Hello.
1) Booking Calendar plugin is supporting
– import of events via .ics feeds from Google Calendar ( or Airbnb or any other calendar that support .ics format, like iCal application)
– and export bookings to .ics feeds (files), which possible to import in Google Calendar (or Airbnb, Booking.com, HomeAway, TripAdvisor, VRBO, FlipKey and any other calendar that uses .ics format ).
Please read more about this feature here: https://wpbookingcalendar.com/faq/#sync
Please note, the import process is working in that case, when some visitor is open your website page with booking import shortcode. So you can configure CRON at your server, for periodically access this page with booking import shortcode to start import process. Or you can insert the import shortcode before booking form shortcode, so firstly system will start import process and only then show booking form, when someone visit your page.
Export. Booking Calendar is generate .ics feed with bookings in real time. But how often some service (like airbnb, or booking.com ) access this .ics feed to import the bookings from Booking Calendar into own system, does not depend from Booking Calendar. So in other words, Booking Calendar does not force to generate import process by third party service, when some booking is created. You need to check with support of this service (like airbnb or booking.com), about how often they can access the .ics feed tor making import.
2) It’s depend from, what functionality do you need. If you need to make bookings for specific time-slots so the check Booking Calendar Business Small version.
The ability to book for the specific times only possible in the Booking Calendar Business Small / Business Medium versions (and in higher versions for booking resources with capacity =1). Please note if you will make the booking for the specific timeslot, this timeslot become unavailable for the other visitors for that selected date in current specific calendar.
Please watch more in this video: https://wpbookingcalendar.com/help/booking-calendar-video-timeslots/
You can configure the timeslots selections on the Booking > Settings > Form page. Please use the “shortcode generator” on the right side of that page for the correct generation of the shortcode.
You can use one”timerange” (timeslots) or “start time” and”end time” selections or”starttime” and “duration”of time selections shortcodes or even start time and end time entering shortcodes. Please read more about the booking form fields configuration here https://wpbookingcalendar.com/faq/booking-form-fields/
You can test the bookings for the specific time-slots in action on the live demo of Business Small version (which is configured by default for the bookings of specific time-slots) here: https://bs.wpbookingcalendar.com/ Other live demo you will need to reconfigure.
Kind Regards.
