Why Syncing Google Calendar Keeps Your Schedule Under Control

If you use Google Calendar for personal appointments, family commitments, or anything outside your business, those events are invisible to Thryv Business Center by default — which means clients could book you at times you are already occupied. Syncing your Google Calendar with Thryv Business Center™ creates a two-way connection between both calendars, so every commitment shows up in one place and your availability is always accurate.

Use the Google Calendar sync to:

• Prevent double-bookings — Events from your Google Calendar automatically block those times in Thryv Business Center, so clients cannot book you when you are already unavailable.

• See all your appointments in one place — Thryv Business Center appointments appear on your Google Calendar, and Google Calendar events appear in Thryv Business Center, giving you a complete view of your day from either platform.

• Keep client information private — Choose to display only client initials on your Google Calendar instead of full names to protect client privacy when sharing your calendar.

• Control what syncs — Select which Google Calendars sync to Thryv Business Center and set privacy preferences for each direction of the sync independently.

How to Connect Your Google Calendar to Thryv Business Center

The Google Calendar sync is set up from the Calendar Sync settings in Thryv Business Center. The sync must be set up from a desktop browser — the sync cannot be configured from a mobile device.

To access Calendar Sync settings, click Settings in the left-hand navigation of Thryv Business Center. Then click Availability & Calendar. If your account has staff members enabled, click Settings, then click Staff, then find and click the staff member you want to set up, then click My Schedule. On the Availability & Calendar screen, click Calendar Sync from the menu.

The screenshot above shows the Availability and Calendar settings screen with the Calendar Sync option visible in the menu. The Calendar Sync option is listed in the left-side menu of the Availability and Calendar screen. The Calendar Sync menu option does not appear on the main Settings screen — it is only accessible from within the Availability and Calendar section.

After clicking Calendar Sync, a dialog box opens showing the available calendar integrations. Find Google Calendar in the list and click Connect to begin the connection process.

The screenshot above shows the Calendar Sync dialog box. Google Calendar is listed as an available integration with a Connect button on the right side of the row. The dialog box may also show other calendar integrations available for connection. Clicking Connect next to Google Calendar opens a Google sign-in window in a new browser pop-up window.

A Google sign-in window opens in a new browser pop-up. If the pop-up does not appear, check your browser's pop-up blocker settings and allow pop-ups from Thryv Business Center, then try again. Sign in to the Google account that holds the calendar you want to sync.

The screenshot above shows the Google account sign-in screen that appears in a new browser pop-up window after clicking Connect. The screen displays the standard Google sign-in fields for email address and password. Sign in with the Google account that contains the calendar you want to sync with Thryv Business Center.

After signing in, Google displays a permissions screen asking you to grant Thryv Business Center access to your Google Calendar. Click Allow to grant the required permissions. Without clicking Allow, the sync cannot be established.

The screenshot above shows the Google permissions screen. The screen lists the permissions that Thryv Business Center is requesting for your Google Calendar and displays two buttons: Allow and Deny. Click Allow to continue the setup. Clicking Deny cancels the connection process and returns you to Thryv Business Center without establishing the sync.

Step 1: Set Your Google Calendar Import Preferences

After granting permissions, Thryv Business Center returns you to the sync setup screen to configure your import preferences. Import preferences control how your Google Calendar events come into Thryv Business Center. Check the box next to each Google Calendar you want to sync into Thryv Business Center. Google Calendars with the checkbox checked will have their appointments synced to your Thryv Business Center calendar. Google Calendars with the checkbox unchecked will be excluded from the sync.

The import preferences screen also includes a Keep My External Calendar Private toggle. When the Keep My External Calendar Private toggle is turned on, the details of appointments imported from your Google Calendar are visible only on your own staff account. Other staff members will see the time blocked but the appointment will display only as "sync" without any additional details. When you have set your import preferences, click Next to continue.

The screenshot above shows the Google Calendar import preferences screen. A list of available Google Calendars is displayed with a checkbox next to each calendar name. The Keep My External Calendar Private toggle is shown below the calendar list. The Next button is displayed at the bottom of the screen. The import preferences screen does not include export settings — export preferences are configured on the next screen.

Step 2: Set Your Thryv Business Center Export Preferences

After clicking Next, the export preferences screen appears. Export preferences control how your Thryv Business Center appointments are pushed to your Google Calendar. Choose whether you want Thryv Business Center appointments to export to your existing main Google Calendar, or to a new separate calendar created within Google. If you select New Calendar, type a name for the new calendar in the field provided.

The export preferences screen also includes a Keep My Clients' Information Private toggle. When the Keep My Clients' Information Private toggle is turned on, your clients' full names will not appear on your Google Calendar. Only the client's initials will display on the exported appointment in Google Calendar. When you have set your export preferences, click Done.

