iCal calendar sync explained: how it works and how to set it up

iCal sounds technical, but the idea is simple. A calendar publishes a URL. Another calendar reads it. That is how many short-term rental tools keep Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com, and direct booking calendars aligned.

Import means reading another calendar

When Hosta imports your Airbnb iCal feed, Airbnb bookings appear as blocked dates in your Hosta calendar. That keeps your direct booking page from showing those nights as free.

Export means publishing your calendar

When Airbnb imports your Hosta feed, direct bookings and manual blocks from Hosta can block dates on Airbnb. This matters if you want to take direct bookings without increasing double-booking risk.

Set it up in this order

1. Open your Airbnb calendar settings and copy the export iCal URL.
2. Paste that URL into Hosta as an imported calendar.
3. Copy your Hosta export feed.
4. Paste the Hosta feed back into Airbnb as an imported calendar.
5. Repeat for each channel and each property.

Remember the delay

iCal is pull-based. Systems refresh feeds on a schedule. That means a brand-new booking may take time to appear everywhere. This is why your direct booking page should check availability when the guest submits, not only when the calendar first loads.