Guest books on Airbnb
Within 1 hour, DirectBookings pulls the new booking via iCal and blocks those dates on your website and syncs to VRBO.
Syncs every hour · Prevents double bookings
Calendar sync
with Airbnb, VRBO & Booking.com
Automatic two-way calendar sync keeps your availability consistent across all platforms. When a guest books anywhere, those dates block everywhere else within an hour. Setup in 5 minutes. Never manually update calendars again.
5-day free trial · No credit card · Works with existing listings
See your property as a direct booking website
Paste your Airbnb or VRBO link. Free preview in 2 minutes, no account needed.
No signup requiredNo credit cardReady in minutes
How calendar sync works
DirectBookings as the central hub
DirectBookings
Booking.com, Expedia, TripAdvisor, Google Vacation Rentals & any iCal platform
Guest books on your website
DirectBookings updates the export feed immediately. Airbnb and VRBO see those dates blocked on their next sync pull.
You block dates manually
Block dates in DirectBookings for maintenance or personal use. All connected platforms see the block within 1 hour.
Sync features
Everything you need for multi-platform availability management
Hourly automatic sync
Calendars sync every hour automatically. No manual updates. No remembering to block dates. It just works in the background.
5-minute outbound push
When a guest books on your DirectBookings site, dates sync to Airbnb and VRBO within 5 minutes. Fastest protection against double bookings.
Unlimited platform connections
Connect Airbnb, VRBO, Booking.com, Expedia, and any platform with an iCal feed. No limit on connections.
Two-way synchronization
Bookings flow in both directions. A booking on Airbnb blocks your site. A booking on your site blocks Airbnb. Full bidirectional sync.
Manual blocking synced everywhere
Block dates for maintenance or personal use. Blocks sync to all platforms automatically. One action updates everything.
Sync status dashboard
See last sync time for each platform. Visual confirmation that connections are healthy. Get alerted if a sync fails.
5-minute setup
Copy and paste iCal URLs between platforms. Step-by-step instructions with screenshots for Airbnb, VRBO, and Booking.com.
Works with existing listings
No changes needed to your Airbnb or VRBO listings. Just add the iCal URLs and sync starts automatically.
Supported platforms
Connect any booking channel that provides a usable iCal feed.
Standard iCal connectionsAvailability and blocked dates move through secure calendar URLs.
.ICS compatible
Airbnb
iCalImport and export blocked dates through Airbnb calendar links.
VRBO / HomeAway
iCalConnect external availability with standard calendar feeds.
Booking.com
iCalConnect properties where Booking.com enables calendar links.
Expedia
iCalUse an iCal feed when it is available for your property.
TripAdvisor Rentals
iCalShare reservation blocks through an external calendar URL.
Any iCal feed
iCalConnect another booking calendar with a valid .ics feed URL.
iCal exchanges availability only. Rates, messages, and guest details stay in their original systems.
Frequently asked questions
How do I sync my Airbnb calendar with other websites?
In DirectBookings: go to Calendar Settings and copy your iCal export URL. In Airbnb: Calendar → Availability Settings → Import Calendar → paste the URL. Then copy Airbnb's export URL and paste it into DirectBookings. This creates a two-way sync that runs every hour. Any booking on either platform automatically blocks those dates everywhere else.
How often does calendar sync update?
DirectBookings syncs inbound calendars (from Airbnb, VRBO, Booking.com) every hour. Outbound syncs (from DirectBookings to other platforms) happen within 5 minutes of a new booking. This means when a guest books on your direct site, Airbnb and VRBO see those dates blocked within 5 minutes. External bookings sync to your site within 60 minutes.
Can I sync Airbnb calendar with VRBO?
Airbnb and VRBO don't sync directly with each other. You need a central hub like DirectBookings to bridge them. Import both Airbnb and VRBO calendars into DirectBookings, then export your DirectBookings calendar back to both platforms. This creates a triangle sync where bookings on any platform block dates everywhere else automatically.