The screenshot above shows the export preferences screen. Two radio button options are displayed: Main Calendar to export appointments to your existing Google Calendar, and New Calendar to create a new calendar in Google for Thryv Business Center appointments. A name field appears below the New Calendar option when it is selected. The Keep My Clients' Information Private toggle is shown below the calendar selection options.

Step 3: Choose When to Start the Sync

After clicking Done, Thryv Business Center asks you whether you want to start the sync immediately or schedule it to run overnight. The initial sync takes up to 24 hours to complete. The exact time depends on how many appointments exist on each calendar. During the sync, some or all appointments on both your Thryv Business Center calendar and your Google Calendar may temporarily disappear from view. These appointments are not deleted — they will reappear when the sync is complete.

For this reason, starting the sync overnight is strongly recommended. If you choose to sync immediately, the temporary disappearance of calendar items may interrupt your workday. Choose your preferred start time and confirm your selection to begin the sync.

The screenshot above shows the sync timing selection screen. Two options are displayed: Sync Now to start the sync immediately, and Sync Overnight to schedule the sync to begin during overnight hours. Syncing overnight is recommended to avoid disruption during business hours. The sync timing screen does not appear again after the initial setup — subsequent syncs run automatically in the background.

A confirmation screen appears when the sync setup is complete.

The screenshot above shows the sync confirmation screen. A success message is displayed confirming that the Google Calendar connection has been established. The confirmation screen appears after you select your sync timing preference. The confirmation screen does not indicate when the sync will complete — the sync takes up to 24 hours regardless of which timing option was selected.

What to Expect After the Google Calendar Sync Is Complete

Once the sync is complete, appointments and group events created in Thryv Business Center appear on your Google Calendar automatically. Events created in your Google Calendar appear in Thryv Business Center with the time blocked so clients cannot book you during those times. The sync between the two calendars continues automatically going forward — you do not need to manually trigger subsequent syncs.

The screenshot above shows a Google Calendar view with a Thryv Business Center appointment displayed. The appointment title and scheduled time are visible on the Google Calendar. Appointments synced from Thryv Business Center appear on Google Calendar with full appointment details including the appointment title and time.

The screenshot above shows the Thryv Business Center calendar view with a synced Google Calendar event displayed. Events imported from Google Calendar display with "(sync)" in the appointment title in Thryv Business Center. The synced event blocks that time from client bookings. Clicking a synced event in Thryv Business Center displays the appointment title and the blocked time — it does not display full Google Calendar event details.

When you click on a synced Thryv Business Center appointment in Google Calendar, the appointment detail view displays the appointment information and includes a link back to Thryv Business Center where you can make changes to the appointment. Changes to a synced appointment must be made on the calendar where the appointment was originally created — changes made on one calendar will not transfer to the other calendar directly.

The screenshot above shows a Google Calendar appointment detail popup for a synced Thryv Business Center appointment. The popup displays the appointment title, scheduled time, and a link to open the appointment in Thryv Business Center. The link in the popup navigates directly to the appointment record in Thryv Business Center where changes can be made.

The screenshot above shows the Thryv Business Center calendar with a synced Google Calendar event displayed. The event title includes "(sync)" in parentheses to indicate it was imported from Google Calendar. The time shown is blocked and unavailable for client bookings. The synced event does not display client information or full appointment details — only the title and blocked time are shown.

Important: Google Calendar Free and Busy Status Affects the Sync

Only Google Calendar events marked as Busy will sync to Thryv Business Center. Google Calendar events marked as Free will not sync, and those times will remain available for client bookings in Thryv Business Center. Google Calendar may default new events to Free status automatically. To ensure a Google Calendar event syncs to Thryv Business Center, open the event in Google Calendar, find the status dropdown, and change the status from Free to Busy.

The screenshot above shows a Google Calendar event detail screen with the status dropdown visible. The dropdown displays Free and Busy as the available status options. The Busy option is selected, indicating that this event will sync to Thryv Business Center. Events showing Free in the status dropdown will not sync to Thryv Business Center regardless of when they are scheduled.

How to Disconnect Your Google Calendar from Thryv Business Center

To disconnect your Google Calendar, navigate back to the Calendar Sync settings following the same path used during setup. Click Settings in the left-hand navigation of Thryv Business Center, then click Availability & Calendar, then click Calendar Sync. Find your connected Google Calendar and click the gear icon on the right side of the Google Calendar row.

The screenshot above shows the Calendar Sync screen with a connected Google Calendar displayed. The gear icon is visible on the right side of the Google Calendar row. Clicking the gear icon opens a dropdown with options for managing the connected calendar. The gear icon does not appear on calendars that are not yet connected.

