.ics Files vs. Add to Calendar Links add to calendar

In the world of event marketing and calendars, the .ics file, also known as an iCalendar file or .ics format, has long been the standard file format for sharing calendar data. But let’s be real — it’s not the friendliest tool in the shed. 

Creating the .ics format involves a labyrinth of technical maneuvers, but figuring out how to get these files to work across all the various calendar platforms is frustrating in its own right. If you’ve ever tried creating .ics files for Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, Outlook Calendar, or any other calendar platform, you’ve undoubtedly had to Google ‘How to Create an .ics File’ and left yourself more frustrated than before you started.

Plus, the manual downloading and importing situation that’s required for .ics files can leave both you and your attendees confused and flabbergasted.  

Fear not—there’s a much better, more intuitive solution available: add to calendar links or buttons. With a single click, you can simplify the process and seamlessly integrate event details across platforms. 

Here’s why .ics files don’t work

An.ics file (iCalendar is the standard name for this) is a standard file format for storing calendar data. It contains event details such as start date, end date, start time, end time, location, and description. Traditionally, these files are shared via email or website download so you can manually import them into your mail app. This becomes especially important when considering the time zone component of a calendar event. The calendar app needs to take the passed-over calendar information and potentially convert your time zone.

Creating an .ics file involves generating the necessary calendar data and formatting it according to the calendar application’s specifications. While this process isn’t overly complex, it requires technical know-how and can be time-consuming – especially when you are wanting to share multiple events. This gets a bit complex when you consider just how many different calendar applications there are: Google Calendar, Outlook Calendar, Apple Calendar, Yahoo Calendar, etc. Plus, since it’s hard to know which calendar platforms your attendees use and to make sure there’s an option included for everyone. 

That means there are quite a few limitations you will run into with .ics files. 

.ics files are not user-friendly

For one, .ics files aren’t user-friendly, especially if the user isn’t super comfortable with technology in the first place. Not only are they cumbersome to create, but trying to figure out how to open .ics files is also a frustrating user experience! The process isn’t intuitive, and it takes multiple clicks to get it right—and actually on your calendar. 

A good example of why this might be frustrating for the end user is if you’ve ever tried to download a .ics file to your iPhone but don’t use Apple Calendar. Your mobile phone will, by default, want to import the .ics file (iCalendar file format) to your mobile phone’s default calendar regardless of whether you use the Google Calendar app or Outlook Calendar app. 

Now, if you’re one of the 35% of the Millennial workforce, picture the frustration you feel when you try to do this. Now, even worse… think of how much more confused your parents would be trying to figure it out and the technical support call you’ll inevitably get from them! 

.ics files don’t always get your events on calendars

Because these .ics files require manual downloading and importing, there are four to seven steps (versus just one) that an attendee needs to take to get the event on their calendar – talk about friction points!

Steps for getting an event on your calendar when using the .ics file format:

1. Download the .ics file 
2. Open your .ics file(s) (this is the standard iCalendar format)
3. Select the .ics file from your computer
4. Choose which calendar to import the .ics file into
   1. If you would like to import this to a new calendar, you must first set up your new calendar.

→ NOTE: If your .ics file format is downloaded as a .zip file (another file format), you will need to take additional steps:

1. Find the .ics file on your computer – it will be labeled as a .zip file since that’s what the downloaded file format was
2. Open the .zip file 
3. Import each .ics file individually

If something goes wrong and the .ics file doesn’t render to their calendar application, you’ve just lost a potential attendee. Assuming, of course, that they even made it to the importing to their digital calendar step.

.ics files don’t play nice with every calendar platform

Compatibility issues, anyone? Calendar platforms are notorious for not playing nice with one another — and .ics files follow suit. Each calendar platform — Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, Microsoft Outlook Calendar, to name a few — will interpret an .ics file differently, leading to inconsistencies in event display and functionality.

Many other calendar apps are available, but each will have its own way of interpreting .ics files. While some may fully support the standard, others could have limitations or quirks in handling specific elements, such as:

• Time zone handling: Different apps may interpret time zones in .ics files differently, leading to discrepancies in event start time and end time and sometimes even start date and end date.
• Recurrence patterns: How recurring events are defined and displayed can vary between calendar apps.
• Custom properties: Some apps may not fully support custom properties or extensions added to .ics files.
• Attachments: Handling file attachments within .ics files can vary, with some apps displaying them inline and others as separate links.

To ensure consistent display and functionality across different calendar apps, you’d need to spend significant time testing your .ics files across multiple platforms to help identify and address any of these inconsistencies.

Instead, you should be using add to calendar links. 

What are add to calendar links?

Add to calendar links (ATC links) are a streamlined alternative to .ics files. These clickable links allow users to add events to their calendars with just a single click, eliminating the need for any file downloads and manual imports. 

That’s it — a click of a link and voilà, it’s on your calendar!

And making add to calendar links (and add to calendar buttons for your website and landing pages) is simple. Generate these unique links for each event you’ve created automatically with AddEvent, and then add them to your email blasts, event pages, or social media posts. The same thing will happen every time someone clicks on the link: the event will be automatically added to whatever calendar platform they use!

Add to calendar links are super user-friendly

Because these add to calendar links streamline your attendees ability to add your events to their personal calendars, it’s a much more user-friendly experience all around. Less frustration means a greater chance they’ll actually show up to said event. 

Add to calendar links leads to less dropoff

Are you tired of sending reminders to your confirmed guests but still seeing dropoff? Let’s do the math: if it takes fewer clicks to get an event on a calendar, then that alone increases the likelihood that someone will show up when the event rolls around. AddEvent customers have seen an average of 30% increase in attendance rates when using add to calendar links or add to calendar buttons!

Add to calendar links share your event in great detail

AddEvent allows you to fully customize your event details so you can share all the important information about the occasion with your users from the start. This includes essential things to know, like the title, description of the event, location, time zone, start time, end time, etc. Interested in sharing multiple events? No problem! You can use subscription calendars to share an entire calendar of events or a schedule with one add to calendar link instead of multiple .ics files.

Add to calendar links ensure seamless calendar platform integration

Even if these calendar platforms don’t typically play nice with one another, AddEvent’s add to calendar links do! Add to calendar links are compatible with a wide range of calendar applications, ensuring consistent functionality across platforms.

You guessed it: we’re AddEvent

As the most used and trusted add to calendar functionality on the internet, we make it as simple as possible for your attendees to add your events to their calendar, which in turn boosts attendance rates and the potential for more engagement.  

After you’ve added your event to your AddEvent account, all you have to do is just copy and paste the links that are generated from your event into the email you want to send. These links work seamlessly with all email campaign tools, including Mailchimp, Marketo, Hubspot, Salesforce, and more. Plus, we offer different style options that will match your email branding flawlessly!

Our add to calendar links work with all major calendar services, including Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, Office 365, Outlook, Outlook.com, and Yahoo calendar. Ready to revolutionize your event promotion process? Getting started with AddEvent is quick and easy. All you have to do is sign up for an account, and you can start creating add to calendar links and buttons for your events. With a little help from AddEvent, you can say goodbye to outdated .ics files and hello to seamless event scheduling and organization!