Educational Guide
5 min read
Updated March 2026
What is iCal and how does it work for vacation rentals?
If you list on multiple booking channels, iCal is the backbone of your availability sync. This guide explains what iCal is, how it works, and how hosts use it to avoid double bookings.
What is iCal?
iCal (sometimes called ICS calendar feed) is a standardized format for sharing calendar events. In vacation rentals, those events usually represent booked or blocked dates.
Think of iCal as a shared calendar URL
Each channel can publish a feed URL. Tools like RentalBeam read those URLs and display a unified availability calendar.Why hosts rely on iCal
- Sync availability across multiple booking channels
- Reduce manual date blocking work
- Lower risk of double bookings
- Publish accurate availability on your own website
How iCal sync works, step by step
- 1
A channel publishes an iCal feed URL
Airbnb, VRBO, and other platforms provide export URLs for calendar data.
- 2
You connect feed URLs in your sync tool
RentalBeam reads those feeds and merges blocked/booked dates into one availability state.
- 3
Your website widget displays current availability
Guests see open vs unavailable dates without viewing OTA dashboards.
- 4
Feed updates keep data in sync
When bookings or cancellations occur in source channels, availability updates in your connected calendar widget.