Download Sample ICS Files (iCalendar)
Download free sample ICS files. The iCalendar format (RFC 5545) is the global standard for calendar data exchange. Use these files to test event importing, recurring schedules (RRULE), and timezone handling. STANDARD Meetings & Events File Name Specs Size Action meeting_request.ics Standard Standard 1-hour meeting. Contains Start (DTSTART), End (DTEND), Summary and Location. 1 KB…
Download free sample ICS files. The iCalendar format (RFC 5545) is the global standard for calendar data exchange. Use these files to test event importing, recurring schedules (RRULE), and timezone handling.
STANDARD
Meetings & Events
| File Name | Specs | Size | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| meeting_request.ics Standard |
Standard 1-hour meeting. Contains Start (DTSTART), End (DTEND), Summary and Location. | 1 KB | Download |
| all_day_event.ics All Day |
All Day Event (e.g., Birthday). Uses VALUE=DATE instead of specific timestamps. |
1 KB | Download |
| conference_invite.ics Rich Description |
Includes description with HTML links and Organizer email address. | 2 KB | Download |
QA / ADVANCED
Recurrence & Timezones
| Test Case | Description | Size | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recurring (RRULE) | Complex Logic. Event repeats “Every Monday for 10 weeks”. Tests your parser’s recurrence engine. | 1 KB | Download |
| Timezone (DST) | Uses explicit TZID (e.g., America/New_York). Critical to test Day Light Savings shifts. |
2 KB | Download |
| Cancellation | Uses METHOD:CANCEL. This file should remove an existing event from the calendar, not add one. |
1 KB | Download |
Technical Specs: ICS
- Structure: It is a plain text file. Starts with
BEGIN:VCALENDARand ends withEND:VCALENDAR. Events are wrapped inBEGIN:VEVENT. - Line Folding: Lines should not be longer than 75 octets. Long lines (like descriptions) must be split and indented with a space. This often confuses simple regex parsers.
- MIME Type:
text/calendar.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the time off by 1 hour?
This is usually a Timezone issue. If the ICS file uses UTC (ends with ‘Z’, e.g.,
This is usually a Timezone issue. If the ICS file uses UTC (ends with ‘Z’, e.g.,
140000Z) and your calendar is in Paris (UTC+1), it will display 15:00. This is correct behavior.What is the difference between ICS and VCS?
VCS (vCalendar) is the old version 1.0 standard. ICS (iCalendar) is the modern version 2.0. ICS supports more complex features like recurring events and is supported by all modern apps.
VCS (vCalendar) is the old version 1.0 standard. ICS (iCalendar) is the modern version 2.0. ICS supports more complex features like recurring events and is supported by all modern apps.
How to view ICS files?
You can import them into any calendar app, or open them as text.
- Google Calendar: Go to “Settings > Import & Export” to add ICS events to your main calendar.
- VS Code: Perfect for inspecting the raw structure, checking for broken line folding, or verifying the RRULE syntax.
- Outlook: Double-clicking an ICS usually opens a “Save & Close” window in Outlook.
Developer’s Corner: Parsing Events
Parsing ICS with Regex is dangerous (multiline issues). Use the ics Python library instead.
# Python: Read ICS Events
from ics import Calendarwith open(“meeting.ics”, “r”) as f:
c = Calendar(f.read())
for event in c.events:
print(f“Event: {event.name}”)
print(f“Start: {event.begin}”)
from ics import Calendarwith open(“meeting.ics”, “r”) as f:
c = Calendar(f.read())
for event in c.events:
print(f“Event: {event.name}”)
print(f“Start: {event.begin}”)