Why a sync rule says it "never takes effect"

You're probably here because GetCalendario told you one of your sync rules never takes effect. Nothing is broken. Two of your rules are asking for different things on the same events, and the other rule always gets its way. This page explains why, and how to sort it out.

What's happening, in one example

Say you have these two rules on the same connection:

• Sync it if the title contains "Team lunch"
• Don't Sync if the title contains "Team"

Now an event called "Team lunch on Friday" comes along. It matches both rules: it says "Team lunch", and it also says "Team". One rule says copy it, the other says don't.

GetCalendario has to pick one, and it always picks the same way: Don't Sync wins. So "Team lunch on Friday" stays where it is.

The catch: every event that says "Team lunch" also says "Team". So the Sync it rule can never win. It's on your list, it looks fine, and it does nothing. That's what "never takes effect" means.

Who wins when rules disagree

There are only three things to remember:

1. Don't Sync beats everything. If any Don't Sync rule matches an event, that event isn't copied, whatever your other rules say.
2. "Sync, but hide the details" includes "mark it private". A hidden event is private as well, so the private rule has nothing extra to do.
3. Two rules that change the copy in the same way: the older rule wins. That covers two labels, two title additions, or two "send to a different calendar" rules.

Where you'll see it

• On Home: "1 of your sync rules never takes effect." Click it to go to the rule.
• On the Sync Rules page: a red note under the rule names the rule that always beats it.
• When you save a rule: a Heads up box warns you before you save. You can still save it if you meant to.

A grey line such as "Lost on 12 of the 40 matching events" is different. It means the rule usually works and an exception sometimes beats it. That's normal. "Copy everything Green, except anything with Mahjong in the title" works exactly this way, and you don't need to do anything.

Why it can happen with rules that look unrelated

Rules on different things can cancel each other out too. Take:

• Sync it if the category is Green
• Don't Sync if the location is the office

They look unrelated. But if every Green event in your calendar happens to be at the office, the Sync it rule never copies a single one. GetCalendario spots this from your real events as it syncs, looking at the events within the dates the connection syncs. So you may see the warning a little while after you set the rules up.

How to fix it

Usually one of the two rules is broader than you meant it to be. Pick whichever fits:

• Make the broad rule narrower. In the example, change Don't Sync "Team" to the exact thing you want to keep off, like "Team standup". Or set Match to Contains the word, so "Team" no longer catches "Teamwork".
• Remove the rule you don't need any more. If you've replaced an old rule with a new one, delete the old one.
• Keep both, on purpose. If it's deliberate, for example while you're switching from one rule to the other, press Keep both under the red note. The rule is marked "Kept on purpose" and stops showing on Home. If you change that rule later, GetCalendario checks it again.

Still not sure which rule to change? Open the rule's History to see when each one was added, or ask the GetCalendario assistant "why didn't this event sync?". It will name the rule that won.