{"id":1965864,"date":"2025-08-12T00:14:22","date_gmt":"2025-08-12T04:14:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/staging.theeventscalendar.com\/knowledgebase\/?p=1965864"},"modified":"2025-08-12T00:14:23","modified_gmt":"2025-08-12T04:14:23","slug":"optimizing-ea-imports","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.theeventscalendar.com\/knowledgebase\/optimizing-ea-imports\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Optimize Imports with Event Aggregator: Google, iCal, Meetup, CSV"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Keeping your event calendar fresh and accurate is essential\u2014but manually managing events from multiple sources can turn into a time-consuming headache. With The Events Calendar\u2019s Event Aggregator<\/strong>, you can automatically import events from Google Calendar, iCal\/ICS feeds, Meetup, and CSV files. Notably, the CSV import tool is even available with the free The Events Calendar plugin<\/strong>, while importing from other services requires the full Event Aggregator<\/a> license.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 1: Master Your Import Settings<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Navigate to Events \u2192 Settings \u2192 Imports<\/strong> to configure:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Event Update Authority<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Defines how imported events are handled when updates occur:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Overwrite my event with any changes from the original source.<\/strong> \u2014 always replace local edits with source changes.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Do not re-import events. Changes made locally will be preserved.<\/strong> \u2014 import only new events, preserving local edits.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Import events but preserve local changes to event fields.<\/strong> \u2014 update only unchanged fields while keeping your custom edits intact.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
    \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Global & Source-Specific Settings<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
      \n
    • Default status<\/strong>: Published, Draft, Pending Review.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Default category<\/strong>: Assigns category globally or per source.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Show Google Map<\/strong>: Map display for imported venues.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Import limits<\/strong>:
      By date range<\/strong>: only events within a set window
      By number<\/strong>: cap the number of events per run
      Unlimited<\/strong> (not recommended)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      Pro tip: Always use a limited import strategy to reduce server load and prevent timeouts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Step 2: Importing from Specific Sources<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      A. CSV Files<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      Since the CSV importer is included with the free The Events Calendar<\/strong> plugin, it\u2019s a great starting point:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n
      1. Go to<\/strong> Events \u2192 Import<\/code> in your WordPress Dashboard.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      2. Select CSV File<\/strong> as the import origin.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      3. Choose the import type: Events, Venues, Organizers\u2014and even RSVPs or Tickets if applicable.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      4. Upload your CSV, then click Preview<\/strong> to map columns (e.g., Title \u2192 Event Title, Start Date \u2192 Event Start Date). Preview to avoid errors.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      5. Assign default settings: Published<\/strong>, Draft<\/strong>, Pending Review<\/strong>, or Private<\/strong>, and optionally bulk-assign a category.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      6. Once mapping is confirmed, click Import All<\/strong> to complete.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

        B. Google Calendar \/ iCal \/ ICS Feeds (Premium License Required)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
          \n
        1. Add your license and verify it under Events \u2192 Settings \u2192 Licenses<\/code><\/li>\n\n\n\n
        2. Under Events \u2192 Import<\/code>, select Google Calendar<\/strong>, iCalendar<\/strong>, or ICS File<\/strong>.
          Google Calendar<\/strong> uses the public .ics<\/code> link from calendar settings.
          iCalendar<\/strong> covers other calendar services that publish feeds.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        3. Provide your feed URL and select whether this is a one-time<\/strong> or Scheduled Import<\/strong> (hourly, daily, etc.).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        4. Click Preview<\/strong> to confirm which events will be pulled. Set default status, categories, and venue options.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        5. Hit Import All<\/strong> or Save Scheduled Import<\/strong> to finalize.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

          Pro Tip:<\/strong> Use date ranges or event limits to avoid pulling in thousands of events\u2014especially from active calendars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          C. Meetup (Requires Premium License)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
            \n
          1. Ensure your Event Aggregator license is active.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          2. Under Events \u2192 Import<\/code>, select Meetup<\/strong> as the import origin.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          3. Authenticate via Events \u2192 Settings \u2192 Integrations<\/code> so Event Aggregator can access your Meetup group or events.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          4. Input the group or specific event URL.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          5. Select import type: one-time or scheduled.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          6. Preview, set statuses\/categories, and click Import All<\/strong> or Save Scheduled Import<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

