How to Sync Your Calendar with Salesforce

How to set up calendar sync in Salesforce

Einstein Activity Capture links email and calendar activity from a Microsoft or Google account to the matching contacts, leads and opportunities. Salesforce says Lightning Sync is retiring in 2027 and advises customers to move to Einstein Activity Capture.

1. 1

   Check your license and edition

   Confirm that your Salesforce edition and licenses include Einstein Activity Capture. Your Salesforce account team can confirm this if the setting is missing in Setup.

2. 2

   Turn it on in Setup

   In Setup, search for Einstein Activity Capture and turn it on.

3. 3

   Create a configuration

   Create a configuration and choose which users it covers, by profile or permission set. Choose what to sync, such as email and events, and the direction for events: from Salesforce to the calendar, from the calendar to Salesforce, or both ways.

4. 4

   Have each user connect their account

   Each user opens their Salesforce settings, finds Einstein Activity Capture, and connects their Google or Microsoft account. Sync starts after they approve access.

5. 5

   Test with one event

   Create an event in the calendar with a contact as a guest. Confirm it appears on that contact's activity timeline in Salesforce. Then create one in Salesforce and confirm it reaches the calendar.

6. 6

   Plan the move off Lightning Sync

   If you use Lightning Sync today, plan the move to Einstein Activity Capture before the 2027 retirement. Microsoft is also shutting down EWS for Exchange Online from October 2026, per Salesforce.

Sources: Salesforce Help: Einstein Activity Capture; Salesforce Help: Lightning Sync Retirement; Salesforce Help: Benefits of Migrating to Einstein Activity Capture

The Challenge

Reps spend 15+ minutes a day logging meetings into Salesforce manually, and most don't bother. Out-of-the-box Outlook/Google integrations capture event metadata but rarely link events to the right Opportunity, Account, or Contact, leaving sales managers without an accurate activity picture.

Or let Clientell AI do it

Clientell AI configures Salesforce's Einstein Activity Capture or builds custom Flow-based logic to sync events from Outlook or Google Calendar, match attendees to Contacts and Leads automatically, and link the event to the most relevant Opportunity. The matching rules and event-to-record mapping are described in plain English.

How It Works

1. 1

   Describe how events should map to records

   Tell Clientell AI which Salesforce records events should attach to and how attendees should be matched to existing Contacts or Leads.

2. 2

   AI sets up the sync configuration

   Clientell AI configures Einstein Activity Capture or builds custom Flow logic that runs on event creation/update to populate the right WhatId and WhoId fields.

3. 3

   Test on a sandbox calendar

   Verify event capture and record linking against a sandbox calendar before rolling out org-wide.

4. 4

   Deploy and roll out

   Clientell AI pushes the configuration live and provides a setup guide for end users.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this require an Einstein Activity Capture license?

If you have EAC, Clientell AI configures it for you. If not, Clientell AI can build a custom Flow-based capture pattern for basic event sync without the Einstein license.

How does it match meeting attendees to Salesforce Contacts?

Clientell AI matches by email address as the primary key, with optional fuzzy-name matching for cases where the email is missing or unrecognized.

Can it auto-link an event to the most relevant Opportunity?

Yes. Clientell AI can use rules like 'attach to the most recently active Opportunity for this Account' or 'attach only if attendees include the Opportunity Contact Roles'.

How do I capture calendar events and sync them with Salesforce automatically?

Turn on Einstein Activity Capture, create a configuration for your users, and have each user connect their Google or Microsoft account. Events then sync in the direction you chose.

Is Lightning Sync still supported?

Salesforce has announced that Lightning Sync is retiring in 2027 and recommends moving to Einstein Activity Capture.

Can I sync a calendar both ways?

Yes. In the Einstein Activity Capture configuration you choose the direction for events: to the calendar, from the calendar, or both.

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