Add a School Calendar to Google Calendar

To add a school calendar to Google Calendar, subscribe to the school's published calendar link or import its ICS or CSV file. (Google subscription guidance (opens in a new tab); Google import guidance (opens in a new tab))

If the school sends a PDF, photo or message, forward that source to Briefly through Telegram. Briefly pulls out proposed dates, deadlines and preparation details for you to review.

For a school trip, review the trip date, consent deadline and packing list together. Check the details against the notice, then approve what applies to your family.

If you already subscribe to the school's calendar, leave out any event that it already includes.

Last updated: 6 October 2026.

Choose the Calendar Outcome Before the File Type

Choose the method that matches the source and the details your family needs.

Your desired outcome	Best method	What appears in the family calendar	Main tradeoff
Dates from the school calendar	Subscribe to the school's published calendar	Events the school includes in that feed	A school-wide feed can include dates that do not apply to your child
Dates and to-dos from a notice	Send selected notices to Briefly and review the result	Approved events in the calendar feed, with tasks and preparation details to review in Briefly	Send and review replacement notices when details change
Stable one-time schedule	Import the supplied ICS or CSV file	A fixed copy of the imported events	Later source changes do not update the copy

Use one owner for the same set of dates. If you subscribe to a school calendar, do not also import or approve another copy of those events. If Briefly owns a selected programme or class schedule, process replacement notices through Briefly instead of adding a second calendar source.

Option 1: Build a Family-Ready Calendar From Selected Notices

Choose this option when the school communication contains more than a date. Newsletters, consent forms, portal screenshots, and chat messages often include payment deadlines, attire, items to bring, pickup changes, or instructions for a specific class. The workflow is: forward one relevant notice, check the proposed result, and approve only what applies to your household.

Google Calendar does not document direct PDF or image importing; its supported import files are ICS and CSV. Briefly can turn a selected PDF, photo, screenshot, or message into reviewable family-calendar information. (Google's supported import formats (opens in a new tab))

Use this review-first workflow:

Forward the relevant notice. Send the communication that applies to your child or household.
Review the proposed family details. Check the event, deadline, location, packing list, attire, payment, transport details, and any ambiguous or class-specific instruction against the source.
Approve one family version. Save only confirmed events and tasks, then process replacements through the same route instead of adding a second subscription or import.

You can enter the information yourself or forward the source to Briefly through Telegram. Briefly extracts the calendar information and action items for review before approved items reach the family's subscribed calendar feed.

Turn your next school notice into a plan for your family.

Create a free account and connect Telegram. Forward one notice, then review its dates, deadlines and packing details against the source. Approve the items your family needs.

Create my free account

Subscribe to your Briefly family feed to see approved events in Google Calendar. Free during beta. No credit card. Briefly only reads what you send. See how Briefly handles your data.

For each source format, see:

Choose this option when comprehensive coverage and publisher-driven updates matter more than a curated family view. Look for Add to Google Calendar, Subscribe, iCal, ICS, or a published calendar URL.

Add a Published Calendar URL to Google Calendar

Copy the published calendar URL from the school or district website.
On a computer, open Google Calendar.
Beside Other calendars, select +.
Select From URL.
Paste the calendar URL.
Select Add calendar.
Confirm that the new calendar appears under Other calendars.

Google's From URL flow uses a computer browser. After you add the published calendar there, you can view it in the mobile app. (Google: subscribe from a calendar URL (opens in a new tab))

If the school supplies a direct Google Calendar button, use that first. It may open the correct subscription screen without requiring you to copy the underlying URL.

What a Subscription Includes

A subscription can receive changes after the school updates the source calendar and Google refreshes it. It does not guarantee an instant update. For a same-day closure or urgent change, confirm the latest notice through the school rather than relying only on the last calendar refresh.

Option 3: Import an ICS or CSV File

Use an import when the school gives you a downloadable file but no live calendar link. Google supports ICS and CSV imports on a computer. Imported events are copies, so later edits by the school do not update them. (Google: import events (opens in a new tab))

Import the File

Download the school's ICS or CSV file.
On a computer, open Google Calendar.
Select Settings, then Settings.
Select Import & export in the left menu.
Select Select file from your computer.
Choose the ICS or CSV file.
Choose the calendar that should receive the events.
Select Import.
Compare several imported dates with the original school calendar.

Google notes that guests and conference information are not imported. It also warns that recurring events in a CSV file may appear as a series of separate one-time events. (Google Calendar Help (opens in a new tab))

Importing Is Not Subscribing

An imported schedule is a snapshot. If the school changes a holiday, conference date, or dismissal time, your copy will not correct itself. Use import for a stable, one-time schedule; use a live subscription when the source is expected to change.