Click the gear icon to open the calendar management dropdown, then click Disconnect.

The screenshot above shows the calendar management dropdown with the Disconnect option visible. The dropdown appears after clicking the gear icon on the connected Google Calendar row. The dropdown does not include an option to pause or temporarily disable the sync — the only option to stop syncing is to disconnect the calendar entirely.

A confirmation dialog box appears. If you want to keep the Thryv Business Center appointments that were previously exported to your Google Calendar, check the box labeled to keep exported events before confirming. Once you have made your selection, click Disconnect to complete the disconnection.

The screenshot above shows the disconnect confirmation dialog box. A checkbox is displayed with the option to keep the Thryv Business Center events that were previously exported to Google Calendar. The Disconnect button is shown at the bottom of the dialog box. If the keep events checkbox is unchecked before clicking Disconnect, the previously exported Thryv Business Center events will be removed from your Google Calendar.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this article cover?

This article covers how to connect your Google Calendar to Thryv Business Center using the two-way calendar sync, how to configure import and export preferences, what to expect from the sync after it is complete, how Google Calendar Free and Busy status affects the sync, and how to disconnect the Google Calendar sync. This article does not cover syncing with other calendar platforms such as Outlook or Apple Calendar. This article does not cover setting up staff availability manually — for manual availability setup, see your staff scheduling guide.

Can I switch from the previous version of Google Calendar sync to the new two-way sync?

Yes. To switch to the two-way sync, first disconnect your current calendar sync by following the steps in the How to Disconnect Your Google Calendar section above. Then set up the new two-way sync by following the steps in the How to Connect Your Google Calendar section. During the new setup, Google Calendar subscribes to the updated Thryv Business Center calendar and previously synced calendar items are removed automatically to prevent duplicates. Previously synced items will no longer appear after switching — this is expected behavior. If you were sharing your synced calendar through Google, you will need to re-share the calendar after completing the new sync setup.

How long does the initial Google Calendar sync take?

The initial sync takes up to 24 hours to complete. During this time, appointments on your Thryv Business Center calendar may temporarily not appear. These appointments are not deleted — they will reappear when the sync is complete. If more than 24 hours have passed since you started the sync and your calendar items have not reappeared, contact Thryv support for assistance.

I can only see part of my Thryv Business Center calendar in Google. What should I do?

If your full Thryv Business Center calendar is not yet visible in Google Calendar, check whether 24 hours have passed since you started the sync. The full sync can take up to 24 hours to complete. If more than 24 hours have passed and your calendar is still not fully visible in Google Calendar, contact Thryv support for assistance.

Can I edit a synced appointment from either calendar?

No. A synced appointment can only be edited on the calendar where it was originally created. If an appointment was created in Thryv Business Center, changes must be made in Thryv Business Center. If an appointment was created in Google Calendar, changes must be made in Google Calendar. Allow up to 15 minutes for changes made on one calendar to appear on the other calendar after saving.

Can I set up the Google Calendar sync from a mobile device?

No. The Google Calendar sync setup must be completed from a desktop browser. The sync cannot be configured from a mobile device or the Thryv Business Center mobile app.

How do Google all-day events sync to Thryv Business Center?

Google Calendar all-day events do not automatically block your entire day in Thryv Business Center. If you have an all-day event in Google Calendar that should prevent client bookings for that day, you must manually block that time in your Thryv Business Center calendar. All-day events marked as Free in Google Calendar will not sync at all — only events marked as Busy sync to Thryv Business Center.

Which calendar items are included in the initial sync?

The initial sync includes calendar items from the last 30 days and the next two years from the date the sync is started. Calendar items outside this range are not included in the initial sync.

Does an appointment need to be accepted before it syncs to Google Calendar?

Yes. Appointments that have been requested but not yet accepted in Thryv Business Center will not sync to Google Calendar. The appointment will sync to Google Calendar only after it has been accepted in Thryv Business Center.

I synced my Google Calendar but cannot see my Thryv Business Center appointments in Apple Calendar. What should I do?

If you have added your synced Google Calendar to Apple Calendar and your Thryv Business Center appointments are not appearing, confirm that the checkbox next to your business name is checked in Apple Calendar. If the checkbox is checked and appointments are still not appearing, try clearing the cache in your browser and refreshing. This article covers the Google Calendar sync only — for further Apple Calendar troubleshooting, contact Thryv support.

Where can I find information for staff members setting up their own Thryv Business Center accounts?

For a guide that staff members can follow to set up their own Thryv Business Center staff accounts, see How to Set Up Your Thryv Business Center Staff Account.