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Sync Issues

Quick Reference​

Having problems with calendar sync or mobile app synchronization? This guide covers common sync issues between ShootPath and Google Calendar, as well as mobile app sync problems.

Common Sync Issues:

  • Calendar sync not working → Reconnect Google Calendar integration
  • Events not appearing → Check sync settings and calendar selection
  • Duplicate events → Clear and re-sync calendar
  • Time zone problems → Verify time zone settings match
  • Mobile app not syncing → Check internet connection and app version

Quick Troubleshooting:

  1. Check Google Calendar connection: Settings → Integrations → Google Calendar (should show "Connected")
  2. Force sync: Click Sync Now in Settings
  3. Check internet connection
  4. Update mobile app to latest version
  5. Log out and log back in
Most Common Causes

90% of sync issues are caused by:

  1. Google Calendar not connected or connection expired (check Settings → Integrations)
  2. Wrong calendar selected in sync settings
  3. Mobile app needs updating (check App Store/Play Store)

Detailed Guide​

Calendar Sync Not Working​

If jobs aren't appearing in Google Calendar or vice versa:

Step 1: Check Integration Status

  1. Go to Settings → Integrations
  2. Find Google Calendar section
  3. Check status:
    • Connected (green checkmark) - Integration is working
    • Not Connected or Disconnected (red X) - Integration needs setup/reconnection

If Not Connected: You must connect Google Calendar before syncing works. See Connecting Google Calendar below.

Step 2: Verify Sync Settings

  1. Go to Settings → Integrations → Google Calendar
  2. Check Sync Direction:
    • Two-way sync: ShootPath ↔ Google Calendar (recommended)
    • ShootPath to Calendar only: ShootPath → Google Calendar
    • Calendar to ShootPath only: Google Calendar → ShootPath
  3. Check Which calendar to sync:
    • Make sure the correct Google Calendar is selected
    • Default is usually "Primary"
  4. Check What to sync:
    • Jobs
    • Appointments
    • Meetings
    • All events (recommended)

Step 3: Force a Sync

  1. Stay in Settings → Integrations → Google Calendar
  2. Click Sync Now button
  3. Wait 1-2 minutes
  4. Check Google Calendar to see if events appear

Step 4: Check Sync Logs

  1. Scroll down to Recent Sync Activity
  2. You'll see:
    • Last sync time
    • Events synced
    • Errors (if any)
  3. If errors:
    • Click error for details
    • Common errors and solutions below

Common Sync Errors:

Error: "Authentication expired"

  • Google Calendar connection needs reauthorization
  • Solution: Click Reconnect Google Calendar

Error: "Calendar not found"

  • Selected calendar was deleted in Google
  • Solution: Go to sync settings, select a different calendar

Error: "Quota exceeded"

  • Too many sync requests in short time
  • Solution: Wait 30 minutes, then try again

Error: "Permission denied"

  • ShootPath doesn't have permission to access the calendar
  • Solution: Reconnect Google Calendar and grant full permissions

Connecting Google Calendar​

If Google Calendar isn't connected or needs reconnecting:

Step 1: Start Connection

  1. Go to Settings → Integrations
  2. Find Google Calendar section
  3. Click Connect Google Calendar

Step 2: Choose Google Account

  • You'll be redirected to Google sign-in
  • Choose the Google account with the calendar you want to sync
  • This should be your business Google account

Step 3: Authorize ShootPath Google will show: "ShootPath wants to access your Google Calendar"

Permissions requested:

  • View events on all your calendars
  • Create, edit, and delete events
  • View and edit settings for all calendars

These permissions are necessary for two-way sync.

Click Allow.

Step 4: Configure Sync Settings

After connecting:

  1. Choose Sync Direction:
    • Two-way: Recommended (changes in either place sync to the other)
    • ShootPath to Calendar: Job dates appear in Google Calendar but not vice versa
    • Calendar to ShootPath: Google Calendar events import to ShootPath but ShootPath doesn't update Calendar
  2. Choose Which Calendar to sync:
    • Primary (your main calendar)
    • Or select a different calendar
  3. Choose What to Sync:
    • Jobs (shoot dates, meetings, deliveries)
    • All events (recommended)
  4. Click Save Settings

Step 5: Initial Sync

  • ShootPath immediately syncs existing jobs to Google Calendar
  • This may take 1-2 minutes if you have many jobs
  • Check Google Calendar to confirm events appeared

If Authorization Fails:

Error: "This app isn't verified by Google"

  • Click Advanced → Go to ShootPath (unsafe)
  • It's safe - we're working on full Google verification

