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How to Add an "Add to Calendar" Link to Your Canva Designs
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Last updated: October 2026. We checked the Canva steps against Canva's help pages and built the example below with a real CalGet event, a Canva design and real calendar saves on a phone.
Quick answer
To add an add to calendar link in Canva:
- Create your event in CalGet and copy its event link.
- In Canva, select your button or text, click ••• → Link, paste the link and click Done.
- Download as PDF Standard with Flatten PDF unchecked, or share Canva's view link. PNG and JPG can't hold links, so add CalGet's QR code for images and print.
People tap the button, pick Google, Apple, Outlook, Office 365 or Yahoo, and the event is saved with the right time and place.
Canva is where a lot of events get announced: the flyer, the invitation, the Instagram post, the program. Most of those designs go out with no way to save the date. People see it, think "I should go to that," and forget.
An add to calendar link fixes that with one tap. This guide shows how to put one on any Canva design, which download formats keep it clickable, and what to do for print. Our example is a wedding save the date for Olivia and James on Saturday, June 12, 2027, from 4 to 11 PM at Willow Creek Farm in Hudson, New York. The same steps work for a flyer, an event poster or a class schedule.
Where an add to calendar link works in Canva (and where it doesn't)
This decides everything else, so start here. Canva's help page on adding hyperlinks says links only work when you download your design as a PDF that isn't flattened. They don't work in PNG, JPG or MP4 files, or in social media posts.
| How you share the design | Is the link clickable? | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| PDF Standard, not flattened | Yes | Best for invitations sent by email or text |
| Canva view link or Canva website | Yes | Share the link as usual |
| Flattened PDF | No | Leave Flatten PDF unchecked |
| PNG, JPG or a social post | No | Add the QR code, and put the link in the caption or bio |
| Printed | No | Add the QR code |
Step 1: Create your event and copy its add to calendar link
The link comes from your event, so make that first. In CalGet, click New Event and fill in the title, the date, the start and end time, the location and a short note. Check the time zone at the top right, then click Create Event Link.
Optional, but it looks great: open the event's Edit tab and add your Canva design as the Event Image, then click Save. Guests then land on a page that matches what they just saw.
Then go to Event Details and click Copy next to your event link.
Want a button that opens one calendar only, like Google Calendar? Scroll down to Direct Calendar Links and copy that one instead. You'll also find the event's QR code here, which you'll need in Step 3.
If you're new to these links, our explainer on what an add to calendar link is covers how they work.
Step 2: Add the link to your button or text in Canva
Open your design in Canva. Any element can hold a link: a button shape, a text box, an image or an icon. A real button that says "Add to Calendar" gets noticed far more than a link buried in small print.
- Select your button.
- Click ••• (More) on the toolbar, then Link.
- Paste your CalGet link and click Done.
For text, highlight the words first, such as "Add to your calendar", then click Link on the toolbar and paste.
Step 3: Add the QR code for print and image posts
A printed card or an Instagram post can't be tapped, but it can be scanned. In CalGet, click Download QR Code (it's under Direct Calendar Links). In Canva, open Uploads, click Upload files, choose the QR code, then click it to add it to your design. Size it and place it near your button.
Scanning the code opens the same event page as the button, so one design works on screen and on paper.
Step 4: Download as PDF Standard so the link stays clickable
Click Share → Download, choose PDF Standard, and leave Flatten PDF unchecked. Canva's page on flattened PDFs explains that flattening turns the file into a static image, and a static image can't hold a link.
Send the PDF by email or text, or share Canva's view link. If you also post the design as an image, add the CalGet link to your caption or bio and let the QR code do the rest.
What guests see when they tap Add to Calendar
On a phone it takes three taps. The button opens your event page with the design, the date, the time and the place. They tap Add to Calendar, pick Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, Outlook, Yahoo Calendar or Office 365, or download an ICS file for anything else, and the event is saved.
Because the event has a time zone, it lands at the right time for guests flying in from another state, too.
When plans change, your design doesn't have to
Change the event in CalGet, not in Canva. The button and the QR code keep pointing to the same event, so anyone who saves it from then on gets the new time or place. People who already saved it won't see the change on their own, so send them a quick note too.
Promoting a series instead of one date, like monthly meetups or a season of classes? Link your button to a subscription calendar instead. People subscribe once, and every event you add shows up in their calendar automatically.
Mistakes that make the button do nothing
- Downloading as PNG or JPG. Images can't hold links. Use PDF Standard, or add the QR code.
- Checking Flatten PDF. It turns the page into a picture, and the link goes with it.
- Linking the wrong layer. If the button is text on top of a shape, link the top element, or group them first, so the tap lands on the link.
- Making a new design when the time changes. Edit the event in CalGet. The link and QR code stay the same.
- Never testing it. Open the PDF on your own phone and tap the button before you send it out.
Frequently asked questions
Can you add a clickable link in Canva?
Yes. Select any element or highlight text, click ••• → Link (or Link on the toolbar for text), paste the address and click Done. The link works when you share Canva's view link or download a PDF that isn't flattened.
Why doesn't my Canva link work after downloading?
PNG, JPG and MP4 files can't hold links, and neither can a flattened PDF. Download as PDF Standard with Flatten PDF unchecked. For images and print, add a QR code that opens the same link.
How do I make an add to calendar button in Canva?
Design a button with the words "Add to Calendar", then link it to an add to calendar link, such as a CalGet event link. Guests who tap it pick Google, Apple, Outlook, Office 365 or Yahoo and save the event.
Can I put an add to calendar QR code on a printed invitation?
Yes. In CalGet, download your event's QR code, upload it to Canva and place it on your design. Guests scan it with their phone camera and add the event in a couple of taps.
What happens if the event details change?
Edit the event in CalGet. Your Canva button and QR code don't change, and anyone who saves the event from then on gets the new details. People who already saved it need a quick message, since their calendar won't update on its own.
Collecting replies too? Here's how to add an RSVP button to a Canva invitation, and how to put a live events calendar on a Canva website. Ready for your design? Make your add to calendar link with CalGet and link your button today.
Written by the CalGet team
Updated October 2026 · Checked against Canva's help pages
We build calendar tools for sharing events with lots of people, from sports clubs and schools to nonprofits. People at organizations like Harvard, Save the Children and OGC Nice use CalGet to get events into their audience's calendars.
“Great Add Event to Calendar platform. Easy to create events and add them to emails and websites. Support responds quickly to questions and provides clean and concise answers. Highly recommended.” Foto Guy, on Trustpilot
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