How to Export Google Calendar to ICS File

Need to backup your Google Calendar, share events with someone using a different calendar app, or migrate to another service? Exporting your Google Calendar to an ICS file is the solution.

In this guide, we'll cover everything you need to know about exporting Google Calendar events: from downloading your entire calendar to exporting single events and creating shareable calendar links.

Why Export Google Calendar to ICS?

There are several reasons you might want to export your Google Calendar:

• Backup: Create a local copy of your calendar events for safekeeping
• Migration: Move your calendar to another service like Outlook, Apple Calendar, or a self-hosted solution
• Sharing: Share events with people who don't use Google Calendar
• Offline Access: Keep a copy of important events accessible without internet
• Integration: Import events into project management tools, CRMs, or other applications

Export Your Entire Google Calendar

To download all events from your Google Calendar as ICS files, follow these steps:

Step 1: Open Google Calendar Settings

1. Go to calendar.google.com
2. Click the gear icon (⚙️) in the top-right corner
3. Select Settings from the dropdown menu

Step 2: Navigate to Import & Export

1. In the left sidebar, scroll down and click Import & export
2. You'll see two sections: Import and Export

Step 3: Export Your Calendars

1. Click the Export button
2. A ZIP file will be downloaded containing ICS files for each of your calendars
3. Extract (unzip) the downloaded file to access the individual .ics files

Export a Single Event

Sometimes you only need to export one event rather than your entire calendar. Here's how:

Method 1: From the Event Details

1. Click on the event in your calendar
2. Click the pencil icon to open event details (or just click "More details")
3. Click the three-dot menu (⋮) in the top-right
4. Select Publish event
5. You'll see links to the event - copy the ICS link

Method 2: Using the Event URL

Every Google Calendar event has a unique URL. You can construct an ICS download link by modifying the event URL:

1. Open the event and copy its URL from your browser's address bar
2. The URL will look like: https://calendar.google.com/calendar/event?eid=XXXXX
3. Add &output=ics to the end to download it as an ICS file

Create a Shareable Calendar Link

Want to let others subscribe to your calendar so they automatically receive updates? Create a shareable ICS link:

Get Your Calendar's ICS URL

1. Go to Google Calendar Settings
2. In the left sidebar, click on the specific calendar you want to share (under "Settings for my calendars")
3. Scroll down to the Integrate calendar section
4. Find Secret address in iCal format - this is your private ICS URL
5. Copy this URL and share it with others

What Subscribers Get

When someone subscribes to your ICS URL:

• They see all your calendar events (depending on sharing settings)
• Their calendar automatically updates when you add/edit/delete events
• They cannot edit your events - it's read-only
• Updates may take 12-24 hours to sync (depending on their calendar app)

Import Your ICS File Elsewhere

Once you have your ICS file, you can import it into virtually any calendar application:

Common Destinations

• Microsoft Outlook: File → Open & Export → Import/Export → Import an iCalendar file
• Apple Calendar: File → Import → Select your ICS file
• Thunderbird: Events and Tasks → Import
• Another Google Account: Use our guide on importing ICS to Google Calendar

Tips for Managing Calendar Exports

1. Regular Backups

Schedule monthly or quarterly calendar exports to maintain backups. Store them in cloud storage (Google Drive, Dropbox) for safekeeping.

2. Organize by Calendar

When extracting exported ZIP files, rename the ICS files to indicate which calendar they're from (e.g., work-calendar-2025-12.ics).

3. Test Your Exports

After exporting, open the ICS file in a text editor to verify it contains your events. ICS files are plain text, so you can read them directly.

4. Check Event Counts

Compare the number of events in your export to your calendar to ensure nothing was missed. Search for BEGIN:VEVENT in the file to count events.

5. Mind the Time Zones

ICS files include timezone information. When importing elsewhere, verify that events appear at the correct times, especially if you travel frequently.

Conclusion

Exporting your Google Calendar to ICS files is straightforward and gives you full control over your calendar data. Whether you're creating backups, migrating to a new service, or sharing events with others, ICS files provide universal compatibility.

Remember that ICS is a two-way street - you can also import ICS files into Google Calendar just as easily. Our free iCalendar browser extension makes importing even faster with drag-and-drop functionality.