Webcal
Webcal is a URL scheme (webcal://) that tells a calendar application to subscribe to a live iCal feed rather than just download it once. Clicking a webcal link typically opens the default calendar app and adds the feed as an auto-updating subscription - the mechanism behind most one-click "add to calendar" shortcuts.
A webcal:// link points to the exact same .ics feed as its https:// equivalent - the scheme just signals "subscribe and keep checking for updates" instead of "download this file once." Most calendar apps treat the two the same way once the feed is added.
Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, and Outlook all support subscribing to a webcal or https iCal feed, refreshing it on their own periodic schedule rather than instantly.
Why it matters for hosts
RentalBeam's iCal export URLs support a webcal subscription shortcut, so a host (or anyone with the export link) can quick-add the combined calendar to Google Calendar with one click instead of copying and pasting a raw URL.
Related terms
Other glossary terms that come up alongside this one.
See this in the product.
Read the iCal sync docs