Get Ready to Sync Events with Lightning Sync for Microsoft® Exchange

You can choose which events sync from your Microsoft® calendar application to Salesforce.

Required Editions

Available to sync records from: Salesforce Classic, Lightning Experience, and the Salesforce mobile app

Available to set up from: Salesforce Classic and Lightning Experience

Available in: Professional, Enterprise, Performance, Unlimited, and Developer Editions with Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, and Lightning Platform

User Permissions Needed
To sync events both ways:	Read and Edit on events AND Event sync direction set to Sync both ways in an active Lightning Sync configuration
To sync events from Salesforce to Exchange:	Read on events AND Event sync direction set to Salesforce to Exchange in an active Lightning Sync configuration
To sync events from your calendar to Salesforce:	Create on events AND Event sync direction set to Exchange to Salesforce in an active Lightning Sync configuration* *If admins enable the Automatically relate events to Salesforce records option in a user’s sync configuration, users should also have Read on contacts and leads to take advantage of that feature.

User Permissions Needed

To sync events both ways:

Read and Edit on events

AND

Event sync direction set to Sync both ways in an active Lightning Sync configuration

To sync events from Salesforce to Exchange:

Read on events

AND

Event sync direction set to Salesforce to Exchange in an active Lightning Sync configuration

To sync events from your calendar to Salesforce:

Create on events

AND

Event sync direction set to Exchange to Salesforce in an active Lightning Sync configuration*

*If admins enable the Automatically relate events to Salesforce records option in a user’s sync configuration, users should also have Read on contacts and leads to take advantage of that feature.

Important

Starting in Winter ‘21, Lightning Sync isn’t available to new Salesforce customers. Use Einstein Activity Capture to sync events, contacts, and emails between your connected account and Salesforce.

If you have Lightning Sync, use the migration tool to move to Einstein Activity Capture before Lightning Sync retires in 2027. Before you migrate, review Compare Einstein Activity Capture and Lightning Sync to understand what to expect when you migrate.

If your org is exempt from migration because of a licensing issue or if your org doesn’t support Einstein Activity Capture, you won’t see the migration tool in Lightning Sync.

If your administrator has set up Lightning Sync for Microsoft Exchange, your events sync automatically between your Microsoft calendar to Salesforce. Events sync when you create or update them. If you’ve got many events, your first sync could take some time.

Admins decide in what direction your events sync: between Salesforce and your Microsoft Exchange server, or just one way. Ask your admin in which direction you’re set up to sync, so you know where to update your events.

Admins can select more settings to define your sync experience. Ask your admin about how you’re set up to sync in these cases:

Prevent Personal Events from Syncing

You can prevent events from syncing with Salesforce in different ways.

Create a separate calendar in your calendar application to keep track of your personal events. Lightning Sync is designed to sync only your default Microsoft Exchange calendar to Salesforce.
Ask your admin if your sync configuration is set up to sync private events. If you’re not syncing private events, you can assign your personal events with the Private option from your calendar application, and those events won’t sync with Salesforce.
For example, you can mark an event as private from Microsoft Outlook® like this.

Respond to Event Invitations from Your Microsoft Calendar

Your responses to event invitations don’t sync from Salesforce to your Microsoft Exchange-based calendar. To avoid overwriting your attendance status, learn where is best to accept and decline event invitations based on your sync direction.