Error: "Access blocked"

  • Google Workspace admin may have blocked third-party apps
  • Solution: Ask IT admin to whitelist ShootPath in Google Workspace admin console

Events Not Appearing in Google Calendar​

If jobs exist in ShootPath but don't show in Google Calendar:

Step 1: Verify Sync is Enabled

  1. Go to Settings → Integrations → Google Calendar
  2. Check sync direction:
    • Must be "Two-way sync" or "ShootPath to Calendar only"
    • If set to "Calendar to ShootPath only," jobs won't sync to Google
  3. Click Sync Now

Step 2: Check Job Has a Date

Calendar sync only works for jobs with shoot dates:

  1. Go to the job in ShootPath
  2. Check Shoot Date field
  3. If empty, add a date
  4. Wait 15 minutes for sync (or click Sync Now in settings)

Step 3: Check Correct Calendar is Selected

In Google Calendar:

  1. Left sidebar shows all your calendars
  2. Make sure the calendar you selected in ShootPath sync settings is VISIBLE (checked)
  3. Common issue: Selected calendar is hidden in Google Calendar view

Step 4: Check Sync Direction

If you recently changed sync direction:

  • Events only sync going forward from the change
  • Past events won't retroactively sync
  • Solution: Force sync all events (see below)

Force Sync All Events:

  1. Go to Settings → Integrations → Google Calendar
  2. Click Advanced Options
  3. Click Resync All Events
  4. Confirm
  5. All job dates will re-sync to Google Calendar
Resync Creates Duplicates

If you already have some events synced, Resync All might create duplicates. See Duplicate Events section for how to fix.

Events Not Appearing in ShootPath​

If events exist in Google Calendar but don't show in ShootPath:

Step 1: Verify Sync Direction

  1. Go to Settings → Integrations → Google Calendar
  2. Check sync direction:
    • Must be "Two-way sync" or "Calendar to ShootPath only"
    • If set to "ShootPath to Calendar only," Google Calendar events won't import
  3. Change to "Two-way sync"
  4. Click Sync Now

Step 2: Check Event Type

ShootPath only imports certain event types:

  • Imports: Events you created or were invited to
  • Doesn't import: All-day reminders, birthdays from contacts

Step 3: Check Event Calendar

In ShootPath sync settings:

  1. Check Which calendar to sync
  2. If you have multiple calendars in Google, only the selected one syncs
  3. If events are in a different calendar:
    • Change sync settings to that calendar
    • Or move events to the synced calendar in Google

Step 4: Manual Import

For one-time import of Google Calendar events:

  1. Go to Settings → Integrations → Google Calendar
  2. Click Import Events from Google Calendar
  3. Choose date range (e.g., "Next 90 days")
  4. Click Import
  5. Events will create jobs or appointments in ShootPath

Duplicate Events​

If you see duplicate entries in Google Calendar or ShootPath:

Causes:

  • Synced multiple times
  • Changed sync settings multiple times
  • Connected/disconnected multiple times
  • Manually created same event in both places

Solution 1: Clear and Resync (Recommended)

In Google Calendar:

  1. Filter to show only "ShootPath" events
  2. Select all
  3. Delete all
  4. In ShootPath: Settings → Integrations → Google Calendar → Resync All Events

In ShootPath:

  • Duplicates are harder to fix
  • You'll need to manually delete duplicate jobs/appointments
  • Or: Export jobs to CSV, delete all, re-import deduplicated list

Solution 2: Use Calendar Event IDs (Advanced)

ShootPath stores Google Calendar event IDs:

  1. Go to Settings → Integrations → Google Calendar
  2. Click Advanced Options
  3. Click Clean Up Duplicates
  4. ShootPath will:
    • Find events with same date/title in both systems
    • Keep the one with matching event ID
    • Delete the duplicate

This works for most cases.

Preventing Duplicates:

  • Don't manually create the same event in both ShootPath and Google Calendar
  • Let sync handle it automatically
  • If changing sync settings, clear events first, then resync

Time Zone Problems​

If events appear at wrong times in Google Calendar:

Step 1: Check ShootPath Time Zone

  1. Go to Settings → Business Information
  2. Check Time Zone field
  3. Should match your local time zone
  4. If wrong, update it and click Save

Step 2: Check Google Calendar Time Zone

  1. Go to Google Calendar settings (gear icon → Settings)
  2. Click General in left sidebar
  3. Check Time zone
  4. Should match your local time zone
  5. Also check Display secondary time zone (turn off if you don't need it)

