Question 1

Why does Google Calendar fail to import my CSV?

Accepted Answer

Its import accepts one layout only. The header row must use Google’s English names — Subject and Start Date are required; Start Time, End Date, End Time, All Day Event, Description, Location and Private are optional — and the dates must be in a format it recognises. A file with other headers or day-first dates is rejected or imports nothing. Converting it to .ics here avoids the template altogether.

Question 2

How do I import the file into Google Calendar?

Accepted Answer

On a computer, open Google Calendar and click the gear icon → Settings → Import & Export. Select the .ics file, choose which calendar the events should go into and click Import. Importing is not available in the Google Calendar app on a phone, but the events show up there once they are imported.

Question 3

Can I import repeating events?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Add a column that says how a row repeats — "every Monday", "weekly on Tuesday and Thursday" — and it becomes one repeating event. Google’s own CSV import cannot do this: its layout has no column for repeats, so each occurrence has to be its own row. Check the repeat on screen before you download.

Question 4

Can I undo an import?

Accepted Answer

Google Calendar has no undo for an import. Import into a new, empty calendar first (Settings → Add calendar → Create new calendar): if anything is wrong, delete that calendar and nothing else is touched.

Question 5

Does this work with a Google Sheet?

Accepted Answer

Yes. In Google Sheets choose File → Download → Comma-separated values (.csv) or Microsoft Excel (.xlsx), then upload that file here.

Question 6

What columns does my CSV need?

Accepted Answer

A title and a date at minimum. Start time, end time, location and description are optional. The header names do not have to match a template: "Subject", "Event", "Start", "Begins at" and similar are recognised.

Question 7

How many rows can I import at once?

Accepted Answer

Hundreds of rows in one file. Each row becomes its own event in a single .ics file, so the whole list goes into Google Calendar in one import.

CSV to Google Calendar — Import Any CSV, No Template

Your columns, not Google’s

Day-first dates and semicolons

Repeating events stay repeating

How to import a CSV into Google Calendar

A CSV that Google Calendar’s own import cannot read

Frequently Asked Questions

More spreadsheet converters