CorrectICS

ICS File Won’t Import? Fix Google Calendar and Outlook Errors

If your .ics file won’t import into Google Calendar, Outlook, Apple Calendar, or another client, the problem is almost always inside the file itself — not your calendar.

This page is for you if you see errors like:

  • “Unable to import file” (Google Calendar)
  • “The file is not a valid iCalendar file” (Outlook)
  • “Events could not be added to the calendar” (Apple Calendar)
  • Or your calendar does nothing at all when you try to import

If you just want a quick fix:

Try the CorrectICS Autofix Tool

1. Before you edit anything, validate the file

Instead of guessing what’s wrong, validate the .ics file:

  1. Go to /fix on CorrectICS.
  2. Upload your .ics file.
  3. Review the error list — the first 1–3 errors usually explain the import failure.
  4. If offered, click “Download fixed file” and try importing that version.

CorrectICS checks for:

  • Missing required components (BEGIN:VCALENDAR, END:VCALENDAR, BEGIN:VEVENT, END:VEVENT)
  • Missing DTSTART / DTEND / UID / VERSION
  • Malformed lines, invalid characters, or broken line folding
  • Timezone (TZID) and VTIMEZONE issues

If you’re a developer or QA engineer, you can also use the API. See:
Common .ics File Errors and How to Fix Them.

2. Common reasons an ICS file won’t import

Here are the patterns we see most often:

a) Missing required fields

Most calendars require:

  • A valid BEGIN:VCALENDAR / END:VCALENDAR wrapper
  • One or more BEGIN:VEVENT / END:VEVENT blocks
  • DTSTART (start time) for each event
  • A UID (unique identifier) per event

If any of these are missing or malformed, the import fails.

b) Timezone problems (TZID / VTIMEZONE)

Invalid timezone identifiers or missing VTIMEZONE blocks can cause silent failures or badly shifted times.

See the timezone‑specific guide:
Fix ICS Timezone Errors (Events at the Wrong Time).

c) Encoding or formatting issues

Examples:

  • The file isn’t actually text (e.g., HTML or JSON saved as .ics)
  • Lines are too long and not properly folded
  • Non‑UTF‑8 byte sequences or control characters

The validator at /fix will flag many of these with precise line numbers.

3. Quick repair path for non‑technical users

If you don’t write code and just need the calendar working:

  1. Upload the file to /fix and run validation.
  2. Read the first error message — it usually points to the root cause.
  3. If a fixed download is available, download the repaired .ics.
  4. Import the repaired file into your calendar client.

If the file still won’t import, you can:

  • Send the validator results to whoever generated the file (e.g., your booking system, CRM, or event platform).
  • Share the request ID from CorrectICS with your engineering team for deeper debugging.
Try the CorrectICS Autofix Tool

4. Checklist for developers and integrators

If you own the system producing .ics files, run through this checklist:

  1. Validate in CI
    Use CorrectICS or another validator in your test pipeline before shipping new ICS templates.

  2. Start from a known‑good template
    Compare your output with a simple, valid ICS from a major calendar app and align structure/fields.

  3. Log the raw ICS on failures
    When customers report import issues, capturing the raw file lets you reproduce and debug quickly.

  4. Test with multiple clients
    Always test with at least:

    • Google Calendar (web)
    • Outlook (desktop or web)
    • Apple Calendar

  5. Handle timezones correctly
    Use Olson timezone names and matching VTIMEZONE blocks. Avoid custom strings like EST or PST.

For more programmatic examples, see:
How to Validate & Fix ICS Files Programmatically (Node, Python, Bash).

Try the CorrectICS Autofix Tool