Sharing & Subscribing

Once you've created blended calendars, you can subscribe to them in your favorite calendar app and share them with others — no BlendedCal account required for viewers.

ICS Subscription Links

Every blended calendar has an ICS subscription URL. This is a standard calendar format that works with Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, Outlook, and virtually every other calendar application.

The ICS URL looks like this:

When you subscribe to this URL in a calendar app, the app periodically fetches updates from BlendedCal and displays the events. Changes you make in BlendedCal (adding sources, changing filters, etc.) automatically appear in subscribed calendars after they refresh.

Adding to Google Calendar

To subscribe to a BlendedCal calendar in Google Calendar:

1. Copy the ICS subscription URL from BlendedCal
2. Open Google Calendar
3. On the left sidebar, click the + next to "Other calendars"
4. Select From URL
5. Paste your BlendedCal ICS URL
6. Click Add calendar

Google Calendar will fetch the events and add them to your calendar. Google typically refreshes subscription calendars every few hours (you can't control the refresh rate).

Adding to Apple Calendar

To subscribe to a BlendedCal calendar in Apple Calendar (macOS, iOS, iPadOS):

On Mac

1. Copy the ICS subscription URL from BlendedCal
2. Open the Calendar app
3. Go to File → New Calendar Subscription
4. Paste your BlendedCal ICS URL
5. Click Subscribe
6. Choose a name (optional — defaults to the calendar's name)
7. Set Auto-refresh to Every hour (recommended)
8. Click OK

On iPhone/iPad

1. Copy the ICS subscription URL from BlendedCal
2. Go to Settings → Calendar → Accounts → Add Account → Other
3. Tap Add Subscribed Calendar
4. Paste your BlendedCal ICS URL
5. Tap Next
6. Review the settings and tap Save

Adding to Outlook

To subscribe to a BlendedCal calendar in Outlook:

Outlook.com (Web)

1. Copy the ICS subscription URL from BlendedCal
2. Open Outlook Calendar
3. Click Add calendar → Subscribe from web
4. Paste your BlendedCal ICS URL
5. Give it a name
6. Click Import

Outlook Desktop (Windows/Mac)

1. Copy the ICS subscription URL from BlendedCal
2. Open Outlook
3. Go to File → Account Settings → Account Settings
4. Go to the Internet Calendars tab
5. Click New
6. Paste your BlendedCal ICS URL and click Add
7. Give it a name and click OK

Public Calendar Web Pages

In addition to ICS subscriptions, every blended calendar has a public web pagewhere anyone can view events in a browser without subscribing.

The public URL looks like this:

This page shows upcoming events in a clean, mobile-friendly format. It's perfect for:

• Sharing schedules with grandparents who don't use calendar apps
• Posting a team schedule on a website
• Embedding in an iframe (if allowed by your website)
• Quick reference on any device

Sharing with Family, Coaches, and Teams

Sharing BlendedCal calendars is easy because recipients don't need a BlendedCal accountto view or subscribe.

For Family Members

• Send them the ICS subscription URL to add to their calendar app
• Or share the public web page URL for quick viewing
• They'll automatically see updates as you add sources or events

For Coaches and Team Parents

• Create a calendar for the team (e.g., filter by team-name tag)
• Share the ICS URL via email, team chat, or website
• Everyone can subscribe and get automatic updates when the schedule changes

For Grandparents or Non-Tech-Savvy Users

• Share the public web page URL
• They can bookmark it and check the schedule anytime
• No setup, no calendar apps required

Team Features

While BlendedCal is primarily designed for personal/family use, it works great for small teams and organizations:

• Centralized calendar management — One person maintains the sources, everyone else subscribes
• Multiple views — Create different calendars for different audiences (coaches, parents, players)
• No account required for viewers — Share ICS links, not login credentials

Example setup for a youth sports team:

1. Team manager creates a BlendedCal account
2. Adds team sources: league calendar, practice schedule, tournament schedule
3. Tags everything with team-name
4. Creates calendars:
   • "Games Only" (filter text = game) — for busy parents
   • "Full Schedule" (all events) — for coaches
   • "Tournaments" (filter text = tournament) — for planning
5. Shares ICS URLs via team email/chat
6. Everyone subscribes and gets automatic updates

Privacy Considerations

BlendedCal calendars are public by default. Anyone with the URL can view events. Keep this in mind:

• Don't include sensitive information in event titles or descriptions from your source calendars
• Calendar slugs are part of the public URL — choose slugs that don't reveal private information
• If you need to stop sharing a calendar, delete it — this will break the subscription for everyone
• You can't make a calendar private after sharing it (URLs don't change and aren't password-protected)

Refresh Rates and Sync Timing

Understanding how calendar apps refresh subscription feeds helps set expectations:

BlendedCal's side: Changes you make in BlendedCal (editing filters, adding sources, etc.) are reflected in the ICS feed immediately. The delay is entirely on the calendar app's side.

Unsubscribing

To remove a BlendedCal calendar from your calendar app:

Google Calendar

1. Find the calendar in the left sidebar
2. Click the three dots next to it
3. Select Settings
4. Click Remove calendar

Apple Calendar

1. Select the calendar in the sidebar
2. Press Delete or right-click and choose Delete
3. Confirm the removal

Outlook

1. Right-click the calendar
2. Choose Delete
3. Confirm the removal