Easy method How to sync vrbo calendar to Airbnb

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It is recommended that you synchronize your calendars if you have a listing on both Airbnb and VRBO. This will prevent numerous visitors from making reservations for the exact dates. Airbnb and VRBO (Homeaway) use the same iCal calendar format, making it simple to synchronize their respective calendars and other calendars, such as your Google calendar. In this article you can learn about How to sync vrbo calendar to Airbnb?

If you have been managing vacation rentals on Airbnb, VRBO, or Booking.com, there’s a good chance you’ve encountered the dreaded “double booking.” This occurs when you get a booking on one site, and then shortly after, you get another. This happens because you should have blocked the inventory on other distribution channels you use to get bookings. If you’ve been managing vacation rentals, you’ve probably experienced this. This results in a terrible customer experience for the visitors, a logistical nightmare for the hosts, potential negative repercussions with the Online Travel Agencies (OTAs), and the potential to keep you up at night with stress about the situation.

How does double booking work?

This is a double booking when two guests book your property for the same day and time. A double booking can also occur when two separate bookings overlap, requiring you to cancel one of the bookings. If you offer your home on more than one online booking site like Airbnb, Vrbo, and Booking.com, which is, of course, required if you want to maximize both your occupancy and your revenue, there is a good chance that you will receive a duplicate booking for the property.

Why Link Airbnb and Vrbo Calendars?

Offer your vacation property on both Airbnb and Vrbo. You must connect your calendars to ensure that reservations from both sites are synchronized and that you avoid accidentally booking the same guests again.

Importing a calendar

Using the calendar importing feature, you can manually sync your Airbnb calendar with external calendars that support the iCalendar (iCal) format. No automatic syncing is happening with Google Calendar; a manual refresh is necessary to sync calendars. you can also get more information from this link  Syncing your Airbnb .

Your Airbnb calendar will automatically resync every two hours; however, the owners of your external calendars will select how often they will resync (ex: HomeAway or Vrbo). One more thing to keep in mind is that you cannot suspend a calendar that has been synced. To pause the process and resume it later, you will need to export the calendar and import it again.

The Step-by-Step Guide to Connecting Your Airbnb Calendar to Vrbo

1. Transfer your Airbnb bookings to your VRBO calendar

Because Airbnb and VRBO both use the iCalendar (iCal) format, one of the easiest methods to connect your calendars is to import your Airbnb calendar into VRBO. This is one of the most basic ways to connect your calendars. The synchronization process takes at least a few hours but typically much more.

To export your Airbnb calendar into Vrbo:

  1. You can choose the listing you wish by going to the Listings section of your Airbnb dashboard.
  2. To sync your calendar, navigate to Pricing and Availability > Calendar.
  3. To export your calendar, click here.
  4. Make a copy of the link in the window labeled Export calendar.
  5. You can find the listing by logging into your Vrbo account.
  6. To make a reservation, select Calendars from the menu on the left, then click Reservation.
  7. After clicking the Import/Export button, select the Import Calendar option from the drop-down menu.
  8. Choose a color for your calendar and give it a name, like “Airbnb,” for example.
  9. Paste your Airbnb calendar link
  10. Check that the calendar is set to prevent you from scheduling other events.

2. Import the Vrbo calendar into Airbnb

One of the simplest methods to connect your calendars and avoid making double bookings is to import the calendar from your Vrbo account into your Airbnb account. Because both calendars are compatible with the iCal format, this is achievable. However, it takes at least a few hours for the two calendars to synchronize.

To export your Vrbo calendar into Airbnb:

  1. Log in to your Vrbo account, and choose the rental you want to stay in.
  2. To make a reservation, select Calendars from the menu on the left, then click Reservation.
  3. After clicking the Import/Export button, choose Calendar Export from the drop-down menu.
  4. Make a copy of the link in the window labeled Export calendar.
  5. Navigate to Listing, then select the listing that you desire.
  6. To sync your calendar, navigate to Pricing and Availability > Calendar.
  7. Select the Import calendar button.
  8. Simply paste the link into the appropriate field on the Calendar.
  9. Please identify the calendar (for example, Vrbo)

3. Utilize Channel Manager

A channel manager that offers a dependable and robust two-way API connection to all major online travel agencies (OTAs) is the most effective tool for synchronizing your calendars across numerous platforms, including Airbnb, Vrbo, and others. Because all reservation data, such as pricing, availability, and minimum night requirements, amongst other things, are updated in real-time, multiple bookings and other potential problems associated with listing on more than one booking platform are entirely avoided.

How to Prevent Double Bookings?

You need to be aware that the calendars you create using iCal do not update instantly.

So, how frequently does the calendar on your Airbnb account sync?

The calendars for both Airbnb and VRBO typically require a couple of hours to be updated. Therefore, a guest could book their stay on one platform, and in the time it takes for your calendar to be updated, another guest could book the exact dates on a different site.

Depending on how frequently you receive bookings, the likelihood that two guests may book the exact dates within a few hours of each other could be relatively low. However, this will depend on how frequently you receive bookings.

How does a channel manager connect?

If you don’t utilize a channel manager, the only way to synchronize the calendars on your Airbnb, Vrbo, and Booking.com accounts is to use an export and import tool. This choice makes use of the iCal connection, which is a calendar synchronization. By connecting your iCal to your Vrbo, Booking.com, and Airbnb calendars, you can ensure that any days booked on one site will seem unavailable on the other sites. This connection does not synchronize rates or content and only communicates a limited amount of reservation information in most cases.

A channel manager enables you to use more robust connection called an XML connection or API connection. Not only can you synchronize availability with other OTAs using an XML/API connection, but you can also synchronize rates and content with them. Connecting to an application programming interface (API) makes it simple to view all your reservations in a single location (in your channel management software). It removes the requirement to alter the rates and content on various listing sites manually. Therefore, property managers with more extensive portfolios who wish to streamline their operations should look for a channel manager with API connectivity.

Using a channel manager to sync your Airbnb calendar

To establish a connection between your channel management and Airbnb using the Airbnb Application Programming Interface (API), you first need to initiate contact with your channel manager. Although the procedure is primarily consistent, each channel manager’s user interface is distinctive. In the Airbnb dashboard, your channel manager provides, you will input the login information for your Airbnb account. This will cause your Airbnb listings to be shown. The following step compares your Airbnb listings with those in your channel management.

“Everything” and “Limited” is the two API options available through Airbnb. The “Everything” connection ensures that all content, rates, and availability are in sync. Only your pricing and availability will be synchronized when you use the “Limited” link, so any other changes to your listing’s content will need to be made manually on Airbnb. Because using certain channel managers requires an additional verification code or confirmation of the connection on Airbnb, you may be required to log into the Airbnb dashboard simultaneously. After that has been finished, you can begin the synchronization process. Because the connection to the API is constantly refreshed, virtually instantaneous updates can be done.

Take note that Airbnb restricts the number of API connections specific hosts can make in particular regions. Before beginning the process of connecting to Airbnb’s API, make sure to verify the company’s list of banned markets.

Linking your Vrbo calendar to a channel manager

Building a connection with Vrbo can be considerably more complicated than linking your channel manager with Airbnb or Booking.com, both self-service processes. Vrbo has more stringent restrictions for API connections, and the website will often only grant permission for links to those property managers with more than five active Vrbo listings. If you can demonstrate that you satisfy Vrbo’s requirements, you can move forward with the connection process.

Most channel managers require that you make direct contact with Vrbo to initiate the connection procedure. To set up a property manager account for you on Vrbo – or to convert your existing owner account into a property manager account – Vrbo often requires documentation first. The connection process will be explained in detail by the Vrbo representative assigned to you. When the link is finished being established, the pricing, availability, reservation information, and content of your Vrbo listings will synchronize with those of your channel manager.

 Syncing calendars: how?

There is one basic format that all booking systems employ, and that format is Apple iCalendar. This format is used to export and import data to sync calendars. Despite this, the updates take time and depend on the property manager routinely updating their central calendar. This is the only factor determining whether or not the updates are made.

Conclusion

If you have a listing on Airbnb and VRBO, you may wish to synchronize your calendars to avoid duplicate visitors from making reservations for the exact dates. How to sync vrbo calendar to Airbnb? Airbnb and VRBO (Homeaway) use the same iCal calendar format, making it simple to synchronize their respective calendars and other calendars, including your Google calendar.  Weirdnewsera that you might not find any other platform which gives you all content about health sports business technology and entertainment.

FAQs

Can Airbnb connect my booking calendar?

Begin by accessing your Airbnb control panel and selecting the Listings tab. Click a listing, then select Pricing and Availability, followed by Calendar Sync. The next step is to copy the Airbnb Calendar URL by clicking the Export Calendar button. Select Rates, Availability, or Calendar in your Booking.com account, and then click Sync Calendars.

Does the Airbnb calendar sync automatically?

Unlike external calendars, which sync at the discretion of their owners, your Airbnb calendar automatically refreshes every 2 hours (ex: HomeAway or Vrbo). Additionally, pausing a synchronized calendar is not possible.

Does Airbnb work with Vrbo?

You can list with both Airbnb and VRBO simultaneously. You’re probably aware that two of the most prominent short-term rental marketplaces are Airbnb and VRBO. These two options are similar in that they both help hosts advertise their houses and get guests.

Is Vrbo affiliated with Airbnb?

Since its inception in 2008, Airbnb has expanded to provide lodging in more than 220 countries, with 6 million listings available as of December 2021. Founded in 1995 as Vacation Rental by Owner, the company is now part of the Expedia Group.

Why doesn’t Airbnb sync my calendar?

An active sync from a booking on another site may prevent you from marking blocked dates as open again. TripAdvisor Rentals will reflect those changes immediately when you make changes to your schedule on the host site (Airbnb, HomeAway, or Google).