How to Import an .ics File Into Google Calendar

If someone sent you a calendar file, or you exported events from another app, you can pull them straight into Google Calendar. Importing copies the events from an .ics (iCalendar) file into a calendar you choose — a one-time transfer that's perfect for migrating events or adding a batch of dates at once.

Importing is different from subscribing

Before you start, it helps to know which tool you actually want:

If you want events that stay in sync with their source, you want to subscribe to an iCal feed instead. For a deeper explanation of the file format itself, see what is an .ics file.

Import an .ics file on the web

Importing is only available in Google Calendar on the web (desktop browser), not in the mobile apps.

1. Open Google Calendar in a browser.
2. Click the gear icon in the top right, then choose Settings.
3. In the left sidebar, select Import & export.
4. Under Import, click Select file from your computer and choose your .ics file. (A .ical file works too; if you have a .zip exported from Google, unzip it first — each calendar inside is its own .ics file.)
5. Use the Add to calendar dropdown to pick which of your calendars the events should land in.
6. Click Import.

Google will confirm how many events were imported.

Choosing the right destination calendar

Imported events go into a single calendar, and there's no one-click undo. A few tips:

• Create a dedicated calendar first if you're importing a large or unfamiliar batch. That way you can review the events in isolation and delete the whole calendar if something looks wrong.
• You can only import into calendars you own or have "Make changes to events" permission on.
• Importing the same file twice can create duplicate events, because Google matches on the event's unique ID — re-importing an edited file often adds copies rather than updating the originals.

Importing a single event vs. a full file

A .ics file can hold one event (like a meeting invitation) or hundreds. The import flow above handles both. If you just want to add a single invitation, you can usually open the file and let your browser or email client hand it to Google Calendar directly, then confirm the RSVP.

Troubleshooting

• "Failed to import events": the file may be malformed or use an unsupported feature. Open it in a text editor to confirm it starts with BEGIN:VCALENDAR.
• Wrong times: the file's time zone and your calendar's time zone may differ. Check your time zone settings and the event details after import.
• Missing recurring events: complex repeat rules usually survive the trip, since the recurrence travels inside the file as a standard rule.

If you're constantly importing and exporting files to keep separate calendars aligned, that's a sign your accounts are too scattered. nocal brings your Google and Outlook calendars into one timeline — see how to connect them.