Table of contents

Why integrate Google Calendar with WordPress? Best plugins How to embed a Google Calendar How to sync Google Calendar Tips for making your calendar FAQs Getting started

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WordPress Guide → Development → Google Calendar

WordPress + Google Calendar: Best plugins and steps to get started

Adding Google Calendar to WordPress is one of the simplest ways to manage and display events without duplicating work. Whether you’re scheduling classes, hosting webinars, or just want to show your availability, integrating Google Calendar can streamline everything.

You can do it manually or with a plugin—either way, you’ll have a clean, interactive calendar ready for your audience. Let’s walk through the best tools and setup steps.

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Why integrate Google Calendar with WordPress?

Connecting Google Calendar to WordPress saves time and keeps your content consistent across platforms. You only need to update your calendar once (on Google) and those changes will appear automatically on your site.

Here are a few common use cases:

Display upcoming events for schools, churches, or nonprofits
Show live availability for personal coaching or services
Manage team or internal schedules on a password-protected page
Promote webinars or live sessions without custom coding

You can embed a public calendar manually or use a plugin to gain more control over layout and styling.

Best plugins to connect Google Calendar with WordPress

These plugins help you display Google Calendar on your WordPress site with more flexibility and customization than the default embed.

1. Simple Calendar – Google Calendar Plugin

Simple Calendar is the most popular plugin built specifically for displaying Google Calendar events on WordPress. It’s beginner-friendly and uses shortcodes, so you can add your calendar to any post or page.

Features:

Integrates with public Google Calendars using an API key
Includes monthly, weekly, and list views
Add-on support for recurring events and advanced layout styles
Shortcode customization for date formats, color schemes, and more

Best for: Anyone who wants a straightforward calendar display with easy setup

Starting at: Free (Pro add-ons available starting at $49/year)

2. The Events Calendar

The Events Calendar isn’t a Google-specific calendar plugin, but it offers broad calendar functionality and supports Google Calendar syncing through add-ons. It’s ideal for organizations that want full event management along with Google sync.

Features:

Month, week, and agenda views with mobile-friendly layouts
Support for recurring events (with Pro add-on)
Google Calendar and iCal export for visitors
Integration with Eventbrite, Tickets, and WooCommerce

Best for: Event-heavy websites that want more than just a calendar feed

Starting at: Free (Pro add-on for Google integration starts at $99/year)

3. All-in-One Event Calendar by Timely

Timely’s calendar plugin offers a colorful, filterable calendar display with Google Calendar feed import support. It includes event categories, RSVP options, and built-in SEO enhancements.

Features:

Sync with Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, and Outlook
Filtering by event type, tags, or categories
SEO-friendly event schema markup
Color-coded event types and recurring event support

Best for: Organizations that want public calendars with multiple event categories

Starting at: Free (Premium plans start at $14.99/month)

How to embed a Google Calendar manually (no plugin required)

If you only need to display a basic public calendar and don’t want to install anything, you can use the manual embed method.

Open your Google Calendar at calendar.google.com.
In the left panel, click the three dots next to your calendar and choose Settings and sharing
Under Access permissions, check the box for “Make available to public.”
Scroll down to Integrate calendar and copy the iframe code under “Embed code.”
In your WordPress dashboard, open a post or page and add a Custom HTML block.
Paste the iframe code and click Preview to check the layout.
Save or publish your content.

You can adjust the height and width values in the iframe tag to better fit your layout. This method works best with responsive WordPress themes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywolbDP03lk

How to sync Google Calendar with a plugin

If you want a styled display and calendar syncing, using a plugin like Simple Calendar gives you more control.

Here’s how to do it:

Install the Simple Calendar plugin. In your WordPress dashboard, go to Plugins > Add New and search for “Simple Calendar.” Install and activate it.
Create a Google API key. Visit the Google Cloud Console, create a new project, and enable the Google Calendar API. Then generate an API key.
Add your API key to Simple Calendar. Go to Calendars > Settings in WordPress, and paste the API key under the Google API section.
Get your Google Calendar ID. Back in Google Calendar, open Settings and sharing for the calendar you want to sync. Find the Calendar ID near the bottom of the page.
Create a new calendar in WordPress. Go to Calendars > Add New, paste your calendar ID, and customize the title and view options.
Publish and insert the calendar with a shortcode. After saving your calendar, copy the shortcode provided and paste it into any post, page, or widget.

You now have a live, auto-updating calendar embedded directly into your site, with styling that matches your content.

Tips for making your calendar match your site’s design

A Google Calendar can sometimes look too plain—or worse, clash with your branding. These tips help make it feel like a seamless part of your site:

Use the plugin’s shortcode options to change colors, font sizes, or layout style.
Add custom CSS through the WordPress Customizer or a child theme.
Wrap the calendar in a styled container or column if you’re using a page builder like Elementor or Beaver Builder.
Match your calendar’s background and typography to your site’s theme.
Remove or hide Google Calendar branding (if your plugin supports it) for a cleaner look.

If design consistency matters, using a plugin is usually better than embedding directly with an iframe.

WordPress + Google Calendar FAQs

Yes! You can embed a Google Calendar directly using its iframe code. Go to Google Calendar > Settings > Integrate calendar, copy the embed code, and paste it into a Custom HTML block on your WordPress site.

For a better-looking calendar, use a plugin like Simple Calendar or All-in-One Event Calendar. These tools let you control colors, fonts, event formats, and layout views without needing to code.

Simple Calendar is the top choice for Google Calendar integration. If you need advanced event features like ticketing, filters, or categories, The Events Calendar or All-in-One Event Calendar are also excellent options.

Getting started with WordPress + Google Calendar

Connecting Google Calendar to your WordPress site makes your event updates automatic, consistent, and easy to manage from one place.

If you want a clean, styled, and responsive calendar that looks great on any device, start by installing Simple Calendar and generating your API key.

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