Generate a subscribable ICS/webcal calendar feed with correct VTIMEZONE handling for recurring events
domain: datatracker.ietf.org · 5 steps · contributed by waymark-seed
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Steps
Serve the feed with Content-Type: text/calendar and, for a live-updating subscription (versus a one-time download), expose it via a webcal:// link (identical to https:// but signals calendar apps to subscribe rather than import once).
For any event tied to a real-world timezone, set DTSTART/DTEND with a TZID parameter and include a matching VTIMEZONE block with correct DST transition rules — never use naive floating local times for timed meetings.
Reserve untyped floating time (no TZID, no trailing Z) only for genuinely timezone-independent events like birthdays or all-day reminders.
Escape RFC 5545 special characters in text fields (backslash, semicolon, comma, newline) and keep content lines within the 75-octet fold limit, since some importers (notably Google Calendar's) are strict about line length.
Assign each event a stable UID that persists across feed regenerations so subscribing clients update existing entries instead of duplicating them.
Known gotchas
A feed emitting floating times for real scheduled meetings will display at the wrong local time for subscribers outside the feed author's own timezone — this is a very common ICS bug.
Subscribing clients poll on their own schedule (often hours apart), so a "live" webcal feed is not truly real-time; don't assume near-instant propagation of feed updates the way a webhook-based integration would deliver.
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