ICS file generator
Fill in one event and download it as an .ics file, the calendar format Apple Calendar, Outlook and most other calendar apps open. This page starts with a sample workshop so you can download it and see what an .ics file holds.
Free, no sign-up. Runs in your browser. Nothing you type or upload is sent to us or stored.
At a glance
- File extension and media type
- .ics, served as text/calendar (RFC 5545, the iCalendar standard)
- Source: rfc-editor.org, checked 2026-11
- Required lines
- The calendar needs PRODID and VERSION; each event needs UID and DTSTAMP
- Source: rfc-editor.org, checked 2026-11
- Line length
- Lines should be no longer than 75 octets. Longer ones are folded onto the next line, which starts with a space
- Source: rfc-editor.org, checked 2026-11
- All-day events
- DTEND is the non-inclusive end, so a one-day event on 10 March ends on 11 March
- Source: rfc-editor.org, checked 2026-11
- Importing into Google Calendar
- On a computer: Settings, Import & Export, select the .ics file, pick a calendar, Import
- Source: support.google.com, checked 2026-11
- Imported events don't update
- Outlook keeps a snapshot of an imported .ics file, even if the file's owner changes it later
- Source: support.microsoft.com, checked 2026-11
Give your event a page
Make an event page on Liite with your calendar links as buttons, a map to the venue and a sign-up form, all at one address you can share or print as a QR code.
ICS file generator: what to know
This page starts the calendar link generator for this case. For every option and how to use it, see the calendar link generator.
What's inside an .ics file
A one-event file is a handful of lines: BEGIN:VCALENDAR, VERSION:2.0 and PRODID, then BEGIN:VEVENT with UID, DTSTAMP, DTSTART, DTEND and SUMMARY, and the matching END lines. LOCATION and DESCRIPTION are optional. Commas, semicolons and backslashes in text are escaped with a backslash, and line breaks are written as \n.
The tool writes times in UTC with a Z on the end, for example DTSTART:20270310T093000Z. Every calendar app then shows the event in its own user's local time, so you don't need a time zone block in the file.
Send the file or host it
Attach the .ics file to an email, or upload it to your website and link to it. On a phone or computer, opening the file offers to add the event. Google Calendar on the web imports .ics files from Settings rather than on a click.
A file is a one-off copy. If the time changes, make a new file and tell people, because Outlook and Google don't update events they've already imported.
Questions
How do I generate an ICS file?
Type the event above, check the time zone and press Download .ics. The file is built in your browser and nothing is sent to us.
How do I open a .ics file?
Double-click or tap it, and your calendar app offers to add the event. In Google Calendar on a computer, use Settings, Import & Export instead.
What does ICS file mean?
ICS is the file extension of iCalendar, the standard format calendar apps use to swap events. The file is plain text you can open in any text editor.