Managing a vacation rental on multiple portals can greatly increase your chances of receiving bookings, but it also involves a major risk: Overbooking.
If you list the same apartment on Airbnb, Booking.com, Vrbo, or your website, it’s crucial that all calendars are always up to date. A booking received on Airbnb, for example, should automatically block the same dates on other portals as well.
The easiest solution is to use the iCal calendar synchronization.
In this guide we will see how to sync your airbnb calendar, how to connect it to other portals and how to drastically reduce the risk of double bookings.
What is Airbnb calendar sync?
Airbnb allows you to import and export the availability calendar through the format iCal, a standard used by many booking platforms.
In practice, Airbnb generates a calendar URL containing the busy dates of the property.
This link can be inserted in:
- Booking.com;
- Vrbo;
- other iCal-compatible portals;
- PMS and management systems;
- booking engine;
- WordPress sites with compatible booking systems.
In the same way, you can import the calendar from another platform into Airbnb.
The result is a Automatic synchronization of availability.
When a date is booked on one portal, it is subsequently blocked in the other connected calendars as well.
Why sync your Airbnb calendar?
If you only use Airbnb, managing your availability is relatively simple.
The problem arises when the same accommodation is published simultaneously on several platforms.
For example, let’s say your apartment is available from August 10 to August 15 on both Airbnb and your website.
A customer books on Airbnb from August 12 to August 14.
If your site’s calendar isn’t updated, a second customer may book the same dates directly from the site.
Result: Two bookings for the same apartment on the same days.
This is the classic case of overbooking.
Synchronizing calendars correctly therefore allows you to:
- automatically update availability;
- avoid overlapping bookings;
- reduce manual errors;
- publish the structure on multiple portals;
- better manage direct bookings;
- save time in daily management.
How to export Airbnb calendar
To sync Airbnb with another platform, you must first retrieve the calendar’s iCal link.
Sign in to your Airbnb account and open the calendar for the listing you want to sync.
Within the calendar settings you will find the section dedicated to Calendar synchronization.
Airbnb normally allows two operations:
Import calendar
It’s used to enter the calendar from Booking.com, Vrbo, your website, or another system into Airbnb.
Export calendar
Instead, you need it to get the iCal link of the Airbnb calendar.
Then select the option to export.
Airbnb will generate a URL similar to a regular web address.
That link represents the iCal feed of the ad and can be inserted into the system you want to connect.
How to sync Airbnb with Booking.com
If you list the same apartment on both Airbnb and Booking.com, you can use iCal sync in both directions.
The most correct method is to create a Two-way synchronization.
You will then need to:
- export the Airbnb calendar;
- import it to Booking.com;
- export the Booking.com calendar;
- import it to Airbnb.
This will ensure that Airbnb will receive bookings from Booking.com and Booking.com will receive bookings from Airbnb.
It is important to configure both directions.
Importing only Airbnb into Booking.com, in fact, does not necessarily mean that Airbnb also knows the bookings received through Booking.com.
How to sync Airbnb with your website
More and more vacation rental owners are trying to get Direct bookings, avoiding being completely dependent on OTAs.
You can therefore have at the same time:
Airbnb + Booking.com + direct website.
Also in this case the site should be connected to the calendars of the portals.
With Host Domination Booking Engine, for example, you can create a booking system directly on your WordPress site and connect external calendars via iCal.
You can then import the Airbnb calendar into Booking Engine and have busy dates automatically show up as unavailable on your site as well.
This allows the site to be used not only as a showcase, but as a real system for collecting Direct bookings.
Airbnb + Booking.com + website: how it should work
A typical configuration might look like this:
Airbnb → site calendar
Airbnb reservations block dates on the site.
Booking.com → site calendar
Reservations Booking.com block the same dates on the site.
Airbnb → website and Booking.com
Direct bookings received from the site are exported to external platforms through the iCal calendar.
This allows all systems to share free/busy information.
The goal is to create a single ecosystem where each calendar knows bookings from other channels.
What is an overbooking?
Overbooking occurs when the same accommodation is sold twice for overlapping dates.
For example:
Airbnb: booking 10-15 July.
Website: booking 12-17 July.
The nights from 12 to 15 July are therefore sold to two different customers.
For the owner or manager of the facility it can become a very serious problem.
You may need to:
- cancel a reservation;
- find another accommodation for the customer;
- make a refund;
- receive a negative review;
- suffer any penalties from the platform.
For this reason, the Synchronizing vacation rental calendars It should be one of the first setups you need to make when using multiple sales channels.
