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CAN YOU IMPORT RECURRING EVENTS INTO THE EVENTS CALENDAR FROM A CSV?

No. The Events Calendar's CSV importer has no recurrence field, so every row becomes its own single event, even if 50 rows are the same weekly class. TEC support has given the same answer since 2015. The workaround is to import one occurrence and add the recurrence rule afterwards (TEC support, 2018, 2016, TEC developer docs; checked 2 Nov 2026).

Why every CSV row becomes a single event

The importer's event columns cover title, dates, times, venue, organizer, cost and categories, and nothing else. There is no column for a repeat rule (TEC developer docs, checked 2 Nov 2026):

name, description, excerpt, start_date, start_time, end_date, end_time, timezone,
all_day, hide_from_listings, sticky, venue_name, organizer_name, show_map_link,
show_map, cost, currency_symbol, currency_position, category, tags, website,
comments, event_image, feature_event

What about Event Aggregator or iCal imports? According to TEC support (2018), recurring events imported this way also arrive as standalone single events (TEC forum).

Can I update events with a CSV? According to TEC support (2018), matching events are updated when the title and start and end match (TEC forum). Back up and test on staging first.

Workaround 1: import the first occurrence, then add the rule

Import one row per series with only its first date, then add the repeat rule in the editor. This keeps each series connected instead of leaving you with dozens of separate events.

  1. Import venues and organizers first (Nexcess: import events from CSV).
  2. Make a CSV with one row per series, containing the first date only.
  3. Go to Events → Import → CSV, map the columns in the preview, and import as Draft.
  4. Open each event and add the recurrence rule.
  5. Publish.

Example CSV (fictional data):

Event Name,Event Start Date,Event Start Time,Event End Date,Event End Time,Event Venue Name
Example Yoga Class,2026-12-01,18:00,2026-12-01,19:00,Example Community Hall
Example Book Club,2026-12-03,19:30,2026-12-03,21:00,Example Library
Example Choir Practice,2026-12-06,10:00,2026-12-06,11:30,Example Church Hall

In The Events Calendar, the recurrence rule editor needs Events Calendar Pro. The free plugin has no recurrence.

Workaround 2: keep one row per date (no series)

If you don't need a connected series, list every date as its own row. This works on the free plugin today. The downside: a change means editing every event, and there is no series page.

Workaround 3: the developer route

TEC support has pointed developers to the PHP API (Tribe__Events__API::createEvent with a recurrence array) or the REST API (TEC forum). This requires Pro and custom code. We haven't tested it.

Adding recurring events on the free The Events Calendar (SeriesKeeper)

SeriesKeeper is an add-on we're building for the free The Events Calendar. It will add recurrence rules: daily, weekly on one or more weekdays, monthly by date or weekday, ending on a date or after a number of times, with skipped dates. It is a pre-order, with delivery by 15 Nov 2026.

  • The planned workflow: import the first occurrence with TEC's own CSV importer, then add the SeriesKeeper rule.
  • SeriesKeeper does not read recurrence from a CSV.
  • What it isn't: no yearly rules, no editing a single date inside a series, and not a Pro replacement.
  • Importing future dates from an existing Pro series is a beta feature (preview and Undo); we're testing it against a real Pro site on 7 Nov. We don't claim Pro compatibility yet.

See what SeriesKeeper will add to the free The Events Calendar →

Weighing a Pro renewal instead? See what changes at your Pro renewal and what happens when Pro expires.

FAQ

Does The Events Calendar CSV import support recurring events?

No. The CSV importer creates one single event per row and has no recurrence column. TEC support has confirmed this in forum answers since 2015.

Why did my CSV import create separate events instead of a series?

That is expected behaviour. Each row is imported as a standalone event, even if titles and times repeat.

How do I turn imported events into a recurring series?

Import only the first occurrence, then open it in the editor and add a recurrence rule. In The Events Calendar that requires Events Calendar Pro, or an add-on for the free plugin.

Does Event Aggregator or iCal import keep recurring events?

According to TEC support, recurring events imported via Event Aggregator arrive as separate single events, not a connected series.

Can I update existing events with a CSV import?

TEC support says CSV imports can update matching existing events. Test on a staging site and back up first.

Does SeriesKeeper import recurring events from a CSV?

No. SeriesKeeper is a pre-order add-on (delivery by 15 Nov 2026) that will add recurrence rules to the free The Events Calendar. You import a single occurrence with TEC’s own CSV importer, then add the rule.

Does SeriesKeeper work with Events Calendar Pro series?

Importing future dates from a Pro series is in beta and is being tested on a real Pro site. We don’t claim Pro compatibility yet.

Sources checked 2 November 2026. Forum replies are TEC support answers from 2015 to 2018.

See what SeriesKeeper will add to the free The Events Calendar →

Independent product

SeriesKeeper is our product, by Tacko (tacko.io). It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by The Events Calendar, StellarWP, Nexcess or Liquid Web. Trademarks belong to their owners and are used only to describe compatibility.