iCal Calendar Sync: Airbnb, Booking.com & External Sites
Connect calendars from major OTAs and anywhere that publishes an iCal (.ics) URL so your TrueBookings calendar automatically blocks dates when a guest books on another site. iCal sync handles availability only — it does not sync prices.
Why hosts use iCal sync
Most vacation rental platforms expose a subscribe link or export URL in standard iCalendar format. When you add those URLs to TrueBookings, reservations and blocked nights created on those sites are mirrored on your direct-booking calendar so the same dates can't be booked twice. That lowers the risk of double bookings when you list on Airbnb, Booking.com, Vrbo, regional OTAs, or property managers that support iCal feeds.
What iCal sync does: it imports blocked dates from other sites and marks them as unavailable on TrueBookings. What it does not do: it does not sync nightly prices, fees, taxes, minimum stays, or other rate rules. Pricing must be set on each platform separately.
Airbnb
In Airbnb hosting settings, open your listing calendar and look for export or sync options that provide an iCal link for your listing. Copy that URL. Airbnb refers to this as calendar sync using industry-standard iCal; use the export link they give you for outbound availability.
- Paste the Airbnb iCal URL into your TrueBookings calendar sync settings for that property.
- After sync runs, dates blocked or booked on Airbnb appear as reserved on TrueBookings according to your sync schedule.
- Only date availability is imported. Nightly rates set on Airbnb are not pulled into TrueBookings.
Booking.com & similar channels
Booking.com and many hotel-style extranets offer an iCal export per property or room. Locate the calendar export or availability calendar URL in their connectivity or calendar section, then add the same type of URL in TrueBookings.
- Booking.com: use the property calendar export URL from your extranet where connectivity tools expose iCal.
- Other OTAs (for example Vrbo, regional sites): look for "Export calendar", "iCal", or "Subscribe" links.
Any external site with an iCal URL
If a channel gives you a web address ending in .ics or clearly labelled as iCal, RSS-style calendar, or "sync URL", it can usually be added alongside Airbnb and Booking.com feeds. Property management systems and channel managers often publish one URL per listing.
Pro tip
iCal is pull-based and availability-only: TrueBookings fetches blocked-date updates from each URL on a schedule, so when a guest books on Airbnb or Booking.com those nights are blocked on TrueBookings after the next sync. Prices, fees, and stay rules are not transferred — you'll still set those on each platform individually. Allow time for the next sync after a new booking elsewhere, and confirm critical openings directly if you rely on multiple channels.
Where to configure sync in TrueBookings
Hosts configure imported calendars in the admin area for each property (calendar or connectivity settings, depending on your dashboard layout). Add each external iCal URL, save, and verify that blocked ranges appear as expected on your TrueBookings calendar. Remember that only date blocks are imported — you'll continue to manage nightly rates on each channel.
Frequently asked questions
Does iCal sync nightly rates and prices?
No. iCal calendar sync is availability-only: it blocks dates on TrueBookings when those dates get booked on another site. Nightly prices, cleaning fees, taxes, discounts and minimum-stay rules are not transferred between platforms and must be set on each channel separately.
Does iCal replace instant two-way API connections?
iCal is a widely supported standard for importing blocked dates. Channel-specific APIs can offer richer features (such as rate sync); iCal remains the common way to aggregate Airbnb, Booking.com, and smaller platforms into one availability view.
Can I combine several feeds?
Yes. Many hosts add separate URLs for Airbnb, Booking.com, and other listings so each source contributes blocked nights to the TrueBookings calendar.
What about bookings made only on TrueBookings?
Those stay on your TrueBookings calendar automatically. Continue to export or block on other channels if their policies require manual updates from your side.