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Creating and Sharing Your First Calendar

T
Written by Tom
Updated over 5 months ago

Learn how to create, customize, and share subscription calendars to keep your audience updated with automatic synchronization across all major calendar applications.

What is a Subscription Calendar?

A subscription calendar allows you to share multiple events with one simple link or button. Perfect for:

  • Conference schedules - Share entire event agendas

  • Webinar series - Keep attendees updated on upcoming sessions

  • Class schedules - Distribute academic calendars

  • Business events - Share company meetings and deadlines

The key benefit: when you update event times or cancel events, subscribers are automatically notified through their calendar apps!

Creating Your First Calendar

Step 1: Access Calendar Creation

  1. From your dashboard, click the Create button

  2. Select Calendar from the dropdown menu

Step 2: Configure Calendar Settings

Basic Information

  • Calendar Name - Choose a descriptive title (e.g., "Marketing Team Events 2024")

  • Description - Provide context about what events this calendar contains

  • Color - Select a unique color to help identify your calendar

  • Timezone - Set the default timezone for your events

Advanced Settings

  • Week Start Day - Choose Monday or Sunday as the first day of the week

  • Calendar Image - Upload a banner image to personalize your calendar

  • Appearance Template - Apply custom branding if available

Step 3: Subscription Requirements

Decide how users will access your calendar:

  • Open Access - Anyone can subscribe immediately

  • Information Required - Collect subscriber names and emails before access

  • Hide Events - Require subscription before showing event details

Step 4: Save Your Calendar

Click Create Calendar to finish setup. Your calendar will be assigned a unique public URL automatically.

Sharing Your Calendar

Once created, you have multiple ways to share your calendar with your audience:

1. Public Calendar Page

Every calendar gets an automatically generated landing page featuring:

  • Calendar description and branding

  • List of upcoming events with full details

  • Subscription options for all major calendar apps

  • Timezone selection for viewers

  • Event filtering by tags

How to share: Copy the public URL from your calendar settings and share it via social media, email, or embed it on your website.

2. QR Code Downloads

Generate QR codes for easy mobile access:

  1. Go to your calendar's management page

  2. Click the Download QR Code button

  3. Print or display the QR code at events, on flyers, or presentations

3. Subscriber Management

Track who's following your calendar:

  • View subscriber counts and details

  • Monitor subscription activity over time

  • Export subscriber information

  • See which calendar apps subscribers prefer

Premium Features

External Calendar Sync

Import events from other calendar systems:

  1. Navigate to the External Sync tab

  2. Enter the URL of your external calendar (iCal format)

  3. Configure sync settings and frequency

  4. Monitor sync status and resolve any conflicts

Note: External calendar sync is available with premium subscriptions only.

Analytics and Insights

Track your calendar's performance:

  • Subscription metrics - View growth over time

  • Popular events - See which events get the most attention

  • Geographic data - Understand your audience location

  • Calendar app preferences - Learn which apps your subscribers use

Public Calendar Features

Your public calendar page offers subscribers several helpful features:

Timezone Flexibility

  • Automatic timezone detection

  • Manual timezone selection

  • All event times display in the viewer's chosen timezone

Event Filtering

  • Filter events by tags

  • Combine multiple tag filters

  • Clear filters to see all events

Event Details

  • Expandable event information

  • Location links (when provided)

  • Event descriptions with rich formatting

  • RSVP capabilities for supported events

Individual Event Subscriptions

Subscribers can add individual events to their calendars without subscribing to the entire calendar.

Best Practices

Calendar Organization

  • Use descriptive names - Make it clear what the calendar contains

  • Keep calendars focused - Don't mix unrelated event types

  • Update regularly - Keep event information current

  • Use consistent tagging - Help subscribers filter effectively

Subscriber Engagement

  • Provide context - Use detailed event descriptions

  • Include locations - Add venue information and links

  • Set proper timezones - Ensure accuracy for global audiences

  • Use images - Visual content increases engagement

Managing Your Calendars

Editing Calendar Settings

  1. Navigate to your calendar's management page

  2. Click the Settings tab

  3. Update any information as needed

  4. Save changes

Duplicating Calendars

Create copies of existing calendars:

  1. Open the calendar you want to duplicate

  2. Click the Duplicate option

  3. All non-external events will be copied to the new calendar

  4. Customize the new calendar as needed

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Subscribers Can't See Events

  • Check if "Hide events until subscribed" is enabled

  • Verify events are published and not drafts

  • Ensure calendar permissions are set correctly

External Sync Problems

  • Verify the external calendar URL is valid

  • Check that the source calendar is publicly accessible

  • Review sync status messages for specific errors

  • Ensure you have a premium subscription for external sync

Calendar Not Loading

  • Check your internet connection

  • Try refreshing the page

  • Clear browser cache if issues persist

  • Contact support if problems continue

Getting Help

If you encounter any issues:

  1. Check this help documentation first

  2. Review your calendar settings

  3. Try duplicating a working calendar

  4. Contact our support team with specific error messages

Next Steps

Now that you've created your first calendar:

  1. Add your first events - Populate your calendar with relevant events

  2. Test the subscription process - Subscribe to your own calendar to verify everything works

  3. Share with your audience - Distribute your calendar URL through your preferred channels

  4. Monitor performance - Use analytics to track subscriber growth and engagement

  5. Keep it updated - Regular updates keep subscribers engaged and informed

Congratulations! You're now ready to create and share powerful subscription calendars that keep your audience informed and engaged.

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