How to Export Google Calendar (All Calendars or Just One)

Exporting your Google Calendar gives you a file with a copy of your events that you can keep as a backup, move into Outlook or Apple Calendar, or hand over when you change accounts. It takes a minute, but there are two ways to do it and a couple of limits that catch people out.

How to export all your Google calendars

1. Open Google Calendar on a computer.
2. Click Settings at the top right.
3. On the left, click Import & export.
4. Under Export, click Export.
5. A .zip file downloads to your computer. Open it to find one .ics file for each calendar.

How to export just one calendar

1. Open Google Calendar on a computer.
2. On the left, under My calendars, point to the calendar you want.
3. Click the three dots, then Settings and sharing.
4. Under Calendar settings, click Export calendar.

Exporting one calendar is handy when you only want to move your work diary, or hand a project calendar to someone else, without sending your personal appointments too.

What you get: an .ics file

The export is an .ics file, the standard calendar format almost every calendar app understands. Outlook, Apple Calendar and other Google accounts can all import it. When you export everything, the files arrive zipped, and Google points out that you need to open the .zip first to get at the individual .ics files before importing them anywhere.

You want to	Do this
Back up everything	Settings, Import & export, Export
Move one calendar	Settings and sharing, Export calendar
Import into another Google account	Unzip, then use Import in the other account
Use the events in Outlook or Apple Calendar	Import the .ics file in that app
Keep a live view elsewhere	Use the secret address in iCal format instead of a file

The catch: you can't export from your phone, or from someone else's calendar

Google is clear that you can't export from the Google Calendar app. It only works in a browser on a computer. You also need the Make changes and manage sharing permission for a calendar to export it, so a calendar someone has shared with you as view-only won't export. If you use Google Calendar through work or school, your administrator may have switched export off altogether, in which case you'll need to ask them.

A snapshot, not a sync

An exported file is a copy of your events at the moment you downloaded it. If you import it into Outlook, new events you add in Google later won't follow. For an always up-to-date view in another app, you want the calendar's secret address in iCal format, which you'll find in the same Settings and sharing page. Google notes that if the public address gives an error, the secret address is the one to use, and if you can't find a secret address, that calendar can't be exported.

Treat the secret address like a password. Anyone who has it can see your events.

When to export your calendar

• Before closing a Google account or leaving an organisation.
• Before moving your business to Outlook or another calendar.
• As a yearly backup of client meetings and project dates.
• When handing a shared project calendar to a new owner.

How to import the file somewhere else

1. Unzip the download so you can see the .ics files.
2. In the new calendar app, find its import option. In another Google account, it's Settings, Import & export, Import.
3. Choose the .ics file and the calendar it should go into.
4. Import, then check a few events to make sure times and time zones look right.

If you're moving tools as part of a wider tidy-up of how you work, my roundup of software that helps productivity is a good next step.

Exporting a calendar you share with your team

Shared calendars only export for people who can manage them. If your team keeps a shared calendar for holidays or launches, make sure at least two people have manage permission. Then, if one of you leaves or loses access, someone can still export it before anything changes. It's a small admin step that saves a lot of rebuilding later.

Checking your export worked

Before you delete anything or close an account, open the export and check it. Unzip the file and confirm there's an .ics file for each calendar you expected. Then import one of them into a test calendar, either a new calendar in Google or a spare calendar in another app, and spot-check a handful of events: one recent, one from months ago and one recurring meeting. If recurring events and time zones look right, the file is good.

Delete the test calendar afterwards so you don't end up with duplicate events everywhere.

My verdict

Exporting Google Calendar is a one-minute job on a computer: Settings, Import & export, Export, and unzip the result. Remember it won't work from your phone or on calendars you can only view, and that the file is a snapshot rather than a live link. If you want ongoing access from another app, use the secret iCal address and keep it private. And if your calendar feels out of control, my guide to calendar marketing shows how to plan it with purpose.

Frequently asked questions

How do I know my Google Calendar export worked?

Unzip the file, then import one .ics file into a test calendar and check a few events, including a recurring one.

Can I export Google Calendar from my phone?

No. Exporting only works in Google Calendar on a computer.

What file type does Google Calendar export?

An .ics file. Exporting all calendars gives you a .zip containing one .ics file per calendar.

Why can't I export a calendar someone shared with me?

You need the Make changes and manage sharing permission for that calendar.

Can I export Google Calendar to Outlook?

Yes. Export the .ics file and import it into Outlook. For a live view, use the secret iCal address instead.

Does exporting delete events from Google Calendar?

No. It downloads a copy and leaves your calendar exactly as it was.