How to add a Calendar to the Menu

Summary: This guide explains how to show an external calendar (Google Calendar, Microsoft Outlook, or Apple iCloud) directly in your Speakap menu. You do this by adding a custom application in the Speakap Market that displays the shared calendar in a secure frame.

Google Calendar

To embed a Google Calendar, you need its public web address. Generate it on a desktop computer browser; the Google Calendar mobile app does not provide embed codes.

Step A: Retrieve the calendar URL

1. Open Google Calendar on your computer.
2. In the top right corner, click the gear icon, then Settings.
3. In the left sidebar, find the Settings for my calendars section and click the name of the calendar you want to embed.
4. Scroll down to the Integrate calendar section.
5. Copy the Public URL to this calendar link.

Step B: Install the calendar app in Speakap

Note: you need Global Network Administrator permissions for these steps.

1. Log into your Speakap network on a desktop browser.
2. Go to Settings (gear icon) > Network Settings > General > Speakap Market.

• If the Speakap Market option is missing, email support@speakap.com to enable it.

3. Click the + Application button.
4. Click the Add your own custom application button.
5. Set up your application's JSON manifest with the calendar settings listed under Manifest settings below.
6. Paste your completed JSON code into the Speakap Market window and click Add Application.
7. Set user access by choosing either the Entire Network button or selecting specific Groups.

Microsoft Outlook calendar

You can publish an Outlook calendar to get an HTML web link for your manifest.

Step A: Retrieve the calendar URL

1. Open Microsoft Outlook on your desktop, right-click your calendar, and choose Share > Publish This Calendar.

• Alternative (Outlook Web App): sign in and go to Settings > Calendar > Shared calendars > Calendar publishing.

2. Select a calendar: choose the calendar you want to display.
3. Select permissions: choose how much detail your network users may see.
4. Click Save. The system generates two addresses: an HTML link and an ICS link.
5. Copy the HTML link.

Step B: Install the calendar app in Speakap

Follow the same installation steps as in Step B of the Google Calendar section above, pasting your copied Outlook HTML link into the manifest URL field.

Apple iCloud calendar workarounds

Apple no longer allows native iCal feeds to be embedded directly in third-party website iframes. To share an iCloud calendar in Speakap, use one of these two methods:

Option 1: Bridge through Google Calendar

1. Open your Apple iCloud Calendar application.
2. Click the share icon next to the calendar name.
3. In the pop-up menu, check the Public Calendar box and click Copy Link.
4. Open Google Calendar in your web browser.
5. In the left-hand menu, click the plus sign (+) next to Other calendars and select From URL.
6. Paste your copied iCloud URL and click Add Calendar. This creates a read-only synced calendar.
7. Now follow the standard Google Calendar steps in section 1 using this bridged calendar.

Option 2: Host it on your own organization's website

If your internal IT team can mirror or host the source Apple iCal data in a static HTML webpage on your own servers, you can bypass Apple's restriction. Once published, use that company URL and follow the standard Speakap Market installation steps.

Manifest settings

In your manifest, use these calendar-specific values:

• "position": "main", so the calendar opens on its own main screen in Speakap.
• "url": the calendar link you copied (your published Google or Outlook calendar address).
• "devices": "all", so the calendar is visible on desktop browsers and mobile devices.
• "permissions": leave this array empty ([]). External web calendars need no Speakap data permissions.

You can also customize the label text and the menu icon in the manifest to match your company branding. For the full manifest template and a reference of all available properties, see Speakap Application Manifest Template and Properties.

Still stuck?

Email us at technicalimplementations@speakap.nl with your network name, the calendar provider (Google, Outlook, or iCloud), and your manifest code, and we'll help you out.