Importing a calendar into Outlook adds someone else’s events — or your own from another app — into your calendar. There are two ways to do it: upload a file (.ics, .ical, or .csv) for a one-time copy, or subscribe to a calendar’s URL for a live feed that keeps updating. People do this to add a team schedule, a sports or holiday calendar, or events exported from Google Calendar or Apple Calendar.

This guide covers every current version: Outlook on the web, the new Outlook for Windows and Mac, and classic Outlook for Windows. Importing from a file and subscribing to a URL work differently, so we cover both.

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1. Import a File (.ics / .ical) in the New Outlook and Web

Use this when you have a calendar file saved on your computer and want a one-time copy of its events.

Outlook on the web / New Outlook (Windows & Mac):

1. Open Calendar from the left sidebar
2. In the calendar pane on the left, click Add calendar
3. Select Upload from file
4. Click Browse and choose your .ics or .ical file
5. Under Import to calendar, pick which of your calendars the events should go into
6. Click Import

The events are copied into the calendar you chose. Because this is a one-time import, the events will not update if the original file’s owner changes them later — for that, subscribe to a URL instead (next section).

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2. Subscribe to a Calendar URL (Live Feed)

Subscribing keeps a calendar in sync automatically. Use this for any calendar published as a web link ending in .ics — a Google Calendar’s secret address, a colleague’s published Outlook calendar, a team rota, or a booking system.

Outlook on the web / New Outlook (Windows & Mac):

1. Open Calendar
2. Click Add calendar
3. Select Subscribe from web
4. Paste the calendar’s .ics URL into the box
5. Enter a Calendar name, choose a color and a charm (icon)
6. Pick which account to add it to
7. Click Import

The subscribed calendar appears in your calendar list and refreshes on its own. Updates from the source can take up to 24 hours to appear — Microsoft controls the refresh interval, so there’s no way to force an immediate sync.

Import vs. subscribe in one line: Upload from file = a frozen snapshot you control. Subscribe from web = a live feed that updates but that you can’t edit.

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3. Import a File in Classic Outlook for Windows

Classic Outlook uses the Import/Export wizard for .ics files and a separate path for .csv.

Import an .ics or .ical file:

1. Click the File tab
2. Select Open & Export → Import/Export
3. Choose Import an iCalendar (.ics) or vCalendar file (.vcs) → OK
4. Browse to your file and select it
5. When prompted, choose Import to merge the events into your existing calendar, or Open as New to view them in a separate calendar first

Import a .csv of events:

1. Go to File → Open & Export → Import/Export
2. Choose Import from another program or file → Next
3. Select Comma Separated Values → Next
4. Browse to your .csv file and choose how to handle duplicates → Next
5. Select your Calendar folder as the destination → Next
6. Click Finish

CSV imports require the file’s column headers to map to Outlook fields (Subject, Start Date, Start Time, End Date, End Time). If a column doesn’t map automatically, click Map Custom Fields to match them by hand.

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4. Subscribe to a Calendar URL in Classic Outlook

Classic Outlook calls subscribed calendars “Internet Calendars.”

Classic Outlook for Windows:

1. Go to the File tab → Account Settings → Account Settings
2. Open the Internet Calendars tab
3. Click New
4. Paste the calendar’s .ics URL and click Add
5. Give the calendar a Folder Name and click OK

The calendar appears under Other Calendars and refreshes automatically based on the publisher’s update frequency.

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5. Where to Get the File or URL

To import or subscribe, you need either the file or its address:

• From Google Calendar: In Google Calendar settings, open the calendar’s Settings and sharing page. Use the Secret address in iCal format to subscribe, or Export to download an .ics to import.
• From another Outlook account: Publish that calendar and copy its ICS link — see How to get your Outlook calendar ICS URL and How to export your Outlook calendar.
• From Apple Calendar: Use File → Export to save an .ics file, then import it.
• From a booking or scheduling tool: Look for a “Subscribe” or “iCal feed” link in the tool’s calendar settings.

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Quick Reference

Goal	New Outlook / Web	Classic Outlook
One-time file import (.ics)	Add calendar → Upload from file	File → Import/Export → Import iCalendar
Import a .csv	Not supported	File → Import/Export → Import from file
Subscribe to a live URL	Add calendar → Subscribe from web	Account Settings → Internet Calendars → New
Edit imported events	Only one-time imports	Only one-time imports

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Troubleshooting

My imported events don’t update when the source changes.

You used Upload from file, which is a one-time copy. To stay in sync, remove it and re-add the calendar with Subscribe from web using the calendar’s .ics URL instead.

The subscribed calendar isn’t showing new events.

Subscribed calendars can take up to 24 hours to refresh, and the interval is set by Microsoft. There’s no manual refresh button in the web or new Outlook — wait, or remove and re-add the subscription to force a fresh pull.

Outlook won’t import my .csv file.

CSV import only works in classic Outlook, and the file must have headers Outlook recognizes (Subject, Start Date, Start Time, End Date, End Time). Open the file and fix the headers, or use Map Custom Fields during import.

I can’t find the Subscribe option in the new Outlook.

Make sure you’re in Calendar, not Mail, then click Add calendar in the left pane — Subscribe from web is one of the options in that panel, not in the main Settings.

The events imported with the wrong times.

The .ics file carries its own time zone, and Outlook interprets it literally. Confirm your Outlook time zone settings match what you expect before importing.

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If juggling calendars from multiple apps by hand is wearing you down, Carly is an AI assistant that handles scheduling, manages your inbox, and connects to 200+ apps — keeping your calendars aligned without manual imports.

More on Outlook: How to export your Outlook calendar · How to get your Outlook calendar ICS URL · How to add Google Calendar to Outlook · How to sync Google Calendar with Outlook · How to overlay calendars in Outlook · How to add holidays to your Outlook calendar

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