Import an Excel schedule into Google Calendar
Google Calendar cannot open an Excel file. To turn a list of dates in Excel into calendar events, the rows have to go through a CSV file or through Google Sheets.
The short version
- Google Calendar imports .ics and .csv files only, not Excel workbooks.
- You can save the Excel sheet as a CSV file with Google's column names and import that. It has no column for guests, and importing it twice creates every event twice.
- Or paste the rows into Google Sheets and create the events with an add-on. There is nothing to convert, and rows that are already created are skipped.
Way 1: Save the Excel sheet as CSV
This needs no add-on. It suits a one-off list with no guests.
- In row 1 of your Excel sheet, rename the columns to exactly these names:
Subject,Start Date,Start Time,End Date,End Time,All Day Event,Description,Location. Only the first two are required. - Write dates such as 05/30/2026 and times such as 10:00 AM.
- In Excel, choose File, then Save As, and pick CSV UTF-8 (Comma delimited).
- Open Google Calendar on a computer. Click the gear icon, then Settings, then Import & export.
- Choose the file, pick the calendar to add the events to, and click Import.
Two things go wrong most often. If Excel writes your dates day first, such as 30/05/2026, the import can fail or swap the day and the month. And Google Calendar cannot tell that it has seen a file before, so importing it a second time adds a second copy of every event.
Way 2: Paste the rows into Google Sheets
DropScribe Calendar Export is an add-on for Google Sheets. It reads the rows you select and adds one event for each. It is free for 14 days with everything unlocked.
- Install DropScribe Calendar Export from the Google Workspace Marketplace and approve the permissions Google shows you.
- Open a spreadsheet in Google Sheets and follow the menu below. The panel opens on the right.
Extensions then DropScribe Calendar Export then Open
- Open the Create events tab and click Add a template sheet. You get a sheet named Events to create, with every column already named.
- In Excel, copy your rows. In the template sheet, paste them under the matching columns: the event name under Title, the start under Start, and so on.
- Check the Start and End columns. A real date sits on the right of its cell. A date on the left is text: select the column, choose Format, then Number, then Date time, and type the date again.
- Select the rows, choose the calendar under Add events to, and click Create events.
Each row is marked Created and gets an Event ID, so it is skipped the next time.
For a long list you can bring in the whole file instead of copying: in Google Sheets, choose File, then Import, and upload the Excel file. Rename row 1 to the column names below and the add-on reads the sheet where it is.
Turn your Excel rows into events
Free for 14 days with everything unlocked. No card needed.
The columns the add-on reads
Put these names in row 1, in any order.
| Column | What goes in it |
|---|---|
| Title Required | The name of the event. |
| Start Required | A date, or a date and time. |
| End | Leave it empty and a timed event lasts one hour. |
| All day | Type Yes for an all-day event. A Start with no time and no End is also all-day. |
| Location, Description | Any text. |
| Guests | Email addresses, separated by commas. |
| Event ID, Status | Filled in by the add-on. Rows that have an Event ID are skipped. |
Which way to use
| CSV import | DropScribe Calendar Export | |
|---|---|---|
| Steps | Rename columns, save as CSV, upload in Google Calendar | Paste the rows into Google Sheets |
| Dates | Must be written the way Google expects | Any date Google Sheets recognises |
| Guests | No column for guests | A Guests column, with invitation emails off unless you switch them on |
| Running it twice | Every event is created again | Rows already created are skipped |
| Cost | Free | Free for 14 days. Then 10 events per run on Free, or 200 on Pro |
Good to know before you run it
- No emails go out by default. Guests are added to the event quietly unless you switch on Email invitations to guests.
- Times follow the spreadsheet's time zone. You can see or change it in Google Sheets under File, then Settings.
- The add-on only adds events. It never edits or deletes one. To change an event after it is created, edit it in Google Calendar.
Questions
Can Google Calendar open an Excel file directly?
No. Its import accepts .ics and .csv files only. An Excel workbook has to be saved as CSV first, or its rows moved into Google Sheets.
Do I have to convert the whole file to Google Sheets?
No. Copying the rows in Excel and pasting them into a Google Sheet is enough. You can also bring in the whole file: in Google Sheets, choose File, then Import, and upload it.
Can I import birthdays or other all-day events?
Yes. Type Yes in the All day column, or give Start a date with no time and leave End empty. Each row becomes one event, so a birthday is added for the year you typed, not as a yearly repeat.
How many events can I import at once?
Up to 200 per run during the 14-day trial and on Pro, and 10 per run on the Free plan. Run it again and it carries on with the rows that are left.
What happens if I run it twice?
Nothing is duplicated. Each row that becomes an event gets an Event ID and the word Created, and rows that already have an Event ID are skipped.