Import from another The Events Calendar iCal Feed

[Stephanie]

Hello,

I am interested in adding this plugin to my setup. I have a main calendar on my main site under a multi-site installation. I am creating a new website under the multi-site structure and would like to install The Events Calendar (free version) on this new site and automatically import my events from main site with the Events Aggregator to new site.

Is this possible, perhaps using an iCal feed for main Events Calendar?

Amanda

[Cliff]

Hi Stephanie.

I believe you’re requesting the same thing as one of our existing feature requests: https://tribe.uservoice.com/forums/195723-feature-ideas/suggestions/16852576-let-users-import-events-from-other-ecp-installs-vi

Please do add your vote there.

This allows us to gauge interest in this particular feature request, which helps us prioritize our development efforts.

Thank you.

[Stephanie]

Let me ask this a simpler way.

How would I automatically or manually import events from my main calendar into a another calendar on a different site?

[Cliff]

Stephanie, we have a CSV import but not a CSV export. We have an iCal import and an iCal export but it’s not a lossless way to move or sync events from Site A to Site B. This feature request is a solution offered to bridge this gap in functionality.

Therefore, the only full data move is via WordPress’ own import/export tools. Please reference Using WordPress Export Tools to Migrate Events Content and let me know if that answers your question.

[Stephanie]

How do I do an iCal export of my events calendar by category?

[Cliff]

Stephanie, if you navigate to each event category then you can view the iCal export link at each URL like this one from our demo site: http://wpshindig.com/events/category/wp-meetups/

I hope this answers your question. Let me know if it doesn’t.

[Stephanie]

Ok, So I believe the Event Aggregator will work for what I am trying to do, its just not automated.

Please confirm that my think it correct in implementing this into my current structure.

1. Export iCal for category in Main events calendar
2. Go to sister website events calendar and navigate to Events > Import
3. With Events Aggregator installed I can import my Category specific iCal file into sister calendar.

Of course I need to throw my hat in the ring for wanting the automation. FYI looks like All-in-one Event Calendar has this feature.

[Cliff]

It sounds like you’ve got an understanding of how this can work.

I hope it works well for you.

[Stephanie]

Hi,

I found this thread:
https://theeventscalendar.com/support/forums/topic/i-how-do-i-create-an-ics-feed-from-one-event-pro-calendar-and-install-on-each-a/

“2- Install The Events Calendar in the main site and subsites. Also install iCal Importer in the subsites to create recurring imports from the main site. In this case the content will be shown in each subsite calendar, and not work as a list of links as the solution described in #1.”
^ Won’t this accomplish what I am asking?

[Cliff]

iCal Importer has been replaced by Event Aggregator but other than that, yes.

Re-reading what you wrote previously, the difference is not having to do the export manually. Instead, you copy the iCal export’s URL… so, yes.

Sorry this isn’t clearer. Again, this is why we have the feature request I linked to in my initial reply.

[Sally Richardson]

Hi – isn’t there, however, a major drawback with exporting and importing events between two EC sites using the ical export file and then importing? In particular:

1. If there are tags on the source site’s events, these do not get carried with the ical file?
2. If you have used the excerpt on the source site, to get around the problem of html being stripped out of the description, the excerpt is not carried with the ical feed?

I have found that the WordPress Export Tools to Migrate Events Content is the only way to get a proper mirror image but you can’t, as far as I can see, export only eg one category for a custom post type (events). The other problem of course is that it is static.

I see in the requests for new features there is already a request to have an export URL feature (instead of ics file) like Timely do (mentioned by Stephanie) – which immediately takes all of these problems away if you also design it to include all the fields from the source event, not just the standard ics fields.

Would be amazing if this were available OR, as a half way step, to have an alternative file to the ics file which includes all of the fields used by events calendar, not just the ones used in a standard ICS file.

Wanted to bring all of this to Stephanie’s attention before she sets it all up in the way she has described – but this missing information (tags, excerpts etc) might not matter in her set up?

[Cliff]

Thank you for that, Sally.

Yes, exactly. This is why a dedicated push/pull/sync sort of solution, like the UserVoice thread I linked to in my initial reply, would be useful.

And here’s a possible reference for a more customized export of your content: https://managewp.com/wordpress-migrating-content-and-media (not sure if it’s still 100% current)

[Sally Richardson]

Many thanks!

[Cliff]

You’re welcome, Sally. And thank you.

Stephanie / Amanda, please let me know if you have any follow-ups to this thread.

Please note that threads get Closed automatically after a couple weeks of inactivity. If it does get Closed, please open a new thread, adding your current problem description and also linking back to this thread.

Thank you!

[Support Droid]

Hey there! This thread has been pretty quiet for the last three weeks, so we’re going to go ahead and close it to avoid confusion with other topics. If you’re still looking for help with this, please do open a new thread, reference this one and we’d be more than happy to continue the conversation over there.

Thanks so much!
The Events Calendar Support Team

[Author]

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