Summary: Displaying events on your custom app is a crucial way to keep your congregants in the know. Fortunately, there is a way to connect a calendar RSS feed (iCal/Google Calendar) and create individual calendar events for your app. Below you will find how you can both connect and manually add events with your Tithely custom app.
Are you a Sites user? Here is an article on how to grab your Site's iCal link to add to your Church App. To collect your iCal link, follow these steps:
Click on 'Events.'
Click the Gear Icon on the upper right-hand side of the page
Click 'Calendar Integration.'
Click 'Breeze External Calendar.'
Copy the URL of the Calendar you wish to link to your app.
Connecting a Tithely Site Calendar, Tithely Events Calendar, Google Calendar or iCal Link
Heads up! When using My Events and the iCal link, the dashboard will create two separate tabs. These tabs can be managed to display whichever you prefer. See Managing the Tabs on Your App Dashboard.
Log in to your App Dashboard.
Select the Events option on the left nav bar.
Select iCal Feeds at the top of the Events page. This will lead you to the Integrations page in the App Dashboard.
Select the green Add Events Feed button next to the calendar icon.
Proceed by filling out the specific information regarding your calendar feed. This integration is compatible with public iCal feeds. Add as many Calendar feeds as desired. If your iCal URL is in "webcal://" format, simply change "webcal" to "https". For example, webcal://examplecalendarlink.com is not compatible but https://examplecalendarlink.com is compatible.
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Select Submit when ready for the event to show publicly on your app.
Manually Adding an Event (Only available for Tithely generated Church Apps)
Login to your App Dashboard.
Select the Events option on the left nav bar.
Select New Event at the top of the Events page.
Proceed by filling out the specific information regarding your event.
Select Submit when you are ready for the event to show publicly on your app.
Adding Registration Links
To add a registration link, simply include the Breeze Form URL in the event description when creating or editing an event.
User Experience: When app users click the "Register for event" button in the Church App, they will be directed to the registration form within the app, making the process seamless and integrated.
Tithely Tip
To set up a recurring event in your app create a recurring event in Google Calendar and integrate the event into your Tithely App. Also stick to One Calendar Source When an app is connected to an iCal feed, it acts as a "read-only" display for that external calendar. Any events you create manually within the app will not appear. For a reliable and complete view, commit to one method: either manage all events through your iCal feed or create all events manually within the app.
Finding the Correct Google Calendar Link for Your App
Sometimes finding the correct Google Calendar link that is compatible with your app dashboard can be tricky. Follow the steps below to find the correct Google Calendar link:
When viewing your iCal/Google Calendar, you’ll see to the left My Calendars. Below it the names of your calendars.
Hover over the calendar you wish to use in your app.
Select the ellipsis, then Settings and Sharing in the dropdown options.
You'll then come to another page - scroll all the way down to the bottom of that page, and you’ll find something that says Public Address in iCal format. Immediately below that there will be a link. This is the iCal/Google Calendar link your app needs.