Calendar Export (iCal) – Setup

Subscribe to your Vendion schedule in your regular calendar app. When your manager publishes a new schedule or moves a shift, your calendar updates automatically within a few minutes – no need to enter shifts by hand and no need to juggle two systems.

How it works:

Vendion generates an iCal subscription feed (ICS) for every staff member. The feed:

• Is personal (contains only your shifts)
• Is protected by a unique secret key in the URL
• Updates live – the calendar app syncs every 15–60 min (app-dependent)
• Includes shifts, station, break, notes and any changes
• Covers the next 90 days + last 30 days back for reference

What is iCal anyway?

iCal (also called ICS) is an open standard for sharing calendar data between apps. Nearly every calendar app supports it – Google, Apple, Microsoft, Mozilla Thunderbird, Samsung Calendar, Fantastical, BusyCal and more. The standard is described in RFC 5545. Compared to "import a file", the advantage of a subscription is that it stays synced automatically – you never have to redo anything.

Step 1 – Get your iCal URL:

1. Go to the Staff Portal (app.vendion.com → log in as staff with PIN or BankID)
2. Open the Schedule tab
3. Click Export calendar or the calendar icon
4. Copy the iCal URL (starts with https://)
5. Alternative: scan the QR code with your phone for quick iOS setup

Tip: The URL is personal – do not share it with others as they would gain full insight into your schedule. If you want to share it with family or a partner – have them subscribe to their own URL if they also work at the restaurant.

Step 2 – Add to Google Calendar (web):

1. Open calendar.google.com
2. In the left menu, click + next to Other calendars
3. Choose From URL
4. Paste the iCal URL
5. Click Add calendar
6. The calendar now appears under Other calendars
7. Rename and recolor via the gear icon → Settings and sharing
8. Pick a color that stands out (e.g. green or orange) to distinguish work from personal meetings

Google Calendar syncs roughly every 8–24 hours. This is a Google limitation and cannot be changed by us. A new shift added at 12:00 may show up in Google Calendar earliest at 20:00 the same night or only the next morning.

Step 3 – Add to Apple Calendar (iPhone/iPad):

1. Open the Settings app on iPhone/iPad
2. Go to Calendar → Accounts → Add Account
3. Choose Other → Add Subscribed Calendar
4. Paste the iCal URL
5. Tap Next
6. Choose refresh interval (recommended: Every 15 minutes)
7. Tap Save

The calendar now appears in the Calendar app. Apple Calendar syncs fastest of all – new shifts typically appear within 15 min. iOS also gives you notifications well before the shift starts.

Step 4 – Add to Apple Calendar (Mac):

1. Open the Calendar app on Mac
2. Menu File → New Calendar Subscription…
3. Paste the iCal URL, click Subscribe
4. Choose:
   • Name: "Vendion schedule"
   • Color: Yellow/orange (matches amber theme)
   • Auto-refresh: Every 15 minutes
   • Remove: Alerts (optional – turn off if you get annoying notifications)
5. Click OK

The calendar syncs automatically between Mac, iPhone and iPad via iCloud if you use the same Apple ID.

Step 5 – Add to Outlook (web):

1. Open outlook.live.com/calendar
2. Click Add calendar → Subscribe from web
3. Paste the iCal URL
4. Give the calendar a name, choose a color
5. Click Import

Step 6 – Add to Outlook (desktop):

1. Open Outlook
2. Calendar view → Home tab → Open Calendar → From Internet
3. Paste the iCal URL
4. Confirm with Yes when Outlook asks about the subscription

Step 7 – Samsung Calendar (Android):

For Android users who don't use Google Calendar directly:

1. Open Samsung Calendar or the equivalent default app
2. Menu → Manage calendars → Add account → CalDAV-based
3. Paste the iCal URL
4. Sync frequency: 15 min

Troubleshooting:

Calendar doesn't update:

• Google Calendar has up to 24h delay – this is not a Vendion bug
• Verify the URL starts with https:// (not webcal:// – change it if needed; some apps ask for webcal:// but Vendion only works with https://)
• Remove the subscription and re-add
• If the problem persists, try another calendar app to isolate the issue

Wrong shifts shown:

• The feed always shows the published schedule, not drafts
• If your manager just changed a shift, it may take 15 min to show up
• Confirm you are logged in as the right staff member in the portal

URL doesn't work:

• The URL is tied to your account. If you changed employment or your staff profile was removed, it stops working
• Generate a new URL via Staff Portal → Schedule → Regenerate iCal URL
• The old URL stops working immediately when you regenerate

Duplicate shifts shown:

• Happens if you subscribe twice (e.g. on Mac and iPhone with the same account)
• Delete one subscription or turn off "Show on all devices"

Revoke an iCal URL:

If you shared the URL by mistake or lost a device:

1. Go to Staff Portal → Profile → Privacy
2. Click Revoke iCal URL
3. All subscriptions stop working within a few minutes
4. Generate a new URL as needed and update your apps

Privacy:

• The feed contains shifts, times, station and notes – no personal identity numbers or salary data
• The iCal URL is cryptographically signed with a secret key. Nobody can guess your URL
• Vendion never logs who fetched the feed – your calendar app queries us directly via HTTPS
• If the manager later removes a staff member, the iCal URL is deactivated within 5 minutes

For the manager – can I see my staff's calendar URLs?

No. Even as Boss or manager, you cannot see another employee's iCal URL. If someone lost their URL, they must go to the portal themselves and copy it. This protects the employee's private calendar from prying eyes.

Related: View Your Schedule, Staff Portal, Update Profile.