Sync Your Todoist Tasks to Google Calendar for Free – A Hands‑On Walkthrough

It all started on a rainy Tuesday in March. I was juggling a client demo, a dentist appointment, and a grocery run, and my phone kept buzzing with Todoist reminders that never seemed to line up with my calendar. I caught myself scrolling through the same day twice, wondering why my tasks and events lived in separate worlds. That frustration pushed me to finally test the much‑talked‑about integration between Todoist and Google Calendar – and the best part? It cost nothing.

Why I Needed the Integration

I’m a freelance designer who lives by deadlines. When a task shows up in Todoist, I immediately assign it a due date, but the date lives in a list that Google Calendar never sees. The result? Double‑booking, missed meetings, and a lingering feeling that my productivity system was half‑baked. A friend, Maya, swore by the sync and told me, “You’ll never have to wonder if a task is on your calendar again.” I was skeptical, but her confidence convinced me to give it a try.

Preparing Your Accounts

Before diving into the setup, make sure you have two things ready:

1. A free Todoist account

If you’re still on the free tier, you’re good to go. The integration works without a premium subscription.

2. A Google account with Calendar access

A personal Gmail address works just fine; you don’t need G Suite.

I spent a few minutes double‑checking that both accounts were logged in on the same browser. It saved me from a confusing “authentication failed” error later.

Step‑by‑Step Sync Setup

Here’s the exact sequence that got my tasks dancing in Google Calendar. Follow the numbers; each step builds on the previous one.

1. Open Todoist on the web and click the gear icon (Settings) in the upper‑right corner.
2. Choose Integrations from the left‑hand menu, then locate Google Calendar.
3. Click Connect. A Google sign‑in window appears—pick the account you want to sync with.
4. Grant Todoist permission to view and edit your calendars. I made sure to allow both read and write access; otherwise the sync would be one‑way only.
5. Choose the specific Google Calendar you want Todoist to populate. I created a dedicated calendar named Todoist Sync to keep things tidy.
6. Decide how you want tasks to appear:
   • Set due dates as all‑day events if you prefer a simple list view.
   • Set due dates as timed events to see exact start times. I opted for timed events because I like seeing exactly when a task should start.
7. Select the default project in Todoist that will feed tasks into the calendar. For me, it’s the Work project, but you can pick any or even sync all projects.
8. Click Save. Todoist will now push existing tasks with due dates to Google Calendar, and any new tasks you add will appear automatically.

Tip: If you notice duplicate events after the initial sync, go to your Google Calendar, delete the Todoist Sync calendar, and repeat steps 1‑8. The clean slate prevents leftover entries from clashing.

Fine‑Tuning and Common Pitfalls

Even after a successful connection, a few quirks can bite you if you’re not watching:

Sync Frequency

Todoist updates Google Calendar every few minutes, but there can be a lag of up to 15 minutes during peak usage. If you need near‑real‑time updates, consider refreshing the calendar manually (Ctrl + R).

Two‑Way vs. One‑Way

The free integration is essentially one‑way: Todoist pushes tasks to Google Calendar, but edits you make in the calendar won’t reflect back in Todoist. I discovered this when I dragged an event to a different time—Todoist still showed the original due date. The workaround? Edit the task in Todoist directly, then let the sync overwrite the calendar entry.

Deleting Tasks

When you delete a task in Todoist, the corresponding calendar event disappears after the next sync cycle. However, if you delete the event directly in Google Calendar, Todoist keeps the task alive. This can lead to “ghost” tasks that pop back up. My habit now is to always manage deletions from Todoist.

Multiple Projects

If you sync more than one project, all tasks land in the same calendar, which can become noisy. I solved this by creating separate calendars for Personal and Work projects and linking each project to its own calendar.

FAQ

Q: Does the free sync support recurring tasks? A: Yes, recurring tasks appear as recurring events in Google Calendar. Just make sure the recurrence pattern is set correctly in Todoist.

Q: Can I sync multiple Todoist accounts to the same Google Calendar? A: Technically you can, but each account will require its own integration setup, and overlapping tasks may cause duplicates. I keep a single account for work and another for personal life to avoid confusion.

Q: What if I switch to a new phone—do I lose the sync? A: No. The integration lives in the cloud, so once you log into Todoist and Google on the new device, the sync continues automatically.

Final Thoughts

Looking back, the moment the first Todoist task appeared as a bright blue block on my Google Calendar felt like a small victory. It freed my brain from the mental gymnastics of remembering where I stored what. If you’re juggling projects, meetings, and a side hustle, this free bridge between two of the most popular productivity tools can be a game‑changer. Give it a try, tinker with the settings until it feels natural, and let the calendar do the heavy lifting for you. Happy planning!