How to Subscribe to a Calendar in Outlook (URL / .ics)

You’ve got a calendar URL — maybe for sunrise and sunset times, a sports schedule, or a holiday calendar — and you want it in Outlook. Outlook supports subscribing to external .ics calendar feeds so events update automatically. Here’s how to do it on every version of Outlook.

Subscribe in Outlook on the Web (outlook.com / Microsoft 365)

  1. Go to Outlook Calendar and sign in
  2. In the left sidebar, click Add calendar
  3. Select Subscribe from web
  4. Paste the calendar URL (it should end in .ics)
  5. Give the calendar a name and pick a color
  6. Click Import

The events will appear on your calendar. Outlook refreshes subscribed calendars automatically, though it can take several hours for new events to show up.

Subscribe in the New Outlook Desktop App (Windows / Mac)

The new Outlook app uses the same interface as the web version:

  1. Open Outlook and switch to the Calendar view
  2. Click Add calendar in the left sidebar
  3. Select Subscribe from web
  4. Paste the .ics URL
  5. Name the calendar and choose a color
  6. Click Import

Subscribe in Classic Outlook for Windows

If you’re still using the classic Outlook desktop app:

  1. Open Outlook and go to the Calendar view
  2. In the ribbon, click Open Calendar (or Add Calendar)
  3. Select From Internet…
  4. Paste the calendar URL
  5. Click OK
  6. When prompted, click Yes to subscribe

The calendar will appear under Other Calendars in the left panel.

Subscribe in Outlook for Mobile (iPhone / Android)

The Outlook mobile app doesn’t support adding calendars by URL directly. Instead:

  1. Add the calendar subscription using Outlook on the web (steps above)
  2. The calendar syncs to your Outlook mobile app automatically

If you’re on iPhone, you can also open the .ics URL directly in Safari — iOS will offer to add it to Apple Calendar, which can sync alongside Outlook.

Troubleshooting

Events aren’t appearing

Outlook can take a few hours to fetch events from a newly subscribed calendar. Make sure the URL ends in .ics and that it loads when you paste it directly into a browser.

Events look outdated

Outlook refreshes subscribed calendars on its own schedule. There’s no way to force an immediate refresh in most versions. Give it up to 24 hours for changes to appear.

Can’t find the “Subscribe from web” option

Make sure you’re in the Calendar view, not Mail. In classic Outlook, the option is under Open Calendar > From Internet in the ribbon. In the new Outlook and web version, it’s under Add calendar in the left sidebar.

What Kinds of Calendars Can You Subscribe To?

Any calendar published as an .ics feed works with Outlook. Common examples:

  • Sunrise and sunset calendars — daily sunrise and sunset events for your city
  • Sports schedules — game times that update as the season goes on
  • Holiday calendars — national or regional holidays
  • School calendars — academic schedules and events
  • Shared team calendars — public schedules from other organizations

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