Introduction 

This blog explains how to enforce Google Calendar internal sharing settings for existing users and future users using xFanatical Foresight. Google Calendar allows users to share their primary calendar information with other users in the organization. Depending on the selected sharing option, coworkers will be able to see only availability information or additional event details.

Google Workspace administrators can configure a default internal sharing option through the Google Admin console. However, this setting only applies to users who have never changed their calendar sharing preferences. Once a user manually modifies the internal sharing setting, their preference overrides the administrator's default configuration.

With xFanatical Foresight, administrators can automatically enforce the approved internal sharing setting of See only free/busy (hide details) across the organization. Existing user’s calendar settings are corrected in bulk and future changes are continuously monitored and automatically reset to See only free/busy (hide details) option by the template.
Illustration of how xFanatical Foresight automatically enforces Google Calendar internal sharing settings across the organization

Illustration of how xFanatical Foresight automatically enforces Google Calendar internal sharing settings across the organization.

Introducing xFanatical Foresight Automation

xFanatical Foresight is a powerful automation platform designed specifically for Google Workspace. It helps administrators automate policy enforcement tasks without manual intervention and manage calendar related tasks efficiently.

Using xFanatical Foresight, administrators can automatically identify users whose primary calendar sharing settings change, update those settings in bulk and continuously monitor future changes. If a user changes their internal sharing permission to other than See only free/busy (hide details) option, xFanatical Foresight automatically updates the setting and notifies the administrator.

Automation Setup InstructionsIn this section, we guide you through the automation setup in xFanatical Foresight.  Set up automation from a template and after completing the automation rule, verify whether the automation meets your requirements.

Set Up Automation From a Template

Set Up Automation From a Template

Supported plans: xFanatical Foresight Elite plan.

The template is designed with three rules to automate user Google Calendar Internal Sharing Option:

  1. Rule 1: List all users – Exports all Google Workspace users into a CSV file that can be used to perform bulk calendar sharing updates.
  2. Rule 2: Bulk reset users’ calendar internal sharing option – Updates users’ primary calendar sharing settings and changes the internal sharing permission to See only free/busy (hide details).
  3. Rule 3: Auto reset users’ calendar internal sharing option – Monitors future calendar sharing changes and automatically restores the approved sharing permission whenever a user changes it.


Rule 1: List all users

  1. Sign into xFanatical Foresight with your Google Admin account. 
  2. Go to the Templates page.
  3. Search for Enforce Google Calendar internal sharing option and click on it.In the Templates > search for Enforce Google Calendar internal sharing option template.
  4. In the Templates > Enforce Google Calendar internal sharing option page, click Copy Rule 1.
    In the Templates > Enforce Google Calendar internal sharing option, click the Copy rule 1 to duplicate the automation.
  5. For the first time use of the template rule, an dialog Action needed will display requesting necessary permissions required to copy the rule. Click Connect with Google and authorize the permissions.
  6. Upon authorization, a dialog titled Copy of List all users will display.
  7. Click Next. No user action is needed.
  8. Click Review.
  9. In the Review screen,
    In the Review page, provide rule name and create the rule 1.
    1. In Rule name, customize the automation rule name.
    2. Click Create.
  10. The rule is created in the Rules page.
    xFanatical Foresight rule graph illustrating exporting all Google Workspace users into a CSV file.

xFanatical Foresight rule graph illustrating exporting all Google Workspace users into a CSV file.

Rule 2: Bulk reset users’ calendar internal sharing option

  1. In the Templates > Enforce Google Calendar internal sharing option, click Copy Rule 2.
    In the Templates > Enforce Google Calendar internal sharing option, click the Copy rule 2 to duplicate the automation.
  2. Click Next.
  3. Click Review.
  4. In the Review screen,
    In the Review page, provide rule name and create the rule 2.
    1. In Rule name, customize the automation rule name.
    2. Click Create.
  5. The rule is created in the Rules page.
    Rule graph illustrating bulk updating users' calendar internal sharing permissions.

xFanatical Foresight rule graph illustrating bulk updating users’ calendar internal sharing permissions.

