Limitations of Unito’s Outlook Integration

Here's a breakdown of what Unito's Outlook integration can't do yet — and a few other considerations.

Unito's Outlook integration is designed to get crucial data out of your projects and into other tools. You've seen what Unito can do for Outlook contacts and Outlook events so this article will cover what it can't do — yet.

What this article covers

• What permissions are required to sync Outlook with Unito?
• Limitations for syncing Outlook contacts
• Limitations for syncing Outlook events
• How Unito creates new Outlook events

What permissions are required to sync Outlook with Unito?

To successfully sync Outlook calendar events or contacts using Unito, you'll need:

• An active Microsoft 365 license: This is required to access and use the Outlook features within your Microsoft 365 suite.
• Global Administrator role: This role is necessary for permissions that affect a broad range of users or require organization-wide access, such as User.Read.All and Contacts.ReadWrite.
• Exchange Administrator role: This role grants specific permissions related to email and calendar access, including Mail.Read, Calendars.ReadWrite, and MailboxSettings.Read.

If you encounter any difficulties syncing events or contacts, double-check that these permissions are correctly assigned to the user account connected to Unito.

Limitations for syncing Outlook contacts

• Webhooks: Since the Outlook API doesn't support webhooks, it can take up to five minutes for changes to sync with this integration.
• Flow direction: When syncing Outlook contacts with different work items in another tool — think issues or tasks — you can only create a one-way flow from Outlook to the other tool. If you're syncing Outlook contacts with contacts in another tool, though, you can create a two-way flow.
• Emails and phone numbers: When contacts have more than a single email address and phone number, Unito will only sync the first of each.
• Permissions: To use Unito with Outlook, you need an account with admin permissions.

Limitations for syncing Outlook events

• Subtasks: This integration can't sync subtasks and similar sub-items from other tools with Outlook events, since Outlook events don't have a work item hierarchy.
• Start Date or End Date must be mapped: In order for your Unito flow to work properly, you’ll need to map one date field in your work item to either a Start or End Date in Outlook. For instance, if you’re syncing Outlook events with Trello cards, you might map the event’s End date with the Trello card’s Due Date.
• Syncing all-day and multi-day events: You can sync both kinds of events using Unito. Reference the chart below to see how you can use Unito to create all-day and multi-day events.
• Compatibility with other tools: Outlook events can't be synced with work items that don't have dates, such as Google contacts or Outlook contacts.
• Compatibility with Slack: Currently, Unito can't sync Outlook events with Slack messages.
• Webhooks: Since the Outlook API doesn't support webhooks, it can take up to five minutes for changes to sync with this integration.
• Recurring events: These aren't currently supported by this integration. Only the first event will be synced.
• Attachments: You can only sync attachments if they're a link, not an actual file uploaded to Outlook. If the file is in OneDrive, for example, then Unito can sync it as a link. If it's uploaded, it won't be synced.
• Attendees: Event attendees can only be synced in one direction.
• Location: Only the name of the location will be synced, not the address.
• Deleting events: Since Unito doesn't delete work items, you'll need to manually delete any work items you sync your Outlook events with.
• Read-only calendars: Unito can't sync Outlook events into a read-only calendar.
• Historical events: Unito will only sync events over an 18-month period. Six months into the past and 12 months into the future.
• Permissions: Unito needs Read and Write permissions to sync Outlook events.
• Custom fields: Unito's integration doesn't currently support custom fields for Outlook events.

How Unito creates new Outlook events

When creating new events in Outlook to keep in sync with work items in other tools, Unito will use Start date, Start time, Due date, and Due date time to schedule the event. Note that these names might be a bit different depending on the tool you're using. Here's what you can expect, depending on which fields are available in the original tool and the fields you've mapped: