Learn how to generate an iCal feed to receive Checkfront bookings through an external calendar such as Google Calendar, including instructions on adding to an external calendar, customizing your feed, subscribing to, and viewing the calendar.
New to the Booking Calendar? You can read the first article in this series for an overview of the Booking Calendar.
Which plans include this feature?
Legacy: Soho, Pro, Plus, Enterprise, Flex
New: Growth (Subscription), Growth (Online Booking Fee), Managed
→ Learn more about our new plans or how to change your plan.
Where can I find this feature using the top menu?
Calendar > Booking > Add to External Calendar
What more do I need to use this feature?
- Admin or restricted permissions to View calendars and access RSS and iCal feeds.
- Bookings and a third-party external calendar application, such as Google Calendar.
Which Checkfront version supports this feature - classic, new or both?
- This feature is available in both our classic version using items (Inventory > Items) and our newest version using products (Inventory > Products). → Learn more about products
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Looking to add iCal events to your booking notifications? Learn more here: |
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Syncing with Vrbo via an iCal link is not currently supported. |
Feature overview
Back to topThis feature allows you to sync your Checkfront bookings with a calendar outside of Checkfront. This is done using the Checkfront iCal feed, which uses the standard iCalendar media type and file format (.ical) to transfer the information.
iCalendar is supported by most calendar software products, including those on your mobile devices, such as Google Calendar and Apple Calendar.
Start by clicking on the Export to External Calendar option at the top of your Booking Calendar. This opens the iCal Feed setting modal.
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It's important to note that the Booking Calendar sync is one-way - view only in the external calendar. As you make changes to the bookings in Checkfront, these are reflected in the third-party external calendar. The frequency of syncs depends on the third-party application. However, changes to the third-party external calendar do NOT update Checkfront. |
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iCal feeds are linked to the account that generated them. If the account that generated the feed is disabled or if the login credentials for that account change, then any iCal feed links previously generated no longer work. You can generate new iCal feeds to link to your external calendars to resolve this. |
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How accurately your external calendar reflects availability depends on how often your external calendar checks the iCal feed for updates. New bookings, booking edits, and booking cancellations are updated at the next scheduled sync to the external calendar. For example, Google Calendar can take several hours to update with the iCal sync. Check your external calendar settings for options. |
Customizing your iCal feed
Back to topStart by reviewing your options in terms of which bookings, categories, and items/products you want to add to your external calendar. When the Booking Calendar is synced to your external calendar, it displays bookings according to the limits defined with these settings.
When customizing the settings, notice how the Webcal Link and the bottom of the modal change. This is how your feed subscription is defined and determines what information Checkfront communicates to your external calendar.
Configuring your feed options
Back to topThe Only show my bookings setting filters out bookings made by other Staff members, leaving only the bookings made under your account.
The Only show locked bookings setting filters out any bookings that do not have a locked booking status. This is a great way to hide bookings from the external calendar awaiting confirmation. To learn more about statuses, please click here.
Selecting the number of months forward
Back to topCheckfront syncs up to 24 months of future bookings with your external calendar. Six months is the default setting.
Past bookings display as far back as one month prior. The number of months past is not configurable at this time.
Selecting categories to include in your feed
Back to topBy default, the iCal feed is set to display All Categories.
You can uncheck the All Categories option to view a list of all the categories associated with your Checkfront account. You can then choose the categories you wish to include in your feed by checking them off individually.
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You can generate as many links to different categories as you need. This gives you more flexibility when adding subscriptions to your external calendar. Once you close the modal, your setting selections are not saved in the Checkfront system. The Webcal Link you generate and copy contains the information needed to subscribe. Feel free to try out different settings and links until you find the combination of feeds to suit your needs. |
Adding an item/product filter
Back to topRather than filtering by category, it’s also possible to single out an individual item/product to be added to your feed. To do this, click on the Add Filter button. This reveals a dropdown menu from which you can choose your item/product. The Webcal Link is only updated to include bookings for that item/product.
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You can generate as many links to select items/products. This gives you more flexibility when adding subscriptions to your external calendar. Once you close the modal, your setting selections are not saved in the Checkfront system. The Webcal Link you generate and copy contains the information needed to subscribe. Feel free to try out different settings and links until you find the combination of feeds to suit your needs. |
Copying the Webcal link
Back to topThe settings you choose for your iCal feed are reflected in the Webcal Link. Click on or copy the link to subscribe to this feed in your third-party calendar software.
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The Booking Calendar feed can also be accessed through your Checkfront Account Profile (Account > Profile > Available Feeds > Booking Calendar (iCal)). Learn more about your Account Profile here: |
Subscribing to the calendar
Back to topOnce you're happy with your feed's configuration, it's time to subscribe to the feed through your external calendar.
The process for this varies, depending on your third-party calendar. Simply copy the Webcal Link provided and paste it into the appropriate place in your external calendar.
If you're adding the feed to a calendar app on your local computer, click the Webcal Link to open your external calendar directly.
Viewing the calendar
Back to topDepending on which category and item or product options you have chosen when generating the Webcal Link, your synced information displays one of the following two ways.
Grouping all bookings as one calendar feed
Back to top
Bookings display as one Checkfront calendar feed within your external calendar if you select All Categories and do not add an item/product filter when generating the Webcal Link.
Grouping bookings as multiple feeds by category or item/product
Back to topMultiple feeds can be subscribed to through your external calendar if you choose select categories or filter for a select item/product when generating the Webcal Link. You can then colour-code each feed to make it easier to read.
Frequently Asked Questions
Back to top-
How do I remove a Staff member's access to an iCal feed?
If you change a Staff member's password, all iCal links that they have generated are reset and they lose access to those previously generated iCal links.
To give a Staff member access again, updated iCal links can be generated from calendars.
< Gaining booking insights from the Booking Calendar