Step 3: Resync Events

After fixing time zones:

  1. Go to Settings → Integrations → Google Calendar
  2. Click Advanced Options → Resync All Events
  3. Events will update with correct times

Common Time Zone Issues:

Issue: Events Show 3 Hours Early/Late

  • You're in Eastern (EST) but Google Calendar is set to Pacific (PST) or vice versa
  • Or: ShootPath is set to one time zone, Google is set to another
  • Solution: Make sure both use the same time zone

Issue: Events Change Time During Daylight Saving

  • One system didn't account for daylight saving time
  • Solution: Make sure both ShootPath and Google Calendar auto-adjust for DST
  • Check after DST changes (March and November in US)

Issue: All-Day Events Span Two Days

  • Time zone mismatch causing all-day event to start at 11pm previous day
  • Solution: Fix time zones in both systems and resync

Mobile App Sync Issues​

If ShootPath mobile app isn't syncing:

Step 1: Check Internet Connection

  • Mobile app requires internet to sync (no offline mode yet)
  • Try:
    • Open a website in your browser to confirm internet works
    • Switch between WiFi and cellular
    • Turn airplane mode on, wait 10 seconds, turn off

Step 2: Force App Sync

iOS:

  1. In ShootPath app, pull down on any list (clients, jobs, etc.)
  2. Release to trigger refresh
  3. Wait for spinning indicator to stop

Android:

  1. Same as iOS - pull down to refresh
  2. Or: Tap menu (three dots) → Sync Now

Step 3: Update the App

iOS:

  1. Open App Store
  2. Tap profile icon (top right)
  3. Scroll to ShootPath
  4. Tap Update if available

Android:

  1. Open Google Play Store
  2. Tap menu (three lines) → My apps & games
  3. Find ShootPath
  4. Tap Update if available

Step 4: Clear App Cache

iOS:

  • Delete the app and reinstall from App Store
  • Your data is safe (stored on servers)
  • Log back in after reinstalling

Android:

  1. Settings → Apps → ShootPath
  2. Storage → Clear cache (don't clear data yet)
  3. Open app and try syncing

Step 5: Log Out and Log Back In

  1. In ShootPath app: Profile → Log Out
  2. Log back in
  3. App will re-sync all data

Step 6: Check App Permissions

iOS:

  1. Settings → ShootPath
  2. Make sure these are enabled:
    • Background App Refresh
    • Cellular Data (if you use cellular)
  3. Toggle them off and back on

Android:

  1. Settings → Apps → ShootPath → Permissions
  2. Make sure these are allowed:
    • Internet
    • Network access
  3. Settings → Data usage → ShootPath
  4. Make sure "Background data" is enabled

Common Mobile Sync Errors:

Error: "Could not connect to server"

  • Internet connection issue
  • ShootPath servers may be down (check status.shootpath.com)
  • Solution: Check internet, wait a few minutes, try again

Error: "Session expired"

  • You were logged out due to inactivity
  • Solution: Log back in

Error: "Sync conflict detected"

  • You edited the same job on web and mobile at the same time
  • Solution: App will show conflict resolution screen - choose which version to keep

Error: "Storage full"

  • Your device doesn't have enough space for cached photos
  • Solution: Free up device storage, clear app cache

Google Calendar Two-Way Sync​

Understanding how two-way sync works:

ShootPath to Google Calendar:

  • When you create/edit a job in ShootPath with a shoot date, it creates/updates an event in Google Calendar
  • Event title: [Job type] - [Client name]
  • Event time: Shoot date + time (or all-day if no time specified)
  • Event description: Job details, client contact, location
  • Sync happens within 15 minutes (or immediately if you click Sync Now)

Google Calendar to ShootPath:

  • When you create an event in Google Calendar, it creates an appointment in ShootPath
  • Appointment title: Same as event title
  • Appointment time: Same as event time
  • Sync happens within 15 minutes

Editing Synced Events:

If You Edit in ShootPath:

  • Change syncs to Google Calendar within 15 minutes
  • Title, date, time, location all update

If You Edit in Google Calendar:

  • Change syncs to ShootPath within 15 minutes
  • But: Some fields may not sync (depends on what changed)
  • Complex changes: Safer to edit in ShootPath

Deleting Synced Events:

If You Delete in ShootPath:

  • Job deletion doesn't automatically delete Google Calendar event
  • Manually delete in Google Calendar, or click "Sync Now" to clean up

If You Delete in Google Calendar:

  • Event deletion doesn't delete the job in ShootPath
  • Appointment (not job) may be deleted if it was created from Google Calendar

Best Practice:

  • Create and edit jobs in ShootPath (more reliable)
  • Use Google Calendar primarily for viewing
  • Only create simple events in Google Calendar if needed

Calendar Sync Delays​

Sync isn't instant - here's what to expect:

Normal Sync Frequency:

  • Automatic sync every 15 minutes
  • When you create/edit a job: Syncs within 15 minutes
  • Manual "Sync Now": Immediate (within 1-2 minutes)

Why 15-Minute Delay?

