Vrbo and its regional brands FeWo-direkt (Germany) and Abritel (France) are one operator, and they connect to Smoobu with iCal calendar links. On the Channels page, search for the Vrbo card; on German or French accounts it can show the regional brand (FeWo-direkt or Abritel). The connection syncs your calendars only: bookings and blocked periods flow both ways, but prices and guest messages do not, and guest details are limited to a first name.
Before you start
You need both of these before you connect:
- A Vrbo, FeWo-direkt, or Abritel host account with your listing already published.
- Your properties created in Smoobu, under Configuration > Properties.
What this connection syncs, and how fast
The calendar-link exchange carries availability only. Bookings and blocked periods from the channel appear in Smoobu, and Smoobu's bookings and blocked periods close the same dates on the channel. Prices are not synced, so keep setting them on the channel directly.
The connection is not real-time. Smoobu usually imports Vrbo bookings within 10 to 20 minutes. In the other direction, Vrbo sometimes takes up to 24 hours to update its calendar with the changes you make in Smoobu.
Steps
- In Smoobu, open Channels in the left sidebar, search for the Vrbo card, and click Connect. Keep this tab open.
- In a new tab, log in to your Vrbo or FeWo-direkt host account. Go to Calendar > Availability, select the property, and click the Import/Export calendar icon.
- In the export options, untick "Export tentative bookings", then copy the calendar link. Leaving it ticked sends unconfirmed pre-approvals to Smoobu, where they arrive looking like real bookings.
- Back in Smoobu, paste the copied link into the connect form's field for the channel's calendar link.
- Copy Smoobu's calendar link for the property from the same connect form. In the channel's Import/Export calendar window, import it: paste the link, give it a name (for example "Smoobu"), and choose a color.
- In Smoobu, click Save. There is no mapping step for this connection: the link exchange itself ties each Smoobu property to its listing, so double-check you pasted each property's links into the matching listing. The first synchronization starts; Smoobu usually imports the channel's bookings within 10 to 20 minutes.
To connect another property, repeat steps 2 to 6 with that property's calendar links.
Check it worked
- The card on the Channels page shows a Connected badge.
- The channel's existing bookings appear in your Bookings list and as booking bars on the Calendar row of the matching property. Allow 10 to 20 minutes for the import.
- Block a date in Smoobu. Vrbo sometimes takes up to 24 hours to show the change on its calendar, so allow time before judging the connection.
Common problems
The channel shows dates as blocked or free that don't match Smoobu
Calendar links are fetched by the channel on its own schedule, and Smoobu cannot make it fetch faster. If the channel's calendar looks stale, first enter a blocked period on your Smoobu Calendar and delete it right away; this forces Smoobu to regenerate the calendar feed the channel reads. If the calendar still doesn't move, delete Smoobu's calendar link on the channel side, save, then import the same link again and save; this forces the channel to fetch a fresh copy. If that doesn't help, contact the channel's support: the fetch happens on their side.
The channel warns about conflicts on my bookings
Because the connection is a calendar-link exchange, Smoobu sends back the same bookings it imports, and the channel can flag these as conflicts. The warnings are expected with this type of connection; nothing is wrong and there is nothing to fix.
Bookings I never confirmed show up in Smoobu
These are pre-approvals the channel exported as tentative bookings. In the channel's export options, untick "Export tentative bookings" (step 3), copy the link again, and replace the link in Smoobu's connect form; this stops new pre-approvals from importing. For tentative bookings that were already imported, or if a pre-approval still imports as a confirmed booking, contact Vrbo / FeWo-direkt support about the pre-approval workflow.
Imported bookings show only a first name, and no price
That's normal for this connection: imported bookings carry the guest's first name but no last name, and the calendar link carries no price. Read full guest details and payment information in your Vrbo or FeWo-direkt host account.
Related articles
Still stuck?
If these steps didn't fix it, contact the Smoobu team: open the Help menu to open a ticket or book a call slot, or use the chat bubble in the bottom-right corner. To get the fastest answer, please include:
- Your Smoobu User ID (in the profile-icon menu, top right).
- The property name or ID, if it's about one property.
- The Booking ID, if it's about one booking (Bookings, then View more).
- The channel name, if it's about channel sync (Booking.com, Airbnb, Vrbo, and so on).
- A short step-by-step: what you did, what you expected, and what happened.
- Screenshots or a short screen recording of the problem.
- Your browser and operating system, if something looks wrong on screen.
Comments
14 comments
Hi,
I need to lock my booking from now to the end of this month! Can someone helps please?
Hi Nhan
Thank-you for your comment, I happened upon it by chance as this comments section doesn’t alert us of your question.
In the future we recommend you to please open a ticket from your Smoobu session "Help" for quick assistance from the Smoobu team.
I have opened a ticket on your behalf, and have responded to your original query.
Kind regards,
Caitriona from Smoobu
Hey,
I'm having trouble connecting prices to Vrbo. Can I manually block my calendar in Vrbo to prevent bookings at the currently incorrect rates, or will that overwrite my Smoobu calendar via the ical link (which was successful)?
Thanks!
Hi Paolo,
Thank-you for your comment, I happened upon it by chance as this comments section doesn’t alert us of your question.
In the future we recommend you to please open a ticket from your Smoobu session "Help" for quick assistance from the Smoobu team.
I have opened a ticket on your behalf.
Kind regards,
The Smoobu Team
This isnt working for me...I have done the connections as described, but for some reason VRBO doesnt even show on the calendars page, and it is not updating the pricing.
Hi Roderick,
Thank-you for your comment, although for all queries we recommend you to please open a ticket from your Smoobu session "Help" for ultra-quick assistance from the team!
I have opened a ticket on your behalf.
Kind regards,
The Smoobu Team
Hi, I am in the process of setting vrbo up and wonder if the price sync is working at the moment. I noticed different instructions on how to sync prices on another page stating that it needs to be done per month. Can you tell me what to do to sync prices? Thanks
Hi Rosina,
Thank-you for your comment, although for all queries we recommend you to please open a ticket from your Smoobu session "Help" for ultra-quick assistance from the team!
Kind regards,
The Smoobu Team
Why the Export tentative bookings must be inactive? I need the tentative booking being showed in Smoobu
hello - can I connect VRBO and not with ICAL but full PMS connection ?
Hi, I'm also still waiting for a full-sync between Smoobu and VRBO.
we are waiting for *** years *** for full VRBO sync - we were told definitely before the end of this year - are you even going to bother updating all of you customers that are waiting ?
Hey Connemara and Tim,
Thank you for your request.
We have already reached out to you personally via support ticket to provide further assistance.
Please check your inbox for our latest update.
Best,
Any update on when a full sync with Vrbo (prices, availability, bookings via API) will be available?
Do you have any estimated timeframe for this?
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