What is iCal, and how does calendar sync work?
A practical guide to sharing availability between Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com and your own booking website.
What is iCal?#
iCalendar is a standard way to represent calendar events. You will often see it shortened to iCal, or offered as a file ending in .ics. It is supported by many different calendar applications; you do not need an Apple device to use it.
A downloaded file is a snapshot. A subscribed feed is a URL your calendar can revisit to retrieve changes. For ongoing booking availability, choose the calendar subscription or import-by-URL option rather than repeatedly downloading files.
Think of the URL as a window into another calendar. Reading that window does not give you permission to edit the original reservation. If a guest changes their Airbnb stay, manage the reservation in Airbnb and let the other calendars pick up the update.
Format reference: iCalendar specification, RFC 5545.
How does iCal calendar sync work?#
Export means sharing a calendar link. Import means asking another calendar to read that link. Exporting Calendar A into Calendar B tells B about A’s events. To tell A about B’s bookings, repeat the process in reverse.
- 01
A guest books
The source calendar records the stay.
- 02
The feed changes
The source makes the dates available in its calendar feed.
- 03
The recipient checks
The other website retrieves the feed on its schedule.
- 04
Dates are blocked
The recipient applies the imported availability.
For example, a guest checks in on October 10 and checks out on October 13. That is three occupied nights: October 10, 11 and 12. The calendar event’s end date is exclusive: October 13 is the checkout boundary, not a fourth night. Preparation time and same-day arrival policies are separate rules to check on each platform.
Until the recipient completes step three, it may still show those nights as available. Copying a link successfully is only the beginning of a working connection.
What does iCal share—and what stays separate?#
| Information | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Reservation dates | Usually shared as unavailable date ranges. |
| Owner stays and maintenance | Depends on what the source exports and what the recipient honors. |
| Event names and descriptions | May be included, omitted or simplified. Do not rely on complete guest records. |
| Rates, fees and minimum stays | Typically managed separately; use a compatible pricing or channel integration. |
| Payments and guest messages | Remain in the booking system that manages them. |
These are booking-integration limits, not a claim that the iCalendar format only contains dates. The standard can represent event metadata, including descriptions and attendees. Treat an export link as private even when your own feed uses generic event names.
How to connect your booking calendars#
Start with one property and two platforms. Confirm both listings represent the same independently bookable space. A whole house and its separately listed bedrooms need linked inventory rules; do not assume a copied URL understands that relationship.
List existing connections before adding more. If a PMS already manages a channel, check its instructions first. Mixing overlapping API and iCal connections can make it harder to identify which system owns a block.
- Open the source property’s calendar settings and copy its export link.
- Open the same property on the receiving platform, find calendar import, and paste the link.
- Name the imported calendar for its source, such as “Airbnb — Lake Cottage,” then save.
- Copy the receiving platform’s own export link and import it into the first platform.
- Use the verification checklist below to check both directions.
Use a feed URL, not the public listing address or the calendar page in your browser. A placeholder example is https://example.com/lake-cottage.ics; copy your real link from the platform’s export control.
How do I sync my Airbnb calendar?
On desktop, select the listing in Calendar, open Availability, and find Connect calendars. Choose Connect to another website. Copy Airbnb’s export link into the other platform, then add that platform’s export link to Airbnb and name it. Airbnb requires the imported URL to end in .ics.
Check reservation dates and manual blocks separately: Airbnb says externally blocked nights may be handled differently from booked nights. Airbnb’s calendar-sync instructions.
How do I sync my Vrbo calendar?
In the Owner Dashboard, select the property’s Calendar, then Settings → Availability → Calendar sync → Connect calendars. Use Export calendar to copy the outgoing URL. For the incoming feed, choose Manage imported calendars → Import a calendar, paste the other website’s HTTPS calendar link, name it and import.
Vrbo documents a maximum of five imported calendars per property and a 365-day imported-event horizon. Calendar import is for properties managed in its Owner Dashboard/app, not those managed through third-party PMS software. See Vrbo’s import instructions.
When exporting to another booking site, leave tentative bookings out of the export; Vrbo reserves that option for personal calendar use. See Vrbo’s export guidance.
How do I connect a Booking.com calendar?
In the Extranet, select the correct property and look for its calendar connection/import/export controls. If available, copy its export link into your other platform and import that platform’s link back into Booking.com. Check the property or room represented by each feed.
Availability of this feature depends on your setup. We could not verify Booking.com’s current help-page contents during this review, so we are not listing exact menu labels or eligibility thresholds. Use Booking.com’s official calendar-sync help and the controls available in your account; ask Partner Support if the option is missing.