  • Google Calendar API has rate limits
  • Syncing too frequently could hit the limit and stop working
  • 15 minutes is a good balance between freshness and reliability

When Sync is Slower:

  • High API usage (many ShootPath users syncing at once)
  • Google Calendar servers are slow
  • Large number of events to sync (100+ jobs)

If Sync Takes Longer Than 30 Minutes:

  • Check sync logs for errors
  • Try manual "Sync Now"
  • Disconnect and reconnect Google Calendar
  • Contact support if it persists

Disabling Calendar Sync​

If you want to stop syncing:

Option 1: Disconnect Google Calendar

  1. Go to Settings → Integrations → Google Calendar
  2. Click Disconnect
  3. Confirm
  4. Syncing stops immediately

What Happens:

  • No more changes sync between ShootPath and Google
  • Existing events remain in Google Calendar (not deleted)
  • Jobs remain in ShootPath (not deleted)

Option 2: Pause Syncing Temporarily

  1. Go to Settings → Integrations → Google Calendar
  2. Click Pause Sync
  3. Syncing stops but connection remains
  4. Click Resume Sync when ready

Option 3: Change to One-Way Sync

  1. Go to sync settings
  2. Change sync direction:
    • "ShootPath to Calendar only" - stops importing from Google
    • "Calendar to ShootPath only" - stops exporting to Google
  3. Useful if you want partial sync

Cleaning Up After Disconnecting:

In Google Calendar:

  • ShootPath events remain
  • Manually delete them if you don't want them
  • Or: Create a filter, select all, delete

In ShootPath:

  • Jobs and appointments remain
  • No automatic cleanup needed

Common Questions​

How often does calendar sync? Automatically every 15 minutes. You can force immediate sync by clicking "Sync Now" in Settings → Integrations → Google Calendar.

Can I sync with other calendars (Outlook, Apple Calendar)? Currently only Google Calendar is supported. However:

  • Outlook: Can subscribe to ShootPath's iCal feed (Settings → Calendar Feed)
  • Apple Calendar: Can subscribe to ShootPath's iCal feed
  • These are one-way read-only (ShootPath → Calendar)

Do I need Google Workspace or can I use free Gmail? Free Gmail works perfectly! You don't need a paid Google Workspace account.

Can I sync multiple Google Calendars? Currently you can only sync one Google Calendar at a time. To switch:

  1. Go to sync settings
  2. Change "Which calendar to sync"
  3. Past events stay in old calendar (won't move)

What if I share my Google Calendar with others? They'll see your synced ShootPath jobs/appointments as events. Make sure you're comfortable with them seeing:

  • Client names
  • Job types
  • Shoot dates and times

Can I control what details appear in Google Calendar events? Yes:

  1. Go to Settings → Integrations → Google Calendar
  2. Click Advanced Options → Event Template
  3. Customize title and description
  4. Use variables: {{client_name}}, {{job_type}}, {{shoot_date}}

Why do events disappear from Google Calendar? Possible reasons:

  • Job was deleted in ShootPath
  • Shoot date was removed from job
  • Sync direction was changed
  • Calendar was accidentally hidden in Google Calendar view

Can I sync to my team members' calendars? Not directly. But you can:

  • Share your Google Calendar with team members
  • They'll see your synced events
  • Or: Use Google Workspace shared calendars

What happens if I delete a job in ShootPath?

  • Job is deleted from ShootPath
  • Google Calendar event remains (not auto-deleted)
  • You'll need to manually delete from Google Calendar
  • Or: Click "Sync Now" and ShootPath will clean up deleted events

Still Having Sync Issues?​

Contact Support:

For ShootPath Sync Issues: Email support@shootpath.com

  • Include: Sync logs screenshot, what's not syncing, steps you tried

For Google Calendar Issues: Contact Google support: support.google.com/calendar

For Mobile App Issues:

  • iOS: Email with "iOS sync issue" in subject
  • Android: Email with "Android sync issue" in subject
  • Include: App version, device model, Android/iOS version

We'll help get your sync working smoothly across all devices!