Calendar Widget

What is the Calendar Widget?

The Calendar Widget lets you easily display upcoming events and schedules on your digital signage screens. By integrating with platforms like Google Calendar, Microsoft Outlook, or a Custom Source, you can automatically sync and showcase events in real time—saving time and improving visibility.

This guide will walk you through how to import, customize, and style your calendar to match your design and scheduling needs, ensuring a smooth and efficient setup.

How to Set It Up

Add the Calendar Widget
Drag and drop the Calendar Widget onto your canvas. A setup window will automatically appear.
Select the Calendar Source
Choose where your calendar data will come from. You can select one of the following options:
- Google Account
- Microsoft Outlook Account
- Custom Calendar (via CSV link or API)

Importing Your Calendar

Choose the source you’d like to import your calendar events from:

Select Google Account. A sign-in window will appear—log in with your Google credentials to connect and sync your calendar.

Choose Microsoft Outlook Account. You’ll be prompted to log in with your Microsoft credentials to import events directly from your Outlook calendar.

If you’re using a different calendar system, select Custom Calendar. You’ll have two options to connect:

CSV Link
Enter the URL of your CSV file.

How to set it up:

In your calendar system, export or generate a CSV link (not a downloaded file, but a live URL)
Copy the CSV URL
In NoviSign Studio, paste the link into the CSV Link field
Click Test (if available) to verify the data is loading correctly
Save your settings

Tip: If the file is password-protected, enable the “Account Login” option and enter your credentials.

Need help finding the CSV link? Check out our guide: “How to Create a CSV Link.”

CSV File Requirements

When using Calendar → Import Calendar Data → Import Type = CSV Link, the CSV file must follow a specific structure to ensure events are displayed correctly.

General format:

The file must be comma-separated (CSV)
The first row must contain headers
Header names must match exactly (lowercase + hyphens)

Required Columns

The following columns are mandatory:

event-subject
event-description
event-location
date-start → format: MM/DD/YYYY
date-end → format: MM/DD/YYYY
event-start → format: HH:mm
event-end → format: HH:mm

Optional Columns

You may also include:

- event-attendees-email → comma-separated emails
- event-organizers → comma-separated JSON boolean values (true,false)
- id or ID
- calendar-id
- event-color
Tip: If the file is password-protected, enable the “Account Login” option to enter your credentials.

API Import

Paste the API URL provided by your calendar system to import events automatically.

How to set it up:

Obtain the API endpoint URL from your calendar provider
Make sure the API returns event data in a supported format (typically JSON)
Paste the API URL into the API Import field in NoviSign Studio
(If required) add authentication details such as API key or headers
Click Test to confirm the data is retrieved successfully
Save your settings

Additional Notes

Updates in your calendar will reflect automatically based on the refresh interval
If no data appears, double-check the link format, structure, and access permissions
For secure endpoints, ensure all required authentication details are correctly configured

Important Notes

Make sure all column names are exactly as listed — otherwise, the data may not load correctly
Dates and times must follow the required formats
If using event-organizers, values must be valid JSON tokens (true / false) for each item
- Using plain text instead may cause parsing issues
Ensure the CSV link is publicly accessible or properly authenticated

Final Steps

Choose Visible Calendars

If your account contains multiple calendars, you’ll be able to select which ones you want to display in the Calendar Widget.

Style Your Calendar

Customize the look and feel of your calendar using the built-in styling options—adjust colors, fonts, and more to match your screen’s design.

Add to Canvas

Click “Add Calendar” to complete the setup. Within seconds, your calendar will be embedded into the canvas and ready to display real-time events.

Watch the Tutorial Video

Prefer to follow along visually?

Check out our step-by-step tutorial video and see how to set up and customize your Calendar Widget from start to finish.