Guide

How to sync Expedia and Airbnb calendars

You can sync Expedia and Airbnb calendars two ways: free iCal export/import between the two platforms, refreshed on each platform's own schedule (typically every few hours), or a channel manager with a direct API connection to both, which syncs in real time. Expedia calls its calendar tool "Manage linked calendars," found in Expedia Partner Central under Rooms & Rates, then Room Types & Plans & Rates; Airbnb calls it "Sync calendars," found under Calendar, then Availability.

The free way

On Expedia: in Expedia Partner Central, go to Rooms & Rates, then Room Types & Plans & Rates, then Manage linked calendars, select the room, and under Export the Expedia Group calendar, click Create link to get your export URL. On Airbnb: go to Calendar, then Availability, then Sync calendars, and export the link for the listing. Paste each platform's export link into the other platform's import field.

Once pasted in, each platform pulls the other on its own refresh cycle. This is free, and works for many hosts, but it is a pull on a schedule, not an instant push the moment a guest books.

How the lag window causes a double booking
9:00 PM
Guest books on Expedia
Expedia calendar updates instantly
9:00 PM – 11:00 PM
Lag window
Airbnb has not pulled the change yet
11:00 PM
Second guest books on Airbnb
Same room, same night, still shown open
Next refresh
Airbnb finally updates
Too late. Both bookings already exist.

Free iCal sync refreshes on each platform's own schedule, typically every few hours, not instantly. Real-time sync closes this window to seconds.

The real-time way

A channel manager connects to both Expedia and Airbnb through their direct API rather than a shared calendar file, so a booking on either platform blocks the same dates everywhere else within seconds instead of hours. This matters more on Expedia specifically than on some other platforms: Expedia Group's own partner guidance frames calendar syncing as core to avoiding the cancellations and mismatched availability that hurt a listing's acceptance rate, a metric Expedia weighs directly in search ranking.

Practical next step

Check if this is already costing you a night right now, or fix it going forward with real-time sync.

Questions, answered
Does Expedia iCal sync work the same way as Airbnb's?

The mechanism is the same, export a link, import it elsewhere, refreshed on a schedule, but the exact menu location and refresh cadence differ by platform. Expedia's export sits under Rooms & Rates, then Room Types & Plans & Rates, then Manage linked calendars, distinct from Airbnb's Calendar, then Availability, then Sync calendars path.

Can I check if my Expedia and Airbnb calendars already have an overlap right now?

Yes, paste both export links into the free iCal conflict checker and it reports any dates currently booked on both.

Is there a free way to sync more than these two platforms?

getfursat's free tier covers Airbnb, Booking.com and Agoda calendar sync, book one and block the rest, for up to 2 listings per property, at no cost. Expedia is not part of the free tier today.