Frequently Asked Questions

Brand It! Calendar is a Shopify app designed to embed calendars from platforms like Google, Outlook, or Apple directly into your Shopify store. Its primary function is to replace the "clunky" and "generic look" of standard calendar embeds with a version that seamlessly matches your store's unique branding. The app syncs with your existing calendar, which means you never have to manually update events, promotions, or store hours on your website; any changes you make in your source calendar are automatically reflected in your store.

The app solves the critical challenge of maintaining brand consistency across every part of a merchant's website. As one user, The Healing Hedge Witch, noted, it overcomes the "terrible generic look" of default calendar embeds. By allowing deep customization, it ensures your schedule feels like an integrated part of your brand experience. This enables you to professionally showcase schedules for retail hours, classes, or special events, which helps build a loyal community and connect with customers. You can display your branded calendar on various pages, including product pages, contact pages, blog articles, or your homepage, to keep your audience informed and engaged.

Brand It! Calendar is compatible with all major calendar platforms that can provide a shareable link. This includes:

• Google Calendar
• Outlook Calendar
• iCloud / Apple Calendar
• Any calendar that provides an ICS/iCal format URL

It should be instantaneous with a refresh of the Shopify calendar page. If you are not seeing calendar data, there's probably a problem with the setup. Usually the wrong calendar URL was added.

ICS, or iCal, is a generic, universal format that all major calendar platforms use to share calendar data. The Brand It! Calendar app uses this specific type of URL to connect to your existing calendar. By providing the app with your public ICS URL, you allow it to sync with your calendar and display its events on your Shopify store, ensuring that your customers always see the most up-to-date information.

We don't yet have the ability to merge two calendars into your Shopify calendar. But it is coming soon.

The process for finding your public ICS URL varies slightly between platforms. Follow the steps below for your specific calendar service.

For Google Calendar

1. Navigate to the shared calendar you wish to display and click the three dots next to its name, then select "Settings and sharing."
2. Under "Access permissions for events," ensure the box is checked to Make available to public. The app cannot display events from a private calendar.
3. In the left-hand menu, click "Integrate calendar."
4. Find the section titled "Public address in iCal format" and copy that specific URL.

For Outlook Calendar

1. Click the gear icon to open your settings.
2. Navigate to the "Shared calendars" section.
3. Select the calendar you want to publish, choose the desired permissions (e.g., "Can view all details"), and click "Publish."
4. Outlook will generate two links. Copy the ICS URL (not the HTML link).

For iCloud/Apple Calendar

1. In your iCloud calendar view, click the person avatar icon next to the calendar's name.
2. Toggle the switch to turn on "Public calendar."
3. A unique link will appear. Copy this calendar link to use in the app.

CRITICAL: To ensure your calendar appears only on one page, you must first create a dedicated page template. This prevents the calendar from being added to every page that uses your theme's "default page" template, a common and frustrating mistake.

1. In your Shopify Admin, navigate to "Online Store" > "Themes."
2. On your current live theme, click the three-dots icon and select "Edit code."
3. Add a new page template. You can name it something memorable, like team-calendar.
4. Next, go to "Pages" in your Shopify Admin. Open the page where you want the calendar to appear (or create a new one) and find the "Theme template" settings on the right. Assign the new template you just created to this page.
5. Finally, go to your theme customizer (Online Store > Themes > Customize). In the top-center dropdown menu, navigate to your new page template. On the left-hand panel, add the "Calendar" app block from the "Apps" section and save your changes.

All color controls are available in the "Calendar Settings" section of the app. To apply a color, you must enter its six-digit hex code (e.g., #00A86B). While the app cannot access your theme's saved color palette, it uses hex codes to give you full control. This method guarantees that the colors applied to your calendar are precise and perfectly match your official brand guidelines, ensuring true brand consistency.

If you don't have your brand's hex codes readily available, there are several simple ways to find them:

• Brand Documents: The best place to start is your brand's official style guide or branding document, which should list all official hex codes.
• Shopify Theme Customizer: Navigate to your theme's settings in the Shopify customizer. Click on any color selector for elements like text or buttons, and the six-digit hex code will be displayed. You can copy it directly from there.
• Browser Extensions: Tools like the "ColorZilla" Chrome plugin allow you to use a color picker to select any color directly from your live website. The extension will then provide you with the exact hex code for that color, which you can copy and paste into the app.

Yes, a 30-day free trial is available for the All-Access plan, allowing you to explore all of its advanced features before committing.Now that you understand the plan differences, let's explore the high-value features exclusive to the All-Access plan.

The All-Access plan supports displaying multiple calendars (up to 9) on different pages throughout your store. This is ideal for businesses with diverse scheduling needs. For example, you can create separate, dedicated calendars for:

• An event and workshop schedule
• Store hours for different locations
• Key marketing campaign and promotion dates
• Events segmented by region or category

The Custom CSS feature is a powerful tool for users who are comfortable with CSS code, allowing you to apply advanced styling that goes beyond the built-in color controls. Instead of focusing on minor tweaks, its strategic value lies in achieving high-impact outcomes that enhance your brand and marketing efforts.

• Seamless Integration: For stores with complex or highly customized Shopify themes, Custom CSS allows you to perfectly embed the calendar where basic controls might not be sufficient. This ensures the calendar looks and feels completely native to your unique page layouts.
• Dynamic Campaign Themes: You can use Custom CSS to create distinct visual themes for your calendar that align with major sales or seasons. For instance, you could design a "Black Friday theme" with a dark header and bold red event titles, or a vibrant, colorful theme for a "Summer Workshop Series." This transforms your calendar from a simple schedule into a dynamic marketing asset that supports your campaigns and drives targeted customer action.

If your calendar is embedded on the page but no events are visible, please run through the following troubleshooting checklist:

1. Correct ICS URL: Double-check that you copied and pasted the correct URL into the app. For Google Calendar, ensure it is the link from the "Public address in iCal format" section. For other platforms, verify you have the specific ICS/iCal link, not a general HTML sharing link.
2. Public Sharing Settings: Go back to your source calendar (in Google, Outlook, or iCloud) and confirm that it is set to "public." The app cannot access or display events from a private calendar, so access permissions must be correctly enabled for everyone to see.
3. App Validation: Navigate to the "Calendar Settings" page within the Brand It! Calendar app in your Shopify Admin. The preview pane there should successfully display your events. If events are not showing up in this preview, the issue is likely with the ICS URL or your calendar's sharing settings.