Displaying events from another calendar with GravityCalendar

GravityCalendar can show events from other iCal feeds (the standard calendar format) on the same calendar, such as public holidays next to your own events.

Adding an external calendar feed #

In your form’s Settings, open GravityCalendar, hover over your feed, and click Edit.

Settings for adding an events calendar in Gravity Forms with shortcode and options to edit or delete

Note: To show another GravityCalendar feed on this calendar, check Enable calendar subscription link under Create a Calendar Subscription Link in that feed’s settings, then paste its link into this feed’s Display Events from Another Calendar Feed setting.

In the feed settings, scroll to Display Events from Another Calendar Feed. Paste the URL of an external iCal feed, or of another GravityCalendar feed on your site, and choose a color for its events:

Enter a calendar feed URL and select event color for display in a calendar

A feed with formatting errors may not show its events. Check it with the iCalendar Validator.

Click Save Settings at the bottom of the screen:

Enable calendar subscription link option with Save Settings button

The calendar now shows the feed’s events in the color you chose:

Calendar for December 2022 with events like Family 5km, Talent Show, Christmas, and New Year's highlighted

A timed event from the feed shows at your site’s time (Settings, then General, then Timezone) for every visitor, the same as the calendar’s own events. For example, a 9:00 event in a Berlin feed shows at 3:00 on a site set to New York.

Including external feeds in subscription feeds and downloads #

If you add an external calendar feed to your GravityCalendar calendar, you can also include its events in your calendar’s subscription feed and .ics download. Under Calendar Subscription, check Include External Events in Subscription, then select the feeds under External Feeds to Include.

The Calendar Subscription settings of a GravityCalendar feed, with Include External Events in Subscription checked and an Office Holidays feed selected under External Feeds to Include

Where to find external calendar feeds #

These sites publish iCal feeds you can add:

Holiday calendars

Office Holidays

Public holiday feeds for each country.

World Public Holiday

Holiday feeds by country, including regional holidays.

CalendarLabs

Holiday, sports, and entertainment feeds.

Best practices for external feeds

When selecting external calendar feeds:

Test the feed first: Use the iCalendar Validator to verify feed formatting before adding to your calendar
Choose established sources: Stick with reputable organizations or government sources for accuracy
Check update frequency: Ensure feeds are regularly maintained (check the feed’s last update date)
Use distinct colors: Assign different colors to external feeds to visually distinguish them from your GravityCalendar entries