Subscribe to a Published Calendar

This document is intended to provide instructions to subscribe (and unsubscribe) to a published calendar feed and stay updated with upcoming meetings.

    About

    Subscribing to a published calendar allows users to view and stay updated with events from a shared calendar without manually adding each event. This is valuable for staying in sync with team schedules, public events, or shared projects, saving time and ensuring real-time updates.
    Subscribing ensures seamless access to shared schedules, reduces manual entry errors, and keeps users informed of changes in real time, enhancing collaboration and organization.

    Requirements

    An .ICS link to the published calendar

    • ICS stands for iCalendar file format, a universal standard used to share calendar data.
    • An .ics link is a URL pointing to a calendar file that contains event details like date, time, location, and recurrence.
    • It’s used for subscription or import into other calendar apps (Outlook, Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, etc.).

    The owner or organization of the published calendar needs to provide this link.

    Google Calendar

    1. Open Google Calendar in a browser.

    2. Click the + next to "Other calendars".
      Click on the + button


    3. Select From URL.
      Select fromn URL


    4. Paste the ICS link you were given by the calendar owner. (Example: https://example.com/calendar.ics)
      Click Add calendar button.
      Paste the .ics link


    5. By default, the calendar name may show up with the name of the link you pasted.
      The name should update itself, but if you click on the three vertical dots next to the calendar name, you can modify the name and other options under the Settings sub-menu.
      Select Settings sub-menu to modify the calendar


    6. To unsubscribe, click the X next to the calendar name under "Other calendars".

    Outlook (on the web)

      1. Open Outlook and go to Calendar view.

      2. Click Add Calendar
        Add calendar


      3. Choose Subscribe from web, then paste the ICS link you were given by the calendar owner. (Example: https://example.com/calendar.ics)
        Subscribe from web

      4. Enter the name suggested by the provider in the Calendar name field and choose a color and charm if you wish.
        Leave the Add to field set to “Other calendars”, then click the Import button.
        Configure the calendar name, color, etc.


      5. Close the Add calendar window.

        The calendar should be visible under the "Other calendars" section of the Outlook desktop client and web app.
        Calendar is visible under Other calendaers section


      6. To unsubscribe, right-click on the calendar name under “Other calendars” and choose Remove.

    Apple Calendar (macOS)

    1. Open the Calendar app on your Mac.

    2. Click File > New Calendar Subscription.
      Select New Calendar Subscription from the File menu


    3. Paste the ICS link you were given by the calendar owner. (Example: https://example.com/calendar.ics)
      Paste the .ics link


    4. Click Subscribe and configure settings.
      For the Location, choose iCloud to sync across all your Apple devices, or choose On my Mac for only this device.
      Set the Auto-refresh to check for changes more or less frequently.
      Click OK when finished.
      Configure the calendar settings



    5. The calendar will now be visible within the sidebar of the Calendar app.
      The calendar is now visible in the sidebar


    6. To unsubscribe, right-click the calendar name and choose Unsubscribe.

    Related Documents


    Keywords:
    Outlook, Google, Calendar, ics, subscribe 
    Doc ID:
    154693
    Owned by:
    Dave P. in MERIT
    Created:
    2025-09-10
    Updated:
    2025-09-11
    Sites:
    MERIT, School of Education, WCER