How to prevent duplicate Outlook Calendar events when updating date/time with Zapier

Hi ​@SomewhatITDept 

Outlook Zap app

• Triggers/Actions: https://zapier.com/apps/microsoft-outlook/integrations#triggers-and-actions
• Help: https://zapier.com/apps/microsoft-outlook/integrations#help

STEPS

1. Trigger: Monday - Specific Column Value Changed in Board
2. Action: Filter
   1. Check to make sure the Column has the desired value
3. Action: Outlook - Find Event
   1. Enable the checkbox for create event if not found
   2. Thus it becomes find/create event
4. Action: Filter
   1. Check if found = true
      1. Means an existing Outlook Calendar was found to update
   2. Help: https://zapier.com/apps/filter/integrations#help
5. Action: Outlook - Update Event
   1. Map the Calendar ID from Zap step 2

Hi Troy,

Thanks for the response!

Please see attached for what my filter looks like. I am not sure what to put here.

For Choose field… I could put the name, so if it matches it could find that?

If it exactly matches then what do I do?

Thank you :)

Would this also have to be a separate zap?

​@Troy Tessalone Forgot to include you above :) Whoops!

​@SomewhatITDept 

I think you need to take a step back and define the workflows you are trying to automate along with specific examples to clarify the logic you are trying to configure.

• e.g. Create new event in Outlook when what happens
• e.g. Update existing event in Outlook when what happens
• etc.

​@Troy Tessalone 

I am trying to create an event when an item is created in Monday.com, but only happens when the appointment date/time is plugged in to avoid an error message. That has been working properly.

If the date/time gets updated in Monday.com, that’s when it creates a duplicate in the shared Outlook calendar which is what I am trying to prevent. I want it to update the existing meeting with the correct date/time.

FYI I am not an IT/coding person lol. Trying to figure it out though for this project :)

​@SomewhatITDept 

You need to have logic on the Monday Item that indicates you want to create/update an event.

Essentially you need to have a column value indicate a Monday Board Item is ready and should be processed.

e.g. Columns X,Y,Z have values set and Column A = Process

STEPS

1. Trigger: Monday - Specific Column Value Changed in Board
   1. Specify the Column to watch for changes
2. Action: Filter
   1. Check to make sure the Monday Item Column from Zap step 1 has the value that indicates you want to process the Monday Item
      1. e.g. Column A = Process
   2. Check to make sure the Monday Item Columns used in the Outlook step for required fields have values
   3. Help: https://zapier.com/apps/filter/integrations#help
3. Action: Paths
   1. Help: https://zapier.com/apps/paths/integrations#help
   2. Path A
      1. Action: Filter
         1. Check that Column with Outlook Event ID does not exist
      2. Action: Outlook - Create Event
         1. Map the variables from Zap step 1
      3. Action: Monday - Update Item
         1. Log the returned Outlook Event ID to use to update the Outlook Event in the future when the Monday Item is updated
         2. Reset the “Status” Column value back to empty or some value that is not the value used to pass Zap step 2 filter conditions
   3. Path B
      1. Action: Filter
         1. Check that Column with Outlook Event ID exists
      2. Action: Outlook - Update Event
         1. Map the variables from Zap step 1 including the Calendar ID
      3. Action: Monday - Update Item
         1. Reset the “Status” Column value back to empty or some value that is not the value used to pass Zap step 2 filter conditions

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