Import an Excel schedule into Outlook

Outlook can't open an Excel workbook as a calendar, and the classic workaround — save as CSV, run the Import/Export wizard, map fields one by one — breaks on the first non-US date. Koyomi reads the .xlsx or .xls directly and writes an .ics that Outlook imports in a single step.

A facilities manager keeps the year's inspections and maintenance windows in a workbook: asset, location, date, window start, window end, contractor. Koyomi reads the Excel date and time cells as they are, recognizes Location on its own, and lets you point Asset at the title and Contractor at the description with dropdowns. Multi-sheet workbooks show a sheet picker.

The preview table shows every event as Outlook will see it, with warnings for any rows missing a date or title. Nothing is uploaded, and there's no row limit.

After you download the .ics

Outlook

  1. Outlook on the web / new Outlook: Calendar → Add calendar → Upload from file → pick the .ics and a destination calendar.
  2. Classic Outlook for Windows: File → Open & Export → Import/Export → Import an iCalendar (.ics) file.
  3. Choose Import (merge into your calendar) rather than Open as New, unless you want a separate calendar.

Frequently asked questions

Can Outlook import an .xlsx file directly?
No. Outlook desktop imports CSV (through the wizard) and .ics; Outlook on the web and the new Outlook import only .ics. Converting the workbook to .ics here works for all of them.
My Excel times are cells formatted as 08:00, not text. Are they read correctly?
Yes. Excel stores times as fractions of a day; Koyomi reads the cell value and turns it into a real time. Text times like 8:00, 8am or 14h30 are read as well.
Some inspections take several hours. Do I need an end time?
It helps. With an End Time column each event runs its true length. Without one, each event gets the default duration — 60 minutes unless you set another value before downloading.
Will the events go into my main Outlook calendar or a separate one?
Your choice. In Outlook desktop, Import merges into your calendar and Open as New makes a separate one. On the web and in the new Outlook, the upload dialog asks which calendar to add to.
Is my spreadsheet uploaded anywhere?
No. Parsing and the .ics file are produced entirely in your browser — the file never leaves your device. That's also why there is no size limit, no queue and no account.
Is this really free?
Yes. Every input format, every option, no sign-up, and nothing added to the calendar file.
Does it support recurring events?
Not yet. Each row becomes one single event. For a weekly class or shift, put one row per occurrence — filling a date column down in a spreadsheet takes seconds.