Airbnb iCal sync: one calendar for Airbnb, Vrbo and Booking.com
How iCal calendar sync works for vacation rentals, where to find the export link on Airbnb, Vrbo and Booking.com, its limits, and how to see every booking on one free calendar.
Operations · · 4 min read · By StayPerk Team · Updated
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Quick answer
What iCal sync does
Every booking site gives each listing a private calendar link (an iCal or .ics export). Paste those links into one calendar and you see every reservation and blocked date in one place. The links carry dates only: no guest names, prices or messages, and the sites refresh them every few hours.
StayPerk's free bookings calendar reads these links for each property, shows six weeks ahead, lists arrivals and check-outs for the next two weeks, and warns you when two reservations land on the same nights or when a link stops working.
Where to find your calendar link
- Airbnb: Calendar, choose the listing, Availability, Connect calendars, Connect to another website, then copy the link.
- Vrbo: Calendar, Settings, the Availability tab, Calendar sync, Connect calendars, Export calendar, then copy the link.
- Booking.com: Extranet, Rates & availability, Sync calendars, Export calendar, then copy the link.
- Other sites and your own website: look for Export calendar, iCal or .ics in the calendar settings.
Treat these links like a key. Anyone who has one can read your booked dates. If you think a link has been shared, reset it on the booking site and connect the new one.
What iCal sync cannot do
| Topic | iCal sync | Channel manager (API) |
|---|---|---|
| Booked and blocked dates | Yes | Yes |
| Guest names and messages | No | Yes |
| Prices and minimum stays | No | Yes |
| Update speed | Every few hours (Airbnb about every 3 hours, Vrbo about every 30 minutes) | Near real time |
| Cost | Free on every booking site | Often a monthly fee per property; some have a free plan |
iCal calendar sync compared with a full channel manager
Booked and blocked dates
- iCal sync
- Yes
- Channel manager (API)
- Yes
Guest names and messages
- iCal sync
- No
- Channel manager (API)
- Yes
Prices and minimum stays
- iCal sync
- No
- Channel manager (API)
- Yes
Update speed
- iCal sync
- Every few hours (Airbnb about every 3 hours, Vrbo about every 30 minutes)
- Channel manager (API)
- Near real time
Cost
- iCal sync
- Free on every booking site
- Channel manager (API)
- Often a monthly fee per property; some have a free plan
Refresh times are reported by vacation rental software vendors and can change.
Because sites refresh on a delay, two guests can book the same nights on different sites before either calendar updates. A calendar that shows both side by side catches it sooner, but it is not a guarantee. RedAwning and Hostaway both describe the delay as the main cause of iCal double bookings.
A broken link is quiet: the calendar simply looks empty. StayPerk marks each connected calendar as synced, not updated for a day, empty, or not working, so a silent failure doesn't hide new bookings.
Keep the sites blocking each other
To stop double bookings, each booking site also has to import the others' links: paste your Vrbo export link into Airbnb's Import calendar, and your Airbnb link into Vrbo. StayPerk shows your calendars side by side; it does not block dates on the sites for you.
What to do with one calendar
- Send your guest manual link before each arrival, so guests read check-in and Wi-Fi details before they message you.
- Copy a ready-made turnover message for your cleaner at each check-out, with the time until the next guests arrive.
- See booked nights across all your properties for the next 30 days.
- Spot gaps between stays you can fill with direct bookings or a discount.
Frequently asked questions
Is iCal sync free?
Yes. Airbnb, Vrbo and Booking.com all provide calendar export links at no cost, and StayPerk's bookings calendar is free.
How often does an Airbnb iCal calendar update?
Airbnb refreshes imported calendars about every three hours, according to vacation rental software vendors. Vrbo updates about every 30 minutes. Very recent bookings can take a while to appear.
Does iCal show guest names?
No. The links carry booked and blocked dates. Airbnb's feed includes a link to the reservation and the last four digits of the guest's phone; StayPerk keeps only the reservation code and drops the rest.
Will StayPerk block dates on Airbnb when I get a Vrbo booking?
No. StayPerk reads your calendars to show them together and warn you about overlaps. To block dates across sites, import each site's link into the others in their calendar settings.
Still have a question?
Write to us and a person will reply, or look it up in the Help Center.
Useful StayPerk pages
- Free bookings calendar
Connect your calendars in a free StayPerk account.
- Checkout message templates
What to send guests before check-out.
- Airbnb house rules 2026
Check your rules before November 20.
Sources for this page
- Sync your home host calendar to other websites - Airbnb Help Center
- iCal vs API calendar sync for vacation rentals - RedAwning
- How to avoid double bookings on Airbnb and Vrbo - Hostaway