# How to Export ICS Events to CSV or Excel

Export calendar events into CSV or Excel to calculate hours worked, build payroll summaries, or create clean printable event lists.

*Published: 2026-05-11 · 3 min read*

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The calendar view is great for planning but useless for reporting. Exporting ICS events to **CSV or Excel** lets you calculate hours worked, group by project, and print clean event lists.

## What to Export

A useful spreadsheet export includes: event title, start and end date/time, duration in hours, all-day flag, location, attendees, and categories. Duration is the most useful derived column — it lets you sum hours by day, week, or project directly.

## Calculating Hours in Excel / Google Sheets

```
=(EndCell-StartCell)*24
```

This converts the date/time difference into decimal hours. Format as a number with 2 decimal places, then `SUM` as needed. Watch for two gotchas: **all-day events** (they usually shouldn't count toward hour totals) and **overnight shifts** (verify the end date rolls to the next calendar day correctly).

## Building a Printable Event List

  - Sort by start date/time.

  - Keep only the columns you need (Date, Time, Title, Location).

  - Set page orientation to landscape for wide tables.

  - Enable a repeating header row for multi-page printouts.

## CSV vs Excel

Use **CSV** for portability — it opens in Excel, Google Sheets, Numbers, and any reporting tool. Use **Excel** format when you need formulas, formatting, or pivot tables already in place. Many workflows export both.

Preview your ICS in [ICS Viewer](/), export to CSV or Excel, then run your calculations.