Before importing, consider using a dedicated destination calendar such as Maya's School Calendar. Keeping school events separate makes them easier to color, hide, review, or replace without mixing them into a personal calendar.

Organize School Calendars for Multiple Children

A simple naming system prevents the combined view from becoming another source of confusion.

Calendar	Suggested name	What belongs there
Child 1	Maya's School Calendar	Classes, school closures, performances, and parent meetings
Child 2	Leo's School Calendar	School-specific dates for the second child
Shared family admin	Family Actions	Forms, payment deadlines, packing reminders, and transport tasks
School-owned feed	Keep the published school name	Dates maintained by the school or district

Use one color per child and keep a subscribed source separate from reminders your family owns. That lets you hide or replace one feed without losing transport or preparation tasks.

For a calendar you own, Google lets you choose who can see event details, make changes, or manage sharing:

Open Google Calendar on a computer.
Find the calendar under My calendars.
Open Settings and sharing.
Add the other parent's email address.
Choose the appropriate permission.
Send the invitation.

Google says you can share a calendar you own or one for which the owner granted sharing permission. For a school-owned subscription, the simplest option is usually for each caregiver to subscribe to the original published URL. (Google: share your calendar (opens in a new tab))

If a caregiver uses Apple Calendar, Apple supports adding a subscription URL through Calendars → Add Calendar → Add Subscription Calendar. Choosing iCloud as the account makes the subscription available across devices signed in to the same Apple Account. (Apple Support (opens in a new tab))

Troubleshooting School Calendar Imports and Subscriptions

The School Changed a Date but Google Did Not

Identify the source type first: an imported ICS or CSV file never receives source edits, while a subscription can receive updates after the school changes the published feed. For a subscription, check that the school changed the source calendar itself, then allow time for the feed to refresh. A separate webpage or message does not update the calendar feed.

Events Appear Twice

Hide calendars one at a time in Google Calendar. If one set came from an earlier import and another from a subscription, remove the obsolete copy or calendar. Avoid importing the same file again unless you have first checked how the replacement will affect existing events.

The Calendar Is Missing

Look under Other calendars and make sure its visibility checkbox is selected. Also confirm that you added it to the Google Account you normally use.

An Event Has the Wrong Time

Compare the original notice, the event's time zone, and your Google Calendar time-zone setting. Do not correct a whole calendar from one event until you know whether the source contained a local time, an explicit time zone, or an all-day date.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add a school calendar to Google Calendar from my phone?

After you add a school calendar, you can view it in the Google Calendar app. Google's documented flow for adding a new published calendar URL uses a computer browser. If a school's direct Add to Google Calendar link does not work on mobile, open Google Calendar on a computer and use Other calendars, then From URL. (Google Calendar Help (opens in a new tab))

Will an imported school calendar update automatically?

No. Importing an ICS or CSV file creates a snapshot of the events available at that time. Later school changes will not update the imported events. Subscribe to the school's published calendar URL instead when you want source changes to flow into your calendar. (Google Calendar Help (opens in a new tab); Microsoft Support (opens in a new tab))

Can Google Calendar import a school-calendar PDF?

Not directly. Google's documented importer accepts ICS and CSV files on a computer. If the school calendar exists only as a PDF, photo, screenshot, or message, enter its dates manually or send the source to Briefly. Review the proposed events against the source before approval. (Google Calendar Help (opens in a new tab))

Should I use an ICS or CSV file for Google Calendar?

Use the format supplied by the school; Google Calendar can import both ICS and CSV files. Google warns that repeating events imported from CSV may appear as separate one-time events, so check recurring dates after the import. (Google Calendar Help (opens in a new tab))

How do I share a school calendar with another parent?

If you own the destination calendar, share it through Google Calendar's Settings and sharing controls. If the school owns a subscribed calendar, send the original subscription link to the other parent because only the owner or someone with sharing permission can manage access. (Google Calendar sharing guidance (opens in a new tab))

How do I avoid duplicate school events?

Choose one method for each source calendar. Do not import the same file repeatedly or keep both a static import and a live subscription for the same dates. If duplicates appear, hide calendars one at a time to identify which source created each copy.

Turn Your Next School Notice Into a Family Plan

Forward the notice to Briefly through Telegram. Compare the proposed dates and tasks with the source, then approve what applies to your family. Subscribe to your separate, read-only family feed to see approved events in Google Calendar. Keep the tasks and preparation details in your Briefly review.

For sources that are not ready-made calendar files:

Have a school notice to sort out?

Create a free account and connect Telegram. Forward the notice, compare the proposed dates and tasks with the source, and approve what applies to your family.