Best Way to Import a Calendar into Office 365 Group Calendar

In this blog, I share some tricks which can help you import a calendar into Office 365 Group calendar. So let’s start.

Keeping your team on the same page requires a centralized schedule. While Office 365 Groups offers a fantastic shared calendar solution, importing existing calendars can seem tricky. Here’s the deal: directly importing .ics, .csv, or .pst files into Group Calendars isn’t currently supported. But don’t worry, there’s a workaround using the magic of Outlook desktop!

Table of Contents

Issues While Import a Calendar into Office 365 Group Calendar

Direct Import Limitations: Many calendar platforms, including Office 365 Groups, don’t support directly importing common calendar file formats (.ics, .csv, .pst) into shared calendars.

Version Incompatibility: Compatibility issues can arise if the calendar you’re importing from uses a significantly older or newer version compared to the target shared calendar. This can lead to garbled data or incomplete imports

Permissions and Access: If you lack the necessary permissions on the target shared calendar, you won’t be able to import events successfully. Make sure you have the appropriate edit or contribute permissions for the shared calendar.

Event Recurrence Issues: Recurring events can be tricky during imports. Some platforms might not translate recurrence patterns perfectly, leading to missing or duplicated events in the shared calendar. Double-check your imported recurring events for accuracy.

Conflicting Events: If the calendar you’re importing from has events that conflict with existing events in the shared calendar, the import process might fail or overwrite existing events unexpectedly. It’s wise to check for potential conflicts beforehand.

Exporting Your Source Calendar

The first step is to export the calendar you want to import. Most calendar applications allow exporting to an .ics file format, which is universally recognized. Consult your specific calendar app’s documentation for exporting instructions.

Importing the .ics into Outlook Desktop

Open Outlook Desktop and navigate to the Calendar section.
Click on “File” then “Open & Export” followed by “Import/Export.”
Select “Import from another program or file” and click “Next.”
Choose “Comma Separated Values” (even though we’re using an .ics file). Click “Next” again.
Browse to your downloaded .ics file and select it.

Here’s the twist: Instead of directly importing into the Group Calendar, we’ll import it as a separate calendar within your Outlook. This temporary calendar will serve as a staging ground for our events.

Click “Import” to finalize the process. A new calendar containing your imported events will appear in the left-hand pane of your Outlook Calendar view.

Moving Events to the Group Calendar

Now comes the transfer!

With both your imported calendar and the Office 365 Group Calendar visible, switch to “List” view for easier handling.
Drag and drop the desired events from the imported calendar to the Group Calendar.

Alternatively:

Select the events you want to transfer in the imported calendar.
Right-click and choose “Move to Calendar” from the menu.
Select the Office 365 Group Calendar from the list and click “OK” to complete the transfer.

Remember: You must be a member of the Office 365 group to see and edit its calendar.

Once you’ve transferred all the necessary events, you can delete the temporary imported calendar from your Outlook.

How to Import PST File to Shared Mailbox in Exchange Online?

Conclusion

While a direct import might seem simpler, this method effectively achieves the same result. With a little planning and these steps, you can consolidate your team’s schedule into a single, centralized Office 365 Group Calendar, promoting better collaboration and keeping everyone informed.

Frequently Asked Question

Is there a specific reason why directly importing .ics, .csv, or .pst files into Group Calendars is not currently supported?

Answer: The reason why directly importing .ics, .csv, or .pst files into Group Calendars is not currently supported may be due to technical limitations or design choices in the current implementation of Office 365 Groups. It could be a deliberate decision by the developers to prioritize other features or functionalities within the system. However, it’s always best to refer to official documentation or reach out to the support team of the specific software or platform for a more accurate and detailed explanation.

Can I directly Import a (Public folder, Archive mailbox or user mailbox) PST file into a shared mailbox on Exchange Online?

Answer: Yes, you can import a PST file into a shared mailbox on Exchange Online, regardless of whether the PST file originated from a public folder, archive mailbox, or user mailbox. To do so, you would need to use the Exchange Online PowerShell module and follow the appropriate steps to initiate the import process. Or use can also use any third-party PST to Office 365 Migration tool. Once completed, the data from the PST file will be migrated into the shared mailbox, making it accessible to all users with permission to access the shared mailbox.

Best Way to Import a Calendar into Office 365 Group Calendar