How to sync Vrbo and Airbnb calendars
You can sync Vrbo 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. Vrbo calls its export "Export calendar," found under Calendar, then Settings, then the Availability tab, then Calendar sync; Airbnb calls it "Sync calendars," found under Calendar, then Availability.
The free way
On Vrbo: open your listing, go to Calendar, then Import/Export calendars, and copy the export link. 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.
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 Vrbo 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.
Check if this is already costing you a night right now, or fix it going forward with real-time sync.
Does Vrbo 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. Neither publishes an exact refresh interval; treat both as a lag of hours, not minutes.
Can I check if my Vrbo 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. Vrbo is not part of the free tier today.