Blog / How to Sync Calendars Across Airbnb, Booking.com, and Vrbo
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How to Sync Calendars Across Airbnb, Booking.com, and Vrbo

Step-by-step instructions for connecting your short-term rental calendars across multiple platforms — and how to avoid double bookings.

Managing the same property across Airbnb, Booking.com, and Vrbo means a booking on one platform needs to block the same dates everywhere else — or you risk a double booking.

Ways to Sync

There are two main approaches:

  • iCal (what this guide covers) — each platform exports a live .ics feed URL; other platforms poll it on a schedule. It's free, requires no approval, and works between any platforms that support iCal. The trade-off is a sync delay of 1–4 hours.
  • Direct API / channel manager — tools like Lodgify, Hostaway, Guesty, and Beds24 connect to each platform's proprietary API for real-time two-way sync with no polling delay. This is the right choice for high-volume or luxury properties. Access to these APIs requires being an approved connectivity partner, so individual hosts can't use them directly — you go through a channel manager instead.

iCal is the easiest starting point for most independent hosts and works well for properties with moderate demand.

Step 1: Copy Your iCal Export URLs

Airbnb

  1. Go to your listing's Calendar → Availability settings → Sync calendars.
  2. Click Export Calendar and copy the URL.

Booking.com

  1. In the Extranet: Calendar → Sync calendars → Export calendar.
  2. Copy the iCal URL.

Vrbo

  1. Go to Calendar → Import/Export → Export your Vrbo calendar.
  2. Copy the iCal URL.

Step 2: Cross-Import the Feeds

Each platform must import the URLs from both others — 6 connections total for 3 platforms.

  • Airbnb: Calendar → Sync calendars → Import Calendar → paste Booking.com URL, then Vrbo URL.
  • Booking.com: Calendar → Sync calendars → Add a new iCal URL → paste Airbnb URL, then Vrbo URL.
  • Vrbo: Calendar → Import/Export → Import an external calendar → paste Airbnb URL, then Booking.com URL.

Reducing Double Booking Risk

  • Add a 1-day preparation buffer on each platform — this covers the sync lag window.
  • Enable instant book everywhere so blocks propagate as fast as possible.
  • Keep export URLs private — they expose your blocked dates without authentication.

If dates aren't syncing as expected, see Airbnb / Booking.com iCal Sync Not Working — How to Diagnose It.

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