How to Sync Asana with Google Calendar
Learn how to sync Asana with Google Calendar, either through the free integrations in both apps, or through two-way syncing via a third-party app.
Asana is a great project management tool used by countless teams around the world. Although most people sign in to Asana with their Google ID, it doesn’t automatically sync with Google calendar without a few additional steps.
Below, we’ll look at how to sync Asana with your Google Calendar without any third party tools. Then we’ll touch on a third-party app to help sync work both ways.
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How to Sync Asana and Google Calendar
To sync Asana My Tasks with your Google Calendar, go to the My Tasks heading and click the arrow to access the Task Menu drop-down (Picture A).
From there, selecting Sync To Calendar will launch a pop-up containing a link (Figure BUG). Make sure to copy this link in its entirety, as you’ll need it later when you switch to Google Calendar to complete the process.
Next, switch to Google Calendar and navigate to the sidebar and click the + icon next to More Calendars (SIZE). In the prompt that follows, select Add from URL.
A new window will open. Paste the URL you copied from Asana into the open URL field. You can choose to make the schedule publicly accessible by clicking the checkbox below the URL field, but if not, finish by clicking Add calendar (Visualization).
Your tasks will now appear as all-day events in your Google Calendar, letting you know when certain tasks are due.
How to sync Asana projects with Google Calendar
When logged into Asana, select the project you want to sync (Figure E). Click the arrow in the title area to open the Action Menu. Hold your cursor over the Export option, then select Sync with calendar.
This will launch a pop-up, which will contain a Google Calendar tab. In that tab is a link that you will need to copy and use later (Figure F).
Now, let’s switch to Google Calendar and we’ll use the same process as with My Tasks.
Click the + icon next to More Calendars. Select the Add from URL option, then paste the URL from Asana into the field. Finish the process by clicking Add calendar.
Your projects are now synced to Google Calendar, and all your milestones will appear in your Calendar as they’re due.
Asana and Google Calendar sync limits
As it stands, this method of synchronization only works one way. This means that changes to My Tasks or My Projects in Asana will be reflected in Google Calendar. However, if you make any changes to your Google Calendar, it will not be reflected back in Asana.
However, there are some third-party apps to deal with this problem.
How to Use Zapier to Sync Google Calendar with Asana
You can sign up for a free Zapier account, which gives you access to 100 tasks per month and 15 “Zap” is their term for connecting a project. More missions and Zap available through the monthly paid tiers.
After signing up with Zapier, you’ll be taken to a wizard that will walk you through most of these steps. The first screen you will see after signing up allows you to choose the apps you intend to use (WOOD Figure). In this case, search for Asana and Google Calendar, then click continue.
Next, you’ll see a screen asking you to create a workflow or choose from popular workflows, which Zapier recommends at the bottom of the page (Family picture). Select Create New Asana Task from new Google Calendar events and click Try.
This sequel can be a bit complicated at first glance, but once you understand what’s going on, it’s really easy to follow.
It’s basically a flow chart where you select your apps, followed by a “trigger” or event — in this case a Google Calendar entry (Figure I). And then you test the connection.
So here you will first select your Google Calendar account that you want to connect. You will do the same for your Asana account.
Once connected, Zapier will automatically move to the next section of the wizard, allowing you to set up a trigger, be it a new item or Google Calendar event. Once done, Zapier will take you to the last part of the wizard, which is the connection test (Figure J).
After you test the connection, you are set up and everything is working now.
There are a few things to keep in mind when using Zapier to sync both ways between Asana and Google Calendar.
The first is that any old events in your Google Calendar will not be carried over when the connection is made. Only events created after setting up Zapier will be synced in Asana.
Next, there is a delay when events are added to Google Calendar compared to when they show up in Asana. You can adjust this setting in Zapier, but it can usually be updated every few hours or every 24 hours, depending on your needs.