How do I connect my direct booking website?
Open Settings → Calendar in your host account. Under the correct property, use Export Calendar → Copy URL to get its outgoing feed. In the imported calendars area, follow the platform guide to add the other website’s URL. Check the listed import status and any error after processing.
Your default DirectBookingHost export contains direct-booking blocks and manual blocks. It deliberately excludes dates imported from other booking sites. That means an Airbnb reservation imported here is not forwarded to Booking.com through this export. The next section explains the extra connection you need.
Explore DirectBookingHost’s calendar-sync features for the product overview.
Airbnb + Booking.com + your direct website#
How do I sync Airbnb with Booking.com?
Import Airbnb’s export link into Booking.com, then import Booking.com’s export link into Airbnb for the same property. If you also use DirectBookingHost, add both OTA feeds there and import your direct website’s standard feed into both OTAs. Test each direction after the recipient refreshes.
For this setup, connect each pair in both directions. Each row below is one subscription for the same property. This avoids relying on DirectBookingHost to relay a booking it imported from somewhere else.
| Copy the export from | Import it into |
|---|---|
| Airbnb | DirectBookingHost |
| Airbnb | Booking.com |
| Booking.com | DirectBookingHost |
| Booking.com | Airbnb |
| DirectBookingHost | Airbnb |
| DirectBookingHost | Booking.com |
If you add Vrbo, check its import limits and connect the missing paths. Always check each provider’s export contents: the iCalendar standard does not require every service to publish only its own events. Software designed to relay inventory may work differently.
How do I sync Airbnb with Vrbo?
Copy Airbnb’s calendar export URL into Vrbo’s calendar import, then copy Vrbo’s export URL into Airbnb. Use the same property on both sides. These two subscriptions share availability in opposite directions; they do not share rates or eliminate the refresh delay. Follow the Airbnb steps and Vrbo steps above.
A loop can appear when a service republishes an imported event back to its source. The original booking and the returning external block may then cover the same dates. Read how to diagnose duplicate blocks and configure exports before adding a consolidated feed to any booking channel.
Verify the connection, then verify removal#
Use a test property or dates you have deliberately agreed to keep unavailable. Do not create a paid guest booking just to test the links.
- Record the property, date range and connection direction you are checking.
- Add a temporary block at the source. Confirm the source feed includes it where that platform supports exporting manual blocks.
- Allow the recipient’s refresh window, or request a refresh if available. Check its imported calendar and public availability.
- Remove the block at its source. After another successful refresh, confirm it disappears at the recipient, unless another legitimate block still covers the dates.
- Repeat in reverse. With three calendars, verify every source reaches both recipients.
A manual-block test proves only how that kind of event is treated. Compare the next legitimate reservation with its imported dates too. Keep notes of failures and avoid reopening dates until you understand every remaining block.
How long does iCal take to update?#
There is no single iCal refresh interval. Each receiving platform chooses when to fetch a feed. Airbnb documents automatic imports every three hours, with a limited manual refresh option. Vrbo’s current guide notes up to 20 minutes for initial imported events and describes a 30-minute sync interval in its Owner app instructions. These are provider-specific descriptions, not an end-to-end guarantee. See the Airbnb and Vrbo help pages for updates.
DirectBookingHost schedules imported-feed checks hourly. Processing can be delayed by feed failures or a queue of properties awaiting sync; the last successful import is more useful than assuming exactly 60 minutes. Other platforms fetch your outgoing feed on their own schedules.
Refreshing Airbnb does not force Vrbo to refresh. The same delay applies when a guest changes or cancels a stay: update the source reservation, then allow recipients to retrieve the revised feed. If dates remain unavailable, check for another reservation or manual block before removing anything.
Why is my calendar not syncing?#
First identify the missing direction: which platform owns the event, and which one has not received it? Then check the source dates, connection and receiving status in that order.
