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Overview

Meelio’s calendar feature helps you stay aware of upcoming events by integrating with your existing calendar via ICS (iCalendar) feeds. See your next event, track time until it starts, and keep your schedule visible while you work. With smart caching and automatic updates, the calendar integration ensures you’re always informed about what’s coming next without manual refreshing.

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Key Features

ICS Calendar Support

Connect any calendar that provides an ICS feed URL

Next Event Display

See your upcoming event at a glance

Smart Caching

Automatic refresh timing based on event proximity

Time Tracking

Know exactly how many minutes until your next event

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Setting Up Your Calendar

1

Get Your ICS URL

Obtain an ICS feed URL from your calendar provider (Google Calendar, Outlook, Apple Calendar, etc.).
2

Add to Meelio

Paste your ICS URL into Meelio’s calendar settings. The URL will be validated before saving.
3

View Events

Your calendar events will load automatically and display your next upcoming event.
Most calendar providers offer ICS feeds in their settings under “Share” or “Export” options. Look for “iCal” or “ICS” links.

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ICS URL Validation

Meelio validates ICS URLs to ensure they’re properly formatted:
  • Must be a valid HTTP or HTTPS URL
  • Should end with .ics or contain ICS calendar parameters
  • Invalid URLs will show an error message
Make sure to use a public or properly shared ICS URL. Private calendar URLs should be kept secure and not shared publicly.

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Calendar Events

Once configured, Meelio displays:
  • Next Event: The upcoming event that hasn’t ended yet
  • Event Details: Title, start time, and end time
  • Time Until Start: Minutes remaining until the event begins
  • Active Events: Events are shown until their end time passes

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Event Filtering

Meelio automatically filters events:
  • Only shows events that haven’t ended yet
  • Sorts events by start time
  • Displays the next upcoming event prominently
  • Removes past events from the list

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Smart Cache Duration

The calendar uses intelligent caching to balance freshness with performance:
Cache Duration: 30 secondsWhen your next event is less than 15 minutes away, the calendar refreshes every 30 seconds to ensure you have the most up-to-date information.
Cache Duration: 2 minutesFor events starting within the next hour, the calendar refreshes every 2 minutes.
Cache Duration: Up to 10 minutesFor events further in the future, the cache duration scales based on how far away the event is (up to 10 minutes maximum).
Cache Duration: 10 minutesWhen there are no upcoming events, the calendar checks every 10 minutes for new events.
This smart caching ensures:
  • Minimal unnecessary network requests
  • Fresh data when you need it most
  • Battery-friendly operation
  • Responsive updates as events approach
You can manually force a refresh of calendar events at any time by re-saving your ICS URL or using the refresh option.

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Managing Your Calendar

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Loading Events

Events load automatically when:
  • You first set an ICS URL
  • The cache duration expires
  • You manually trigger a refresh
  • The page loads and you have a configured URL

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Clearing the Calendar

Remove calendar integration entirely:
  1. Clear your ICS URL
  2. All events are removed
  3. The calendar stops refreshing
  4. You can reconfigure with a new URL anytime

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Time Until Next Event

The calendar calculates minutes until your next event:
  • Updates in real-time
  • Accounts for event start time
  • Helps you plan transitions between tasks
  • Provides awareness without constant checking

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Supported Calendar Providers

Meelio works with any calendar that provides an ICS feed:

Google Calendar

Export your calendar’s ICS URL from calendar settings

Outlook/Office 365

Use the calendar publishing feature to get an ICS link

Apple Calendar

Share calendars via iCloud and use the provided link

Other ICS Providers

Any service offering ICS/iCal feeds works

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Privacy and Security

Your ICS URL is stored locally in your browser using localStorage. It’s also synced to your Meelio account for access across devices.
Calendar events are fetched from your ICS feed and stored locally. They’re refreshed based on the smart caching schedule.
Meelio fetches your calendar data directly from the ICS URL you provide. Requests follow the smart caching schedule to minimize frequency.
Be cautious when sharing your ICS URL. Anyone with access to this URL can view your calendar events. Use secret/private ICS URLs when available from your calendar provider.

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Troubleshooting

If events won’t load:
  1. Verify your ICS URL is correct and accessible
  2. Check that the URL is publicly accessible
  3. Ensure your calendar has upcoming events
  4. Look for error messages in the calendar interface
  5. Try removing and re-adding the ICS URL
This error appears when:
  • The URL doesn’t start with http:// or https://
  • The URL format is incorrect
  • The URL doesn’t point to an ICS feed
Double-check your URL and ensure it’s specifically an ICS/iCal feed.
If events seem stale:
  1. Check the last fetched timestamp
  2. Force a refresh by re-saving the ICS URL
  3. Verify the source calendar has the expected events
  4. Clear the calendar and reconfigure it
Remember that Meelio only shows:
  • Events that haven’t ended yet
  • The next upcoming event prominently
  • Active events (currently happening)
Past events are automatically filtered out.

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Tips and Best Practices

Use Secret URLs

Most calendar providers offer secret/private ICS URLs. Use these instead of public URLs to keep your schedule private.

Filter Your Calendar

If your main calendar is busy, consider creating a separate calendar just for important events you want visible in Meelio.

Check Time Zones

Ensure your calendar’s time zone matches your local time zone for accurate “minutes until” calculations.

Plan Transitions

Use the “minutes until next event” feature to plan natural stopping points in your work before meetings.

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Integration with Other Features

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Timer Integration

Check your calendar before starting a long Pomodoro session. Knowing when your next meeting is helps you choose appropriate focus session durations.

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Tasks Integration

Create tasks for meeting preparation when you see an important event approaching. Use the task due date feature to align with your calendar.

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Future Enhancements

Potential future calendar features:
  • Multiple calendar support
  • Event filtering and categories
  • Notifications before events
  • Integration with task creation
  • Week/day view options
The current calendar integration focuses on surface awareness of your next event, keeping you informed without overwhelming you with scheduling details.

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Data Storage

Calendar data is persisted locally:
  • ICS URL: Stored in localStorage and synced to account
  • Events: Cached locally with expiration based on smart caching
  • Last Fetched: Timestamp tracking when events were last updated
  • Next Event: Cached for quick access
All data persists across browser sessions and is automatically rehydrated when you return to Meelio.

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