            Step 3: Fine-Tune Your Imports<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
              \n
            1. Preview Before Importing<\/strong>
              Creates a preview of all matching events; you can exclude specific items or adjust settings individually.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            2. Choose Schedule Wisely<\/strong>
              Use scheduled imports (hourly, daily) for automatically refreshing events, but adjust your import limit to match server capacity.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            3. Optimize Performance<\/strong>
              Use \u201cdate range\u201d or \u201cevent count\u201d limits to avoid big imports that could timeout or fail.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

              Final Tips<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
                \n
              • Always preview<\/strong> before importing.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              • Use sensible limits<\/strong> for import tasks to maintain performance.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              • Select the right update authority<\/strong>\u2014Overwrite, Skip, or Merge\u2014based on how much you edit events locally.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                With these optimized import strategies, your Events Calendar will stay accurate, well-organized, and high-performing\u2014even when sourcing from multiple platforms.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                Keeping your event calendar fresh and accurate is essential\u2014but manually managing events from multiple sources can turn into a time-consuming headache. With The Events Calendar\u2019s Event Aggregator, you can automatically import events from Google Calendar, iCal\/ICS feeds, Meetup, and CSV files. Notably, the CSV import tool is even available with the free The Events Calendar…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":60,"featured_media":1955565,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_swpsp_post_exclude":false,"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"ep_exclude_from_search":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[41,126],"tags":[45],"stellar-product-taxonomy":[154,161],"class_list":["post-1965864","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-getting-started","category-event-aggregator","tag-importing","stellar-product-taxonomy-event-aggregator","stellar-product-taxonomy-the-events-calendar"],"acf":[],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":41,"label":"Getting Started"},{"value":126,"label":"Importing Events"}],"post_tag":[{"value":45,"label":"Importing"}],"stellar-product-taxonomy":[{"value":154,"label":"Event Aggregator"},{"value":161,"label":"The Events Calendar"}]},"featured_image_src_large":["https:\/\/images.theeventscalendar.com\/kb\/uploads\/2023\/02\/social-share-1024x538.png",1024,538,true],"author_info":{"display_name":"Atousa","author_link":"https:\/\/staging.theeventscalendar.com\/knowledgebase\/author\/atousa\/"},"comment_info":0,"category_info":[{"term_id":41,"name":"Getting Started","slug":"getting-started","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":41,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":67,"filter":"raw","term_order":"0","cat_ID":41,"category_count":67,"category_description":"","cat_name":"Getting Started","category_nicename":"getting-started","category_parent":0},{"term_id":126,"name":"Importing Events","slug":"event-aggregator","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":126,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":61,"count":23,"filter":"raw","term_order":"0","cat_ID":126,"category_count":23,"category_description":"","cat_name":"Importing Events","category_nicename":"event-aggregator","category_parent":61}],"tag_info":[{"term_id":45,"name":"Importing","slug":"importing","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":45,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":35,"filter":"raw","term_order":"0"}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.theeventscalendar.com\/knowledgebase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1965864","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.theeventscalendar.com\/knowledgebase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.theeventscalendar.com\/knowledgebase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.theeventscalendar.com\/knowledgebase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/60"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.theeventscalendar.com\/knowledgebase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1965864"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/staging.theeventscalendar.com\/knowledgebase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1965864\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1966409,"href":"https:\/\/staging.theeventscalendar.com\/knowledgebase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1965864\/revisions\/1966409"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.theeventscalendar.com\/knowledgebase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1955565"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.theeventscalendar.com\/knowledgebase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1965864"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.theeventscalendar.com\/knowledgebase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1965864"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.theeventscalendar.com\/knowledgebase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1965864"},{"taxonomy":"stellar-product-taxonomy","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.theeventscalendar.com\/knowledgebase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/stellar-product-taxonomy?post=1965864"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}