Calendar Sync Host Guide

Why Use Calendar Sync?

• Prevent Double Bookings — Automatically block dates when you get bookings on other platforms
• Save Time — No need to manually update calendars on multiple platforms
• Reduce Errors — Eliminate human error from manual calendar management
• Increase Visibility — List on multiple platforms without worrying about conflicts
• Peace of Mind — Automatic hourly sync keeps everything up-to-date

Ideal for hosts listing on Airbnb, Booking.com, OYO, MakeMyTrip, or Goibibo simultaneously.

How It Works

1. You connect your external calendar (e.g., Airbnb) to StayDesi
2. StayDesi syncs your external calendar every hour automatically
3. External bookings are imported and dates are auto-blocked
4. You get notified via weekly summary email of all synced bookings
5. Your calendar stays protected from double bookings

Getting Started — Prerequisites

Before you can use Calendar Sync, make sure:

• Your property is APPROVED on StayDesi
• You have an account on the external platform (Airbnb, Booking.com, etc.)
• You know how to access your iCal calendar link from that platform

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1 — Access Calendar Sync

1. Log in to your StayDesi Host Dashboard
2. Click on "Calendar Sync" tab in the navigation menu
3. Select the property you want to sync

Step 2 — Get Your iCal Link from the External Platform

You need to get the iCal calendar link from each platform you want to sync. Here's how:

🏠 Airbnb

1. Go to airbnb.com and log in
2. Click "Hosting" → "Calendar"
3. Select your property
4. Click "Availability Settings"
5. Scroll to "Calendar Sync" section
6. Click "Export Calendar" and copy the iCal link

🏨 Booking.com

1. Go to admin.booking.com and log in
2. Click "Property" → "Calendar"
3. Click "Import/Export Calendar"
4. Under "Export Calendar", copy the iCal link

🏢 OYO

1. Log in to OYO Partner Dashboard
2. Go to "Inventory" → "Calendar"
3. Click "Export Calendar" and copy the iCal URL

✈️ MakeMyTrip / Goibibo

1. Log in to your extranet
2. Navigate to "Calendar Management"
3. Look for "Export Calendar" or "iCal Feed" and copy the URL

💡 The iCal link is a long URL that usually starts with https:// or webcal://. It's safe to share this link with StayDesi — it only provides read-only access to your calendar.

Step 3 — Add External Calendar to StayDesi

1. In the Calendar Sync tab, click "+ Add External Calendar"
2. Select the platform you're syncing from (e.g., Airbnb)
3. Paste your iCal URL in the text field
4. Click "Connect Calendar"

Step 4 — Initial Sync

After adding the calendar:

• StayDesi will immediately perform the first sync
• You'll see a "Syncing calendar…" loading indicator
• Once complete, you'll see a sync success message with the number of bookings imported and last sync timestamp

Step 5 — Verify Blocked Dates

1. Go to your "Calendar" tab
2. You should see dates blocked with purple color and label "External Booking — Airbnb"
3. These dates cannot be manually unblocked (they're protected)

Managing Your Synced Calendars

Manual Sync

• Click "Sync Now" next to any calendar to sync immediately
• The automatic hourly sync also runs in the background

Remove Calendar Sync

1. Click "Remove" next to the calendar
2. Confirm the action in the popup
3. All external bookings from that calendar will be removed and previously blocked dates will become available again

⚠️ Removing a calendar sync will unblock all dates blocked by that external calendar. Make sure you don't have any active bookings before removing!

Understanding Calendar Blocks

Your StayDesi calendar can have different types of blocks:

• 🟢 Green — Available: Date is open for booking
• 🔴 Red — Blocked (Manual): You manually blocked this date — can be unblocked
• 🔵 Blue — Booked (StayDesi): Guest booked on StayDesi — cannot be unblocked
• 🟣 Purple — External Booking: Booked on an external platform — cannot be unblocked

📝 For privacy reasons, guest names from external platforms are not shown. You'll only see "External Booking — [Platform Name]".

Exporting Your StayDesi Calendar

You can export your StayDesi calendar to import into other platforms (bidirectional sync).

Get Your StayDesi iCal Link

1. Go to "Calendar Sync" tab
2. Scroll to "Export StayDesi Calendar" section
3. You'll see your unique iCal feed URL
4. Click "Copy Link"

Import to External Platform

Most platforms follow a similar process:

• Look for "Import Calendar", "Sync Calendar", or "iCal Import"
• Paste your StayDesi iCal link
• Save / Import

💡 After importing, other platforms will sync your StayDesi bookings automatically (usually every few hours). This creates a bidirectional sync — both platforms stay updated!

Troubleshooting

❌ Sync Failed

• Check that the iCal URL is correct and hasn't expired
• Verify your external platform account is still active
• Click "Sync Now" to retry
• Remove and re-add the calendar with a fresh iCal link
• Contact StayDesi support if the issue persists

⚠️ Dates Not Blocking

• Automatic sync happens every hour — wait up to 1 hour
• Click "Sync Now" for an immediate sync
• Ensure the calendar sync status is Active
• Past bookings are imported but won't block dates

🔄 Duplicate Blocks

• Check if the same calendar has been added twice
• Go to Calendar Sync tab and remove the duplicate entry
• Refresh the page to see the updated calendar

🔗 Invalid iCal URL

• Make sure you copied the complete iCal link (it's usually very long)
• Check for accidental spaces at the beginning or end
• Try replacing webcal:// with https://
• Generate a new iCal link from your external platform

📧 Not Receiving Weekly Summary

• Check your spam/junk folder
• Ensure your email address is correct in your profile
• Summaries are sent every Monday at 9 AM
• If no syncs occurred that week, no email will be sent

FAQs

Best Practices

✅ Do's

• Connect all platforms where you list your property
• Check your calendar regularly to verify syncs
• Use manual sync before accepting a booking if unsure
• Keep your external platform calendars updated
• Export your StayDesi calendar to other platforms for bidirectional sync

❌ Don'ts

• Don't share your iCal export link publicly (it's unique to your property)
• Don't manually unblock dates without checking external platforms first
• Don't add the same calendar twice (causes duplicate blocks)
• Don't rely solely on sync — always verify before accepting bookings
• Don't remove calendar sync if you have active external bookings

Need Help?

If you're still having issues or have questions not covered in this guide, our support team is here to help: