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General iCal information

All you need to know about using iCals

Understanding iCal Connections in Anytime

Anytime integrates with many Online Travel Agents (OTAs) and booking systems using iCal technology.

iCal connections allow reservation information to be shared between systems, helping to keep availability synchronized across multiple booking channels and reducing the risk of double bookings.

We support a wide range of two-way iCal connections, meaning:

  • Anytime sends bookings and availability updates to the third-party system.
  • The third-party system sends bookings back to Anytime.

If there is a channel or booking platform that you would like to connect but cannot find in our list of supported integrations, please contact our support team. We are always happy to investigate new connection opportunities.

How Booking Data is Shared

iCal technology is designed primarily for calendar synchronisation rather than detailed reservation management.

As a result, only a limited amount of information is typically shared between systems. In most cases, the information received includes:

  • Booking reference number
  • Arrival date
  • Departure date

When Anytime receives an iCal booking, we use this information together with the rates configured in your Anytime account to create the reservation.

Important Information About Sync Times

iCal updates are not instant.

Most OTAs and booking platforms refresh iCal feeds every 15–30 minutes, which means there may be a delay between a booking being created in one system and appearing in another.

We recommend regularly monitoring your bookings to ensure calendars remain synchronised across all connected platforms.

Setting Up iCal Feeds

To find your Anytime iCal export URL:

  1. Navigate to Configuration
  2. Select iCal Feeds under Channel Management
  3. Choose the required Category and Unit
  4. Copy the Export URL
  5. Paste this URL into the OTA or third-party booking system

On the same page, you can also add the iCal import URLs provided by your other booking channels.

New Accounts

If you are a new Anytime customer and do not yet have any bookings or block-offs, your export iCal URL may not be active.

To activate it:

  1. Create a temporary booking or block-off for each unit.
  2. Save the booking.
  3. Copy the iCal export URL.
  4. Remove the temporary booking or block-off if required.

Managing Booking Cancellations and AmendmentsCancelling Bookings

When a booking needs to be cancelled, it is important to cancel it in the system where the booking originally came from.

OTA Bookings

If a booking was created through an OTA or third-party booking system:

  1. Cancel the booking in the originating OTA.
  2. Replicate the cancellation in Anytime if required.

Direct Bookings

If a booking was created directly in Anytime:

  1. Cancel the booking in Anytime.
  2. The cancellation will automatically be shared with connected OTA systems through iCal.

Automatic Cancellations and Amendments

A new option is available on the iCal Feeds page that allows you to enable automatic processing of cancellations and amendments received through iCal.

How It Works

Once enabled:

  • Future OTA bookings imported via iCal can be automatically cancelled when the OTA sends a cancellation.
  • Booking amendments can be processed automatically.

When an amendment is received:

  1. The original booking is cancelled.
  2. A new booking is created using the updated dates supplied by the OTA.
  3. Existing booking details are retained where possible.

Important

This feature only applies to bookings imported after the setting has been enabled.

All new Anytime accounts created after the introduction of this feature will have it enabled by default.

Managing Block-Offs

Creating a block-off in Anytime will update connected systems and prevent availability from being sold during the selected period.

Importing Block-Offs from Other Systems

Whenever possible, Anytime will distinguish between:

  • Genuine bookings
  • Availability block-offs

If the source iCal feed provides enough information, we will import bookings and ignore block-offs.

However, some OTAs do not identify the difference between bookings and block-offs. For example, Booking.com does not provide this distinction in its iCal feed, so all entries must be imported. Please read this supporting article on how to get around this :
Booking.com ical

Why This Matters

Being able to filter out block-offs is often beneficial because it allows you to restrict availability on a specific OTA without affecting availability within Anytime.

Important: Preventing Availability

Most OTAs only recognise two types of calendar events:

  • Bookings
  • Block-offs

They do not read pricing or rate availability.

If you need to stop availability for a particular period:

  1. Ensure a valid rate band exists for the dates.
  2. Create a block-off for the required period.

This will prevent the dates from being available across connected channels.

Need Help?

If you have any questions about iCal connections, booking synchronisation, cancellations, amendments, or block-offs, please contact the Anytime Support Team. We are always happy to help.