How to Import Events into the MyListing Theme (Eventbrite, Facebