Manual / Integrations

iCal feeds (import + export)

Updated on 2026-08-19

For channels that have no API (and so don't go through Channex), use iCal feeds. Works with: Bedandbreakfast.eu, Gites de France, Clévacances, Belvilla, Novasol, Interhome, Logis Hotels and basically anyone who exposes an .ics URL.

How it works

| Direction | What BedFlow does | |---|---| | Import | Pulls a remote .ics URL hourly and turns each event into a block in the room overview. Cancellations at the source are auto-reconciled. | | Export | Generates a public .ics URL per room covering all bookings + manual blocks. External systems subscribe to it. | | Both | Both at once (useful for PMS-to-PMS sync). |

Setup

  1. Open Manage → Website in BedFlow and pick the iCal feeds tab at the top (direct link: /website/ical-feeds)
  2. Click New iCal feed
  3. Fill in:
    • Name: free text, e.g. "Bedandbreakfast.eu — Room 4"
    • Room: pick a room
    • Direction: usually import for incoming blocks
    • iCal URL: the .ics link from the external system
  4. Save
  5. Click Sync now in the actions column to test immediately
  6. Cron picks it up hourly afterwards

For export

  1. Create a feed with direction export (URL not needed)
  2. After save click Copy export URL in the actions column
  3. Paste that URL into the external system (e.g. Booking.com extranet → "Add iCal URL")

Your own calendar (iPhone, Mac, Google Calendar)

To see your bookings alongside your personal appointments, create an export feed per room and subscribe to it.

  1. Create a feed with direction export for each room.
  2. Turn on Add guest details to iCal events if you want email, phone and party size when you tap a booking. Leave it off for feeds you hand to Booking.com or Airbnb.
  3. Copy the export URL.
  4. iPhone and Mac: replace https:// with webcal:// and open the link on the device — you'll be asked to subscribe straight away. Manually works too: on Mac via Calendar → File → New Calendar Subscription, on iPhone via Settings → Calendar → Accounts → Add Account → Other → Add Subscribed Calendar.
  5. Google Calendar: Other calendars → From URL and paste the link.

Set the refresh interval to hourly; the default is sometimes weekly, which makes your calendar look out of date.

One subscription per room, each with its own colour. The feed holds confirmed bookings and blocks — cancelled bookings are left out. Anyone with the link can read your calendar, so don't share it, certainly not with guest details switched on.

Multi-tenancy

Each feed is bound to one property + one room. You always only see the feeds of your own property. The export token in the public URL is 48 characters long and unique per feed — a leaked token only exposes one room's bookings, not the whole tenant.

Automatic synchronisation

BedFlow fetches your feeds automatically every hour; don't want to wait? Click Sync now next to the feed.

Limitations

  • iCal is a read-only sync: import brings in availability only — no prices, no guest info. For full-feature OTA integration use Channex.
  • iCal publishers themselves often only update daily — a booking made on Bedandbreakfast.eu won't land instantly, more like 1-24 hours later.
  • Recurring events (recurrence rules) are NOT supported. For accommodation feeds this is fine (each booking appears as one single event in the feed).
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