How to Sync Your Airbnb Calendar Across All Platforms (Complete iCal Guide)

Marifil Limpahan
4 days ago
3 min read

Stop Double Bookings: How to Properly Sync Your Airbnb Calendar Across Channels

If you’re listing your short-term rental on more than one platform, syncing your calendars is a must. Nothing will tank your Airbnb ranking or your bank account—faster than a double booking. It causes refunds, penalties, terrible guest experiences, and sometimes even suspended listings.

At BNB Guardians, we coach hosts every day who want to scale, automate, and protect their business. And one of the first things we teach is this:

Your calendar must always stay in sync, or your entire operation is at risk.

The good news? Exporting your Airbnb calendar and syncing availability is simple once you know how it works. In this guide, you’ll learn exactly how to export your calendar, what iCal is, and the safest way to sync your availability across platforms without missing bookings.

What Is the Airbnb Calendar Export?

When you export your Airbnb calendar, you generate an iCal link a special URL that any other calendar system can read. iCal is a universal format used by booking platforms, PMS software, and digital calendars.

You can use this link to sync reservation data from Airbnb into platforms like:

Google Calendar
VRBO
Booking.com
TripAdvisor
Your direct booking website
Property management systems (PMS)

This helps keep your booking information consistent everywhere you advertise.

However, and this is critical, iCal syncing is slow. It can sometimes take hours for changes to update on other platforms, which opens the door for double bookings.

That’s why most advanced hosts eventually switch to automation tools like Guesty, which sync instantly and safely across all channels.

How to Export Your Airbnb Calendar (Step-by-Step)

Exporting your Airbnb calendar takes less than a minute.

Go to your Airbnb dashboard and click Calendar under the Host tab.
Scroll down to Sync Calendars.
Select Export Calendar.
Airbnb will generate an iCal URL for you.
Copy that URL.
Paste it into the calendar or platform you want to sync with.

That’s it, your Airbnb availability will now appear in the other calendar.

But here’s where most hosts slip up…

This ONLY updates one-way. It doesn’t prevent double bookings if the other platform has delays or fails to sync in time.

Why iCal Sync Alone Isn’t Enough

While iCal is helpful, it has major limitations that new hosts don’t realize:

Syncing is not instant (often 1–3 hours).
Booking cancellations may not update immediately.
Calendar blocks sometimes fail to transfer.
Multiple platforms syncing at different speeds can cause gaps.

This is why even experienced hosts using just iCal still get accidental double bookings.

That’s why we strongly recommend using a channel manager like Guesty if you list on more than one platform.

The Safest Way to Sync Your Airbnb Calendar

If you care about automation, efficiency, and accuracy, iCal should not be your main syncing method.Instead, use a channel manager, and at BNB Guardians, we always recommend Guesty.

Guesty:

Instantly syncs your availability across Airbnb, VRBO, Booking.com, and more
Prevents double bookings automatically
Lets you manage all calendars from one place
Updates availability in real time
Helps you automate messaging, pricing, and cleaning

This is the system we use for every property we manage and every client we coach who wants a hands-off Airbnb strategy.

When Should You Use iCal?

iCal is still useful for:

Syncing with your personal Google Calendar
Connecting to a direct booking website
Sending availability to your cleaner
Checking availability from your phone
Simple one-way operational needs

But if you list on more than one major booking platform, iCal alone won’t protect you.

Final Thoughts

Exporting your Airbnb calendar is simple, but relying on iCal as your main syncing tool can put your business at risk. If you’re planning to advertise your rental on more than one site, you need a safer system.

Using a channel manager like Guesty ensures your availability is updated instantly, your bookings stay accurate, and your business becomes easier to manage as you scale.

Automation isn’t just about saving time, it’s about protecting your reputation, your revenue, and your listings.