Airbnb iCal sync not working: why, and what to do
If your Airbnb iCal sync looks broken (a booked night still shows available elsewhere, or vice versa), it is almost always a refresh-timing issue, not a dead link: each platform pulls the other's calendar on its own schedule, typically every few hours, so a recent change has simply not been picked up yet. A genuinely broken link (expired, revoked, or malformed URL) is the less common cause, and is easy to rule out.
Check if it's actually broken
Re-export the calendar link from Airbnb and re-import it on the other platform. If the link had expired or changed, this fixes it immediately. If the link is fine and the mismatch persists, it is very likely a refresh-timing gap, not a broken connection.
Check how recently the booking or block was made. If it was in the last few hours, give it more time before assuming something is wrong; this is the most common false alarm.
Free iCal sync refreshes on each platform's own schedule, typically every few hours, not instantly. Real-time sync closes this window to seconds.
If it keeps happening
A one-off delay is normal for free iCal sync. If it is a recurring problem, specifically nights showing available on one platform well after they were booked on another, that is the structural lag of iCal-based sync, not a bug you can fix by re-pasting the link again. The fix at that point is real-time sync through a channel manager, not troubleshooting the iCal connection further.
Check if this is already costing you a night right now, or fix it going forward with real-time sync.
Why does my Airbnb calendar show a night as open that I already blocked?
Most commonly, the platform where you blocked it has not yet been pulled by Airbnb's refresh cycle. This closes itself within the next refresh window, typically within a few hours.
Can an iCal link just stop working?
Yes, if it was revoked, replaced, or the source listing was deleted or restructured. Re-exporting a fresh link from the source platform and re-importing it usually resolves this.
Is there a way to check both calendars for overlapping booked dates right now?
Yes, use the free iCal conflict checker: paste both calendar links and it reports any dates currently booked on both.