: New events detected within one sync cycle

• Update Processing: Changes reflected in next sync cycle

Template Application:

• Default Template: Applied to all Google Calendar events

• Custom Templates: Can be configured for specific event types

• Multiple Rules: Single event can trigger multiple rules with different templates

• Rule Parameters: Scope, coverers, and messages defined by templates

Access the Google Workspace rule in the Out of Office Assistant

• To see the new rule from Google Worspace, click on the Rules tab

Modify Google Workspace rules

Note that Google Workspace rules are read only. The can be modified in two ways from the configuration page:

• To modify the dates, change the defined interval in the Google Workspace calendar

• To modify the rule configuration, edit the template

Any of these changes will be automatically synced every 15 minutes or with the "Refresh integration" button

Configure Google Workspace Integration

Upon its initial connection, Out of Office provides a default template that delivers a straightforward Out of Office message for the duration of the Google Workspace Calendar Event.

We recommend customizing the integration to facilitate automatic delegations and handovers.

To access the configuration:

• Click on the Integrations tab

• Click on the Configure button next to the "Connected" badge.

Add or Edit Templates

After the initial connection, Google Workspace is always connected to a default template. You can edit this default template or add more templates.

Your Google Workspace Out-of-Office Event always trigger all activated templates. This means you can define multiple coverers for different projects in a granular way and have complex configurations.

Or you just edit your default template for a simpler configuration.

Click in Configure on the Out of Office Integration page. From that page you can:

• Access the Google Workspace Calendar

• See all connected templates

• Edit connected templates

• Connect additional templates by adding them to the table

• Remove connected templates from the table

• Deactivate templates (without removing them from the table)

To add a Template:

• Click on the "Add Template" button.

• Please select from the existing templates

• Or create a new template

You can connect an unlimited number of templates to the Google Calendar Out-of-Office Event. For each template you connect, a unique rule will be established. Each rule will specify the dates and times for the Auto Reply functionality.

Integration Status: ✅ COMPLETE
Next Step: Out of Office Templates