Synchronizing your calendar across multiple booking platforms is essential for managing your property effectively and avoiding double bookings. This guide will walk you through configuring iCal/sync to connect your calendar with other platforms, ensuring your availability stays up-to-date across all channels.

Introduction to Calendar Synchronization

Calendar synchronization allows you to maintain a single source of truth for your property's availability. With iCal sync, you can establish a two-way connection between your Holidu listing and other booking platforms. This means bookings, blocks, and availability changes on any connected platform automatically update across all your calendars, eliminating the risk of accidental double bookings and saving you valuable time.

Supported Channels

Holidu supports calendar synchronization with the following providers:

• Admin
• Abritel
• Airbnb
• Atraveo
• Avaibook
• Avantio
• Booking.com
• FeWo-direkt
• Feratel
• Fewomanager.de
• Icnea
• Iperbooking
• Menorca Vacations
• Mister B & B
• Octorate
• TouristManager - LTS
• VRBO
• Wimdu

If the calendar provider you wish to sync is not listed, contact your external provider to verify whether they support two-way iCal synchronization. We recommend testing the connection manually by creating a test block on each calendar to ensure proper synchronization.

Important Disclaimer: Holidu does not guarantee compatibility between external calendars and the iCal protocol. You should always verify that the sync works as expected before relying on it for managing your bookings.

How to Import and Export an iCal Calendar

Follow these step-by-step instructions to set up calendar synchronization between your external platform and Holidu:

Step 1: Locate Your iCal URL on the External Platform

Log into your other booking platform and navigate to the calendar or synchronization settings. Find and copy the iCal URL (also called the export link or feed URL). This unique URL represents your calendar data.

Step 2: Access Holidu's iCal Settings

In a separate browser window, log into your Holidu account and select the property you wish to synchronize. On the left-hand navigation menu, scroll down to the Configuration section and click on iCal & Synchronization.

Step 3: Configure the Synchronization

Click the Configure button and select the name of the channel you wish to synchronize from the dropdown list of available options.

Step 4: Set Up Import and Export

You will see a two-step setup process:

Step 1 – Import: Paste the iCal URL you copied from the external provider into the "Address of iCal" field. This allows Holidu to receive calendar updates from the other platform.

Step 2 – Export: Copy the iCal URL provided by Holidu. Go back to your external platform's calendar settings and paste this URL into their iCal import section. This allows the external platform to receive calendar updates from Holidu.

Step 5: Save Your Configuration

Once both URLs are entered correctly, click Save. Your calendars are now synchronized.

Important Notes for Popular Booking Platforms

Booking.com

When setting up calendar export on Booking.com, ensure you have enabled the synchronization of both Booked Dates and Closed Dates in the export settings. This critical step ensures that both confirmed bookings and manual availability blocks sync properly with your Holidu calendar.

For detailed instructions, refer to Booking.com's official calendar synchronization guide.

Airbnb

Be aware that Airbnb's iCal synchronization has a date range limitation. The system only synchronizes availability data from today through the next 364 days. Any dates beyond this 364-day window will not be synchronized between platforms. Plan your calendar management accordingly.

For more information, visit Airbnb's calendar synchronization help page.

VRBO

VRBO offers calendar synchronization features to keep your availability consistent across platforms. For detailed setup instructions specific to VRBO, see their official calendar synchronization guide.

Troubleshooting Tips

Verify Your iCal URL

The most common cause of synchronization failures is an incorrect or incomplete iCal URL. Double-check that you have copied the entire URL exactly as provided, with no extra spaces or missing characters. Even a single typo will prevent the synchronization from working.

Refresh Your Calendar

Calendar updates are not always instantaneous. If your calendar does not reflect new bookings or blocks immediately after syncing, click the green Refresh button in Holidu's iCal settings. The system may take a few minutes to process and display the synchronized changes.

Test the Connection Manually

After setting up synchronization, always perform a manual test before relying on the system. Create a temporary availability block or booking on one platform and verify that it appears on the other platform within a few minutes. This confirms that the two-way synchronization is working correctly and gives you confidence in the setup.

Check for Platform-Specific Requirements

Some platforms have specific settings or permissions required for calendar sharing. Review the documentation for your external platform to ensure you have enabled all necessary options for iCal export and import.

Contact Support if Issues Persist

If you have verified the iCal URL, refreshed the calendar, and completed a manual test but synchronization is still not working, reach out to Holidu support for further assistance. Provide details about which platforms you are trying to sync and any error messages you have encountered.