Subscribed to Change Calendar in Outlook but no work items etc are showing.

[Judy Forrister]

I followed the instructions here https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsupport.atlassian.com%2Fjira-service-management-cloud%2Fdocs%2Fsubscribe-to-change-calendar-from-your-external-calendar%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cjudy.forrister%40giacom.com%7C2385b7ab739f4097fae608ddec54c2b6%7C2f0e80a680a94c928401b2711c15efdc%7C0%7C0%7C638926570988335729%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=Gdey31CpB3r%2Fhj9rmqbefSXoOCDwA4E...

to try to get the change calendar to show up in my Outlook calendars.  The ability to share the calendar with non JSM agents is quite key for us.

Unfortunately, while I can select the calendar, it is showing no work items, maintenance windows, freezes - nothing at all.
I've tried restarting Outlook etc.  Any ideas what to try next? 

[Trisha Griffis]

1. Verify Change Requests Exist

 Ensure that there are actual change requests in your project that are:

• Scheduled with start/end dates

• Approved (status matters)

• Created in a JSM project that uses change management (not just Jira Software or Business project) 

Go to Change Calendar in JSM and see if anything is showing there. If that calendar is blank in Jira, it’ll also be blank in Outlook. 

2. Check Permissions

By default:

• Only agents or users with access to view change requests will see events.

• If you’re a non-agent, the events might not appear due to permission restrictions 

To fix this:

• The JSM project admin needs to:

  • Make sure the “Browse Projects” and “View Issues” permissions include the appropriate group or role.

  • Confirm you’re able to see the issues listed in the Change Calendar inside Jira. 

3. Force a Calendar Refresh in Outlook

Outlook (especially desktop) doesn’t refresh subscribed calendars frequently. You can:

• Try removing and re-adding the iCal subscription

• Or use Outlook Web which refreshes more frequently

• Outlook Desktop refreshes only every 6–24 hours 

4. Open the ICS File in Another App (Optional)

 If you’re not sure whether the problem is with the calendar itself or Outlook:

• Paste the .ics link into a browser and download the file

• Open it in Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, or web-based Outlook

• See if events show up there 

If they do, the problem is Outlook’s sync lag or rendering. 

5. Workaround to Share With Non-Agents

If you’re trying to show calendar events to people without JSM licenses, consider:

• Creating a dedicated read-only calendar by exporting the iCal feed to a public or shared calendar (e.g., Google Calendar)

• Using automation to copy change request summary + dates into a separate Outlook calendar or shared Confluence page

Here at Jer-nee Consulting, we specialize in Jira Service Management. If you are unable to solve the issue using the above we'd be happy to have a quick call with and troubleshoot. If needed you can schedule a call with this booking link: https://calendar.app.google/wfCudRkLvcubMnTy5