How to import your Excel rota into Google Calendar
A team rota lists everyone. Your calendar should contain only your shifts. This guide shows how to select your dates and codes, check the resulting events, and import a calendar file without copying the whole team.
You can use the free Rota Local converter for a regular row or column of shift codes. The example below uses invented names and dates. Your employer's rota and shift definitions remain the source of truth.
1. Check your file and choose a method
First look for a calendar feed or export in your employer's scheduling system. An official feed may handle later changes. If all you receive is a spreadsheet, keep an untouched copy and identify where the dates and your personal shifts appear.
Google Calendar imports ICS or calendar-formatted CSV files on a computer. An Excel workbook is not that format, and saving a team grid as CSV does not turn each code into an event. For the required event columns, see Google's import instructions.
If your sheet already has one event per row, manually preparing that CSV can be sufficient. For a matrix with people down one side and dates across the top, Rota Local lets you select matching cell ranges and export ICS. It reads XLSX or comma-separated CSV locally in your browser, without a file upload or calendar account connection.
The converter supports regular date and shift ranges, not photos, PDFs, password-protected workbooks or arbitrary mixed layouts. It limits inputs to 2 MB. Split a very large workbook before trying it, or use a suitable alternative.
2. Select only your dates and shifts
Open the converter and choose Try an example. This loads the same synthetic team rota shown here. The tool presets Alex's range and sample code times so you can inspect the workflow before opening a real file.
| Name | 2026-10-20 | 2026-10-21 | 2026-10-22 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alex | D | N | OFF |
| Jamie | N | OFF | D |
| Morgan | OFF | D | N |
The full example CSV covers seven days. Its dates are B1:H1, and Alex's shifts are B2:H2. Both ranges contain seven cells in matching order. Exclude the name in A2 and the heading in A1. For a vertical layout, select one date column and one personal shift column instead.
For your own workbook, choose the worksheet, enter the two ranges, select the format for text dates, and choose the timezone where you work. 03/04/2026 is ambiguous unless you know whether the sheet uses day/month or month/day. Do not infer the format from your computer's location.
Then choose Read these cells and define every code. In this example, D means 08:00–17:00, N means 20:00–08:00 the next day, and OFF creates no event. Your employer may use different definitions. Explicitly mark blanks as days off only if that is what they mean.
3. Review the calendar before downloading
Choose Check my calendar. The full Alex example should show five shifts and two days off. Compare the preview with the original cells, especially the first and last dates, every night shift, and every day off. An unexpected event count is a reason to stop and check the ranges.
- Overnight shifts: 20:00–08:00 ends the following day. Confirm that this matches the employer's definition.
- Clock changes: the example's London night starting 24 October 2026 spans the autumn clock change and lasts 13 elapsed hours. Clock time and elapsed duration can differ.
- Timezone: use the work location. The exported file uses UTC timestamps; your calendar displays events in its configured timezone, which may differ when you travel.
- Unclear codes or dates: resolve them from the original rota. The tool blocks unknown codes, invalid dates, overlaps and ambiguous clock-change times rather than guessing.
After checking, tick the review box and download the ICS. You can also download a check sheet showing the converted events. That check sheet is a review aid, not Google's calendar-import CSV. Changing settings requires a fresh review.
4. Import into a separate Google calendar
On a computer, open Google Calendar settings and create a new calendar under Add calendar. Give it a specific name such as “Work rota — October 2026”. Under Import & export, choose your downloaded ICS and select that calendar as the destination before importing.
Check the resulting dates and times against your rota. A separate calendar makes correcting this batch easier without disturbing personal appointments. Before removing a calendar to replace a batch, ensure it contains no unrelated events.
5. Fix problems and handle a revised rota
If the times look wrong, check the work timezone selected during conversion and the display timezone in Google Calendar. If the dates look wrong, revisit the text date format and cell ranges. If the tool refuses a code, add its confirmed meaning instead of substituting a convenient guess.
For a revised spreadsheet, review which shifts changed. You can correct individual events or deliberately replace the isolated batch after checking its contents. Keep the original sheet available for comparison; this tool cannot tell whether your employer has issued a newer version.
For errors at the Google import stage, consult Google's troubleshooting guide. If Rota Local has an issue, send a description or a synthetic example through creator feedback. Do not send colleagues' names or an original team rota.
Google Calendar was tested with synthetic events, including the clock-change night. Real-user results are still being validated. Apple Calendar and Outlook compatibility have not been verified. Rota Local is an independent tool and is not affiliated with Google or your employer.