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Creating and Sharing Your First Calendar

T
Written by Tom
Updated over 3 weeks 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: Subscriber Information Collection

When creating or editing a calendar, you can choose whether to collect subscriber information before they can subscribe. This is a premium feature that helps you understand your audience and build your contact list.

Under Subscriber Information Collection, select one of the following options:

  • Allow immediate subscription - Anyone can subscribe instantly without providing any details. This is the default.

  • Collect subscriber information before subscription - Subscribers must fill out a form before they can add the calendar to their calendar app.

When you enable subscriber information collection, two additional options appear:

  • Hide event details until information is provided - When checked, your calendar's events are completely hidden until the subscriber fills out the form. This creates a gated experience where providing their info is required to even see what's on the calendar.

  • Custom Form - By default, subscribers are asked for their Name and Email. You can optionally select a custom form to collect additional information (see the Custom Forms section below).

Step 4: Save Your Calendar

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

How Subscriber Information Collection Works

Here's what your subscribers see on your public calendar page depending on your settings:

Without Information Collection (Default)

Subscribers see your calendar events and subscription buttons (Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, Outlook, etc.) immediately. They can subscribe with one click — no form required.

With Information Collection Enabled

Subscribers see a form above the event list. They must fill in their details and click Register to follow before the subscription buttons appear. Once submitted, a confirmation message is shown along with buttons to add the calendar to their preferred calendar app.

If you're using the default form, subscribers are asked for:

  • Full Name

  • Email Address

If you've selected a custom form, subscribers see the fields you've configured — such as company name, phone number, country, marketing consent, and more.

With "Hide Event Details" Enabled

When you also check Hide event details until information is provided, the entire event list is hidden. Subscribers see only the subscription form. After submitting their information, the events are revealed and they can subscribe.

This is useful when your event content itself is the incentive — for example, exclusive webinar schedules or VIP event calendars.

Custom Forms

Custom forms let you collect additional information from subscribers beyond the default name and email fields. This is a premium feature.

Creating a Custom Form

  1. Navigate to Custom Forms in your dashboard sidebar

  2. Click Create Form

  3. Fill in the form details:

  • Form Name (required) - An internal name for your reference (e.g., "Conference Registration Form")

  • Form Title (optional) - Displayed to subscribers at the top of the form

  • Description (optional) - Additional text shown below the title to give context

  • Set as default form - Toggle this on to automatically apply this form to new events and calendars

Available Field Types

Custom forms support a range of field types to collect exactly the information you need:

  • Name - A dedicated name field that maps to the subscriber's name

  • Email - A dedicated email field with built-in validation (required on every form)

  • Text - Free-form text input (up to 500 characters)

  • Email (additional) - An extra email field with validation

  • Number - Numeric input

  • Date - Date picker

  • Dropdown - A select menu with custom options you define

  • Radio Buttons - A set of options where subscribers pick one (supports 1–4 column layout)

  • Country - A pre-populated dropdown of all countries

  • US States - A pre-populated dropdown of US states

  • Marketing Consent - A checkbox for marketing opt-in (always required when included)

  • Query String - A hidden field that auto-populates from URL parameters, useful for tracking UTM codes or referral sources

Each field can be configured with:

  • Label - The text shown above the field

  • Placeholder - Hint text shown inside the field

  • Help Text - Additional guidance shown below the field

  • Required - Whether the field must be filled in

  • Visible - Whether the field is shown to subscribers (hidden fields are useful for query string tracking)

  • Default Value - A pre-filled value

Fields can be reordered by dragging them into your preferred order.

RSVP Settings

Custom forms are also used for event RSVP forms. When editing a form, you'll find RSVP-specific settings:

  • Submit Button Text - Customize the text on the RSVP submit button

  • Hide "Maybe" button - Remove the "Maybe" RSVP option

  • Hide "Can't go" button - Remove the "Can't go" RSVP option

Linking a Custom Form to a Calendar

You can assign a custom form to a calendar in two places:

  1. During calendar creation - When you enable "Collect subscriber information," a Custom Form dropdown appears where you can select from your existing forms.

  2. From the Subscribers tab - On your calendar's management page, go to the Subscribers tab. Click the settings icon to expand Subscription Settings, then choose a form from the Subscription Form dropdown.

If no custom form is selected, the default form (Name & Email only) is used.

Form Preview

When creating or editing a custom form, a live preview is shown so you can see exactly how the form will appear to subscribers. You can toggle between the RSVP view and the Calendar Subscription view.

Managing Subscribers

When subscriber information collection is enabled, you can manage your subscribers from the Subscribers tab on your calendar's management page.

Subscriber List

  • Search - Find subscribers by name or email

  • Filter by status - View Active, Inactive, or Blocked subscribers

  • View details - See each subscriber's name, email, calendar app used, subscription date, and any custom field data they submitted

  • Edit - Update a subscriber's information

  • Block/Unblock - Prevent specific subscribers from accessing your calendar

  • Delete - Permanently remove a subscriber

  • Export - Download your subscriber list as a CSV file

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

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

Subscriber Information Collection

  • Keep forms short - Only collect information you actually need. Shorter forms have higher completion rates.

  • Use custom forms for lead generation - Add fields like company name, role, or marketing consent to qualify leads.

  • Use query string fields for tracking - Add hidden query string fields to capture UTM parameters or referral sources from your share links.

  • Gate strategically - Only hide events behind the form if your content is compelling enough to justify it.

  • Export regularly - Download your subscriber CSV to keep your CRM or email marketing tool up to date.

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 event details until information is provided" is enabled — subscribers must fill out the form first

  • Verify events are published and not drafts

  • Ensure calendar permissions are set correctly

Subscriber Form Not Appearing

  • Confirm that "Collect subscriber information before subscription" is selected in calendar settings

  • Make sure you have an active premium subscription — this is a paid feature

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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