How to import booked dates from Google Calendar to your Kvation listing

We’ll walk you through the simple steps to sync up your Google Calendar with your listing, saving you time and ensuring a smooth booking process for both you and your guests on Kvation.

PLEASE NOTE: if you’re using a booking system like Lodgify, Hospitable, Guesty, or Airbnb, they give you an export ICS link to share your off-platform bookings to another system like Kvation, so this article isn’t relevant for you.

A computer is needed to set up your Google calendar for syncing

Do I need to do this? #

You can manually block dates from being booked directly from your host account on Kvation, though if you need to write notes as to why the dates are blocked off, then Google Calendar is recommended if you don’t have a booking system like Lodgify, Hospitable or Guesty.
To benefit the host community, Kvation requires all unavailable dates to be blocked off on your listing page to prevent double bookings. if double bookings occur twice under a host account, the host account is submitted for review at the discretion of the Kvation team.

Google Calendar Secret Address (ICS link) #

A Unique Google calendar for only bookings is needed (you can have many unique Google calendars in one Google account) to prevent having your regular day-to-day appointments and general holiday schedule by Google blocking off dates that aren’t desired to be blocked off.
Each listing requires its own Unique Google calendar (google has color coding to help differentiate multiple calendars).

Follow the steps below to obtain your calendar secret address and put it into your listing to sync from google calendar.

Don’t have a unique Google calendar yet for bookings, or need more #

1. Go to Google Calendar on your computer (sign into your Google account if you haven’t yet).
2. On the left side, by other calendars, click the plus icon + and select Create a new calendar and let’s call it Bookings (or another name if you have multiple rentals), then click Create Calendar.
3. On the left side by Settings for my calendars you will now see the new calendar Bookings that you just created, Select it.
4. Scroll to Integrate Calendar, and copy the address link in Secret address in iCal format.
   Note: If the Secret address in iCal format is missing in your calendar settings it will be because your G Suite Admin needs to enable this option
5. Past the link in your Kvation listing page settings.
   a. Log into your host account on kvation.com if you haven’t already
   b. Click on your account to go to your dashboard.
   c. From your account menu select listings.
   d. Click on the Pencil or Edit button for the relevant listing.
   f. Scroll down toward the end till you see Booking Import URL
   g. Past the secret address link you got from your new Google calendar in step 4, then click save to save your listing.

Already have a unique Google calendar for your bookings #

1. Go to Google Calendar on your computer (sign into your Google account if you haven’t yet).
2. Click the gear icon in the top right and select Settings.
3. Click the name of the calendar for which you want from the left panel, under Settings for my calendars.
4. Scroll to Integrate Calendar, and copy the address link in Secret address in iCal format.
   Note: If the Secret address in iCal format is missing in your calendar settings it will be because your G Suite Admin needs to enable this option.
5. Past the link in your Kvation listing page settings.
   a. Log into your host account on kvation.com if you haven’t already
   b. Click on your account to go to your dashboard.
   c. From your account menu select listings.
   d. Click on the Pencil or Edit button for the relevant listing.
   f. Scroll down toward the end till you see Booking Import URL
   g. Past the secret address link you got from your Google calendar in step 4, then click save to save your listing.

Please note that there may be a different sync frequency depending on the external platform. For example, Google Calendar has no guaranteed sync frequency but usually is between 3-12 hours, while booking systems sync the calendar every 2 hours or less.

How to use your Unique Google Calendar to block off dates #

From a smartphone: Use the Google Calendar App and not a third-party app.
– iOS App by Google
– Android App by Google

From a computer: use the Google Calendar webpage.

How to put in blocked-off dates in Google Calendar (app or webpage) #

1. Add Event/Task (name the event/task as you please), then under the title section, select the correct unique calendar, for example, Bookings.
2. Only make your Even/Task for the dates that those nights are unavailable, and don’t include the morning checkout date in the Event/Task.
   Since it will block off an extra night as unavailable that could have someone check-in on the night of the same date that had a morning check-out.
   Example A. if you have one night that you would like to block off from being booked, for example June 6th night. You only put the Start-Date and End-Date on June 6th (and Not ending on June 7th morning).
   Example B. Or if you want to mark off multiple dates for example from June 6th till June 9th morning. You put the Start-Date on June 6th and End-Date on June 8th (and Not ending on June 9th morning).
   the reason why the morning checkout date isn’t included is, if any appointment/event/task is on example June 9th then June 9th night will be marked as unavailable to book.