| Symptom | Possible cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| A new booking is missing | The receiving calendar has not refreshed, or the feed belongs to another listing. | Check the property name, source booking and last successful import. Refresh the receiving calendar where supported. |
| Only one calendar updates | Only one subscription was created. | Check that each platform imports the other platform’s export URL. Test each direction separately. |
| A cancelled stay is still blocked | The source or recipient is stale, or a second feed/manual block covers the same nights. | Confirm cancellation at the source, wait for a successful refresh, then inspect every block covering the dates. |
| The same dates are blocked twice | A feed was added twice or imported events were exported back to their source. | Identify the source of each block. Remove redundant connections only after checking which availability they protect. |
| The URL is rejected | A listing-page URL, a broken feed, or an unsupported URL format was supplied. | Copy the actual calendar export link again. Check the provider’s URL requirements and any error shown. |
| Dates look one day off | Checkout boundaries or timezone handling differ. | Compare occupied nights, not just event labels. Check source dates and turnover rules before changing any booking. |
| Import controls are missing | The property/account is ineligible or managed through a PMS. | Check the platform’s official eligibility guidance and your existing software connection before adding iCal. |
| A maintenance block never arrives | The receiver treats manual blocks differently from reservations. | Check the receiving platform’s rules. Block agreed unavailable dates there directly if needed; do not assume a test block proves reservation sync. |
DirectBookingHost retains previously imported blocks when a feed fetch fails, and shows the feed error. A green or recent status still does not prove that the source published the expected reservation; compare the actual dates as well.
Can I see bookings in Google or Apple Calendar?#
Yes. A personal subscription can give you a convenient view of upcoming stays. On a computer, Google Calendar supports adding a calendar by URL under Other calendars. In Calendar on a Mac, choose File → New Calendar Subscription and enter the link. Follow Google’s subscription instructions or Apple’s iCloud subscription guide.
Use a URL subscription for future updates, rather than importing a downloaded file once. Personal calendars have their own refresh behavior. Seeing a stay there does not confirm that an OTA has blocked its inventory, and editing your personal copy does not change the original booking.
DirectBookingHost also supports a consolidated viewing export with ?export=all appended to its export URL. That includes imported blocks for a personal overview. Keep the standard URL for booking channels; sending the consolidated version back to them can echo their own events.
Share only with people who need access. Never post a real feed link in a public guide or screenshot. If one leaks, ask the issuing provider how to replace or revoke it, then reconnect the intended recipients.
When is a channel manager a better fit?#
| Connection | Updates | Useful for |
|---|---|---|
| Downloaded .ics file | A snapshot; you must import a new copy for changes. | A one-time calendar transfer. |
| Subscribed iCal URL | The recipient periodically fetches availability. | Sharing booked dates between compatible calendars. |
| Supported API connection | Often faster and richer; capabilities depend on the provider and channel. | Managing inventory, rates and restrictions through compatible software. |
iCal can suit a simple setup where you mainly need to share occupied dates and can manage the remaining delay. It becomes harder to maintain when you add channels, sell multiple interchangeable units, or need rates and restrictions to stay consistent everywhere.
A channel manager or PMS with supported API connections can exchange richer inventory information and usually update it faster. Check the actual connection type for every channel: a product may use an API for one platform and iCal for another.
Choose based on your operational needs, not a fixed number of properties. Ask how cancellations, minimum stays, room relationships, failed updates and overlapping reservations are handled. Faster delivery reduces exposure; it does not remove the need for monitoring and a conflict-resolution process.
Frequently asked questions#
Is iCal calendar sync free?
iCalendar is an open format. Whether a calendar connection is included depends on the booking platform, account and software plan. You do not need to buy a separate iCal file format license.
Is iCal sync real time?
No. With subscribed booking feeds, each recipient retrieves updates on its own schedule. A booking can exist on one platform before another platform blocks the dates.
Do I need to import and export?
To share availability both ways, yes: each calendar needs to import the other calendar’s export link. One imported link creates just one direction of information flow.
Does iCal synchronize nightly prices?
Typical booking-platform iCal connections do not synchronize rates, fees or minimum stays. Manage those in each platform, or use a compatible API/channel-manager integration.
What happens when a guest cancels?
First cancel or change the reservation in the system that owns it. The source feed must update, and each receiving calendar must refresh before it can release those dates. Other blocks may still keep them unavailable.
Is my iCal link private?
Treat it as a private access link. Someone who has it may be able to read the exported events. Avoid posting it publicly or pasting it into screenshots, analytics or unrelated services.
Can iCal prevent every double booking?
No. It reduces manual calendar work and overlap risk, but delays leave a window in which two platforms can sell the same nights. Faster integrations can reduce that window; they still require correct configuration and monitoring.
Sources and related guides#
Official Airbnb, Vrbo, Google and Apple guidance reviewed on September 21, 2026. Platform controls and eligibility can change. Booking.com’s help page could not be verified; its section uses a general workflow. DirectBookingHost behavior was checked against its calendar settings and feed implementation.