An iCal connection helps keep your availability accurate and reduces the risk of receiving reservation requests for dates when your property is already booked or unavailable.
This guide explains what iCal is, how to find your calendar URL, how to add it to Vidle Housing, and what to do if your availability isn't syncing correctly.
What Is an iCal URL?
An iCal URL is a calendar link that allows availability information to be shared between booking platforms.
When you connect an external calendar to Vidle Housing, blocked or unavailable dates from that platform can be reflected on your Vidle Housing calendar.
An iCal connection is primarily used for calendar availability. It does not typically sync:
Pricing
Photos
Listing descriptions
Amenities
House rules
Cleaning or pet fees
Other listing details
If you want to import and sync additional listing information, a direct PMS or Airbnb Connect integration may be a better option.
How to Find Your iCal URL
The steps vary depending on the external platform you use.
Airbnb
Go to:
Calendar → Import calendar → Copy export link
Copy the calendar export URL for the property you want to connect.
VRBO
Go to:
Calendar settings → Export calendar → Copy URL
Copy the calendar URL for the correct property.
Booking.com
Go to:
Calendar → Sync calendars → Export calendar
Copy the exported calendar link for the property you want to connect.
Important: Make sure you're copying the export URL for the correct property, especially if you manage multiple listings.
How to Add an iCal URL to Vidle Housing
Once you have copied your external calendar URL:
Log in to your Vidle Housing Host Dashboard.
Go to Listings → My Listings.
Locate the property you want to connect.
Click Edit to open the full Listing Editor.
Go to the Availability section.
Find the option to add or import an external calendar.
Paste your iCal URL into the appropriate field.
Save your changes.
Publish your listing if prompted.
Your external calendar availability will then begin syncing with your Vidle Housing property.
What Information Does iCal Sync?
iCal is designed to sync calendar availability, including:
Booked dates
Blocked dates
Unavailable dates
It does not sync your entire listing.
You'll still manage information such as the following directly on Vidle Housing:
Monthly pricing
Cleaning and pet fees
Photos
Descriptions
Amenities
House rules
Check-in instructions
Where Should I Update My Availability?
If your iCal URL comes from Airbnb, VRBO, Booking.com, or another external platform, keep your availability accurate on the source platform.
For example, if you've connected an Airbnb iCal URL, make sure booked or unavailable dates are correctly blocked on your Airbnb calendar.
Those dates can then sync to your Vidle Housing calendar through the iCal connection.
How Quickly Does an iCal Calendar Sync?
iCal updates may not appear instantly. Sync timing can depend on the external platform and how frequently calendar information is refreshed.
If you've recently blocked or opened dates:
Confirm the change was successfully saved on the source platform.
Make sure the correct iCal URL is connected to the matching Vidle Housing property.
Refresh your Vidle Housing dashboard.
Allow time for the external calendar to update.
If the availability remains incorrect, contact our Support Team.
My iCal URL Isn't Working
If your calendar isn't syncing correctly, check the following:
Confirm you copied the export URL, not the import URL.
Make sure the full URL was copied without missing characters.
Confirm there are no extra spaces before or after the URL.
Make sure the URL belongs to the correct property.
Confirm the external calendar is active.
Verify that the unavailable dates are correctly blocked on the source platform.
Refresh your Vidle Housing dashboard and allow time for the calendar to sync.
If the issue continues, contact our Support Team.
My Blocked Dates Aren't Appearing on Vidle Housing
First:
Confirm the dates are blocked on the source platform.
Verify the correct iCal URL is connected to the correct Vidle Housing listing.
Make sure you used the external platform's export calendar URL.
Refresh your Vidle Housing dashboard.
Allow time for the sync to update.
If the dates still don't appear, contact our Support Team and provide:
Your Vidle Housing account email
Affected listing name
External platform you're syncing from
Dates that aren't syncing correctly
Screenshots of the source calendar and Vidle Housing calendar, when available
Can I Use iCal If My Property Is Listed on Multiple Platforms?
Yes. iCal can help hosts who list their properties on multiple booking platforms keep calendar availability more organized.
However, iCal only syncs calendar availability. It doesn't replace a full PMS integration and doesn't transfer listing details, pricing, photos, or descriptions.
Always make sure your availability is accurate across every platform where your property is listed.
iCal vs. Direct Integration: Which Should I Use?
Use iCal if you primarily need to sync blocked and unavailable dates.
Use a direct integration if you want to import and automatically update additional property information, such as listing details, photos, descriptions, pricing, and availability, depending on the integration.
Vidle Housing currently supports direct integrations with:
If your iCal calendar isn't syncing correctly after basic troubleshooting, contact our Support Team and provide:
Your Vidle Housing account email
Affected listing name
External platform
Description of the issue
Dates that aren't syncing
Screenshots or screen recordings, when available
Our Support Team can help troubleshoot the issue and create a technical support ticket if further investigation is needed.