Rule 3: Auto reset users’ calendar internal sharing option

  1. In the Templates > Enforce Google Calendar internal sharing option, click Copy Rule 3.
    In the Templates > Enforce Google Calendar internal sharing option, click the Copy rule 3 to duplicate the automation.
  2. Click Next. No user intervention required.
  3. Click Review.
  4. In the Review screen,
    In the Review page, provide rule name and create the rule 3.
    1. In Rule name, customize the automation rule name.
    2. Click Create.
  5. The rule is created in the Rules page.
    Rule graph illustrating automatic enforcement of calendar internal sharing settings.

xFanatical Foresight rule graph illustrating automatic enforcement of calendar internal sharing settings.

Verify Automation

Verify Automation

To ensure your rule setup automates as expected, it’s crucial to perform a simple test. The following instructions demonstrate how xFanatical Foresight automatically enforces calendar internal sharing settings.

Verify bulk reset users’ calendar internal sharing option

  1. Before starting the automation, go to a test user’s Google Calendar and verify the domain’s internal sharing setting.
    Verify the domain's internal sharing setting before automation.
  2. Go to xFanatical Foresight.
  3. Go to the Rules Page.
  4. Execute the Rule 1- List all users from Google Workspace. You will receive the notification and click View Log.
    A notification on the completion of rule 1 execution.
  5. Download the generated CSV file from the Log details page.
    Logs details page to list all users from Google Workspace rule.
  6. Go back to the Rules page and upload the CSV file into Rule 2 – Bulk reset user’s calendar internal sharing option.
    Alt Text: Upload CSV file to Bulk reset user's calendar internal sharing option rule.
  7. Wait for the automation to process the uploaded file.
  8. You’ll receive a notification in the top right corner of xFanatical Foresight. Click View log.
    A notification on the completion of rule 2 execution
  9. In the Logs > Log details page, the Rule history section explains the automation history and task xFanatical Foresight has automated on behalf of your Google account.
    Logs details page for bulk reset user's calendar internal sharing option rule.

  10. Open Google Calendar settings for one of the processed users.
  11. Verify that the internal sharing option for the user’s primary calendar is set to See only free/busy (hide details).
    Verify the internal sharing option for the user's primary calendar.

Verify auto reset of users’ calendar internal sharing option

  1. Sign in test user account and open Google Calendar settings.
  2. Change the internal sharing option of the user’s primary calendar to a setting other than See only free/busy (hide details).
  3. Wait for the automation to detect the change.
  4. Wait until you receive another notification from xFanatical Foresight. Click View log.
    A notification on the completion of rule 3 execution.
  5. In the Logs > Log details page, review the Rule history to confirm successful execution.
    Logs details page for auto reset of users' calendar internal sharing option rule execution.
    Logs details page for auto reset of users' calendar internal sharing option rule execution.
  6. Verify that the internal sharing setting has been automatically reset to See only free/busy (hide details). And the administrator receives the notification email configured in the rule.
    Verification of successful rule execution.

Notes

  • This template applies only to users' primary calendars. Secondary calendars, resource calendars and group calendars are not included.
  • The template only enforces internal domain-sharing permissions. External calendar sharing permissions and sharing with specific users or groups are not managed by this template.
  • Rule 1 should be executed before Rule 2 to generate the user list required for bulk updates.
  • Google Calendar audit logs may experience delays ranging from several minutes to a few hours due to that you may receive Rule 3 execution notifications accordingly.
  • Automatic correction may not occur immediately after a user changes the sharing permission.
  • After existing calendar settings have been corrected using Rule 1 and Rule 2, Rule 3 continuously protects the sharing setting by automatically correcting future policy violations.

Conclusion

Enforcing Google Calendar internal sharing permissions helps organizations maintain consistent privacy and security standards across Google Workspace. Instead of manually reviewing and correcting individual calendar settings, xFanatical Foresight automatically updates existing configurations and continuously monitors future changes.

By combining bulk updates with automatic policy enforcement, administrators can reduce manual work and ensure that all users' primary calendars always follow the approved See only free/busy (hide details) sharing setting.

Try a 14-day free trial with xFanatical Foresight and manage your tasks.

Related Articles

For more articles, please visit our website: Articles