Does iCal completely avoid overbookings?
iCal synchronization greatly reduces the risk, but it is important to understand how it works.
iCal is not necessarily an instant sync.
Each platform updates its calendars on a regular basis.
This means that there can be a short interval between:
- receipt of the reservation;
- updating the calendar;
- the reading of the calendar by the other portals.
For properties with a large number of simultaneous bookings, PMS or Channel Managers with real-time API connections are often used.
For many holiday homes, B&B and small tourist apartments, however, iCal is a simple and effective solution.
How to reduce the risk of overbooking even more
In addition to syncing your calendars, there are a few things you can do.
Check the synchronization periodically
Make sure that your external calendars are still connected.
A changed URL, a deleted ad, or a misconfiguration could break syncing.
Manually update after an important booking
If you receive a booking during a busy period, it can also be helpful to manually update your calendars.
Avoid duplicate calendars
Check that you haven’t imported the same feed multiple times.
A simple setup is generally easier to control.
Use a centralized calendar
If you manage multiple portals, it can be very convenient to use a single dashboard where you can view all your bookings.
In Host Domination Booking Engine PRO, for example, the Planning View It allows you to view bookings within a centralized timeline, easily distinguishing between direct bookings and those from different channels.
Airbnb syncing for multiple apartments
If you manage multiple vacation rentals, each property should have its own calendar.
For example:
Apartment Rome Center
- Airbnb Rome Center
- Booking Rome Center
- calendar of the Rome Center website
Holiday House Fiumicino
- Airbnb Fiumicino
- Booking Fiumicino
- calendar Fiumicino website
It’s crucial not to accidentally cross-reference iCal feeds from different properties.
A configuration error could block dates on an apartment other than the one actually booked.
For those who manage several accommodations, it is therefore particularly useful to have a Vacation rental management software with centralized calendars.
How to get direct bookings without giving up Airbnb
Syncing Airbnb with your website offers an added benefit.
You can continue to use Airbnb and Booking.com as important acquisition channels, but at the same time develop a direct sales channel.
On the site you can enter:
- availability calendar;
- prices;
- number of guests;
- extra services;
- booking requests;
- online payment;
- direct bookings;
- WhatsApp and email;
- cancellation conditions.
With Host Domination Booking Engine you can transform a normal WordPress site into a booking system for accommodation facilities, while connecting the calendars of Airbnb and other portals.
The free version already allows you to create and manage a booking system, while the PRO version adds more advanced features for those who want to use the site as a real direct sales channel.
iCal, PMS or Channel Manager: which one to choose?
It depends mainly on the size of the structure.
iCal
Suitable for:
- individual apartments;
- small holiday homes;
- B&B;
- small property managers.
It’s simple to set up and supported by a wide range of platforms.
PMS
A Property Management System allows a more complete management of the structure.
It may include:
- reservations;
- guests;
- payments;
- prices;
- statistics;
- check-in;
- automations.
Channel Manager
The Channel Manager is designed above all for those who distribute availability and rates simultaneously on numerous portals.
It generally uses more advanced API connections than simple iCal.
For an owner who manages a few facilities, starting with the Airbnb iCal sync it can be more than enough.
Frequently asked questions about syncing Airbnb calendar
Can I sync Airbnb and Booking.com?
Yes. Both platforms allow you to use iCal calendars. It is recommended that you create a synchronization in both directions.
Can I connect Airbnb to my WordPress site?
Yes. You must use a booking engine or plugin that supports importing iCal calendars.
Are Airbnb reservations automatically updated?
Yes, if the iCal feed is properly configured. However, the update frequency depends on the system you are using.
Can I have Airbnb, Booking.com, and direct bookings at the same time?
Yes. This is a very common setup. The important thing is to keep availability in sync across all channels.
Is iCal sync free?
Airbnb allows you to import and export iCal calendars without having to purchase an external Channel Manager.
Can I sync multiple Airbnb calendars?
Yes. If you manage multiple apartments, each listing can have its own iCal calendar.
Conclusion
Know how to sync your airbnb calendar It’s crucial when a vacation rental is listed on multiple platforms.
With iCal syncing, you can connect Airbnb, Booking.com, Vrbo, and your site’s calendar, keeping your availability more up-to-date and significantly reducing the risk of overbooking.
For those who want to increase direct bookings, one of the most interesting configurations is to connect the portals to a Booking Engine installed directly on their site.
Host Domination Booking Engine allows you to create a booking system for WordPress and synchronize the availability of the facilities through iCal calendars, keeping direct bookings and calendars from the main platforms in a single environment.
This way you can continue to leverage the visibility of OTAs and, at the same time, build an independent booking channel through your website.
