Excel to Google Calendar: import event lists and birthdays

To get an Excel list into Google Calendar, convert it into a Google CSV or – for birthdays – into an ICS file with yearly recurrence, then import it on a computer. Birthdays don’t work well as CSV: from a CSV file, Google creates recurring events as a series of single events. The tool detects name and birthday columns and creates all-day events that repeat every year.

As of 7 October 2026 · Source: Google Calendar Help: Import events to Google Calendar

By · updated 13 October 2026 · sources checked 7 October 2026

Convert your Excel list now
Runs in your browser. Nothing is uploaded.
Open the ICS Editor

Step by step: from Excel to Google Calendar

  1. Prepare the list
    For birthdays, one column with the name and one with the date of birth is enough. A ready-made template is available in the tool.
  2. Drop the Excel file into the tool
    The tool understands Excel date values, DD.MM.YYYY and other formats. If dates are ambiguous, it asks.
  3. Check the birthday mode
    Detected birthday lists are created as yearly all-day events – optionally with the birth year in the title.
  4. Download
    A birthday list almost always stays far below 1 MB and fits into one file.
  5. Import on a computer
    Create a new calendar “Birthdays”, then Settings → Import & export → Select file from your computer → Import.
A birthday list becomes yearly all-day events – shown with a repeat icon in the list.
A birthday list becomes yearly all-day events – shown with a repeat icon in the list.

Why ICS and not CSV for birthdays?

According to Google, recurring events from a CSV file turn into a series of one-time events. An ICS file, by contrast, can contain a real rule: “every year on 12 March”. That’s why the tool always creates an ICS file for birthdays. More: CSV to ICS converter.

What about birthdays on 29 February?

For 29 February the tool creates a rule that falls on 28 February in years without a 29 February, so the birthday is never missing.

Other Excel lists

Club events, rosters or training schedules from Excel work the same way: the tool maps the columns (title, date, time, location) and creates either a Google CSV or an ICS file. It detects phone numbers or addresses in the list and offers to leave them out.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to save my Excel file as CSV first?

No. The tool reads XLSX files directly – in your browser, without uploading.

Can the event show the person’s age?

A yearly recurring event can’t carry a changing age. Instead, the tool puts the birth year in the title, e.g. “Birthday: Erika Huber (born 1948)”.

Are birthdays created as all-day events?

Yes – all-day and marked as “free”, so they don’t block your calendar.

Sources

All information as of 7 October 2026.