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📅 Official Setup Guide

Google Calendar Integration & Best Practices

Step-by-step instructions for Studio Owners and Instructors to connect Google Calendar to Shala for automated class scheduling, teacher attribution, and classroom attendance auditing.

⚡ The Golden Setup Rule

Use a dedicated master Google account, keep events on the primary calendar, and enable "Add invitations: From everyone".

1

Use a Dedicated Master Google Account (or Sub-Calendar if Solo)

Why a dedicated account (e.g. yourstudio.ytt@gmail.com) works like magic for teaching teams: Google Calendar only delivers incoming email invitations to an account's Primary Calendar. With a dedicated YTT account, co-teachers and guest specialists can simply invite yourstudio.ytt@gmail.com from their own phone's calendar—no shared passwords needed—and Shala automatically attributes the teaching instructor while keeping your personal appointments 100% private.

🧘‍♀️ Teaching solo and adding all the weekend events yourself? You don't need a new Google account—simply create a clean "Fall YTT" sub-calendar inside your existing Google Calendar in 15 seconds, then copy its Secret address in iCal format (shown in Step 3 below)!
2

Enable "Add invitations: From everyone"

By default, Google hides incoming invitations in email until someone opens Gmail and clicks "Yes". To make schedule sync 100% automated:

  1. In Google Calendar, click the Gear icon ⚙️ → Settings.
  2. In the left sidebar under General, click Event settings.
  3. Change "Add invitations to my calendar" to "From everyone".
✓ Now, whenever instructors invite your master calendar, classes automatically populate the calendar without you touching email!
3

Copy the "Secret address in iCal format"

In Google Calendar Settings, scroll down the left sidebar to Settings for my calendars → select your primary calendar → scroll to Integrate calendar → copy the "Secret address in iCal format".

⚠️ Never use the "Public address in iCal format". Google strips out private descriptions, attendees, and meeting links on public feeds.
4

Add Faculty in Shala with Matching Emails

When adding trainers under Studio Settings > Teaching Team, use the exact personal or studio Google email address they use to create events. This enables Shala to automatically attribute classes to the right instructor.

Go to Studio Connect & Paste Feed URL →