Does calendar sync prevent double bookings?
Yes — it prevents 99%+ of double bookings. The hourly sync means there's a small theoretical window where two bookings could happen simultaneously on different platforms, but this is extremely rare in practice. For maximum protection, DirectBookings pushes outbound updates within 5 minutes of any direct booking.
How do I sync my Airbnb calendar with Google Calendar?
In Airbnb: go to Calendar → Availability Settings → Export Calendar → copy the iCal URL. In Google Calendar: click the + next to 'Other calendars' → From URL → paste the Airbnb iCal URL. Google will show your Airbnb bookings as events. Note: this is one-way (view only). For two-way sync that prevents double bookings, use DirectBookings as the central hub.
What is iCal sync?
iCal is an industry-standard calendar format (.ics) that allows different calendar systems to share availability data. When you 'sync via iCal', one platform exports a URL containing its booking dates, and another platform imports that URL to see which dates are blocked. It's the universal language for calendar synchronization across Airbnb, VRBO, Booking.com, and direct booking sites.
Which platforms can I sync with DirectBookings?
DirectBookings syncs with any platform that provides an iCal feed: Airbnb, VRBO (HomeAway), Booking.com, Expedia, TripAdvisor Rentals, Flipkey, Google Vacation Rentals, and any custom calendar system. There's no limit on the number of platforms you can connect. All syncs run automatically every hour.
Can I manually block dates with sync enabled?
Yes. Block dates in DirectBookings for personal use, maintenance, or any reason. Manual blocks sync to all connected platforms (Airbnb, VRBO, etc.) within the next sync cycle (1 hour). You can also set minimum stays, seasonal availability rules, and gap-night restrictions that apply across all platforms.
Why is my Airbnb calendar not syncing?
Common causes: (1) Wrong URL copied — make sure you copy the 'Export Calendar' link from Airbnb, not the 'Import' one. (2) Airbnb syncs external calendars every 3-6 hours, not instantly — wait and check again. (3) Calendar not enabled — verify in Airbnb Calendar → Availability Settings that syncing is turned on. (4) URL expired — some platforms regenerate iCal URLs periodically. DirectBookings shows sync status so you can confirm connections are active.
How much does calendar sync cost?
Calendar sync is included in all DirectBookings plans: $9/month for 1 property, $29/month for up to 5 properties, $79/month for up to 10 properties. Unlimited platform connections. Hourly automatic sync. No per-sync fees or connection limits.
Turn one-time guests into repeat direct bookings
Most hosts never see their guests again. Every OTA stay should become your next direct booking — your website accepts commission-free reservations, your WiFi keeps your brand in front of guests long after checkout.
The repeat booking engine
1
Guest books on Airbnb
You pay the OTA commission
2
Stays at your property
Their only visit — for now
3
Connects to your WiFi
Branded splash page
4
Email captured
Added to your guest CRM
5
Automated follow-up
Offers & seasonal discounts
Books directly next trip
Zero OTA commission
Step 1
Direct Booking Website
Accept commission-free reservations from day one. Your own branded site with payments, calendar sync, and automated check-in — live in 15 minutes.
- Branded booking website with custom domain
- Stripe payments — zero booking fees
- Calendar sync with Airbnb & VRBO
- Pre-signed rental agreements & waivers
Step 2
Guest WiFi Marketing
Stop letting guests disappear after checkout. Capture their email when they log on to WiFi, then automatically invite them back to book direct next time.
- Branded WiFi splash page & guest email capture
- Automated rebooking campaigns & seasonal offers
- Repeat-guest discounts to win the direct booking
- Guest CRM across all your properties — any router
One repeat booking often pays for your subscription many times over — there's no OTA commission the second time around. Bundle subscribers save 30% on Guest WiFi Marketing.
Setup calendar sync in 5 minutes.
$9/month. Sync with Airbnb, VRBO, Booking.com. Prevent double bookings. 5-day free trial.
No credit card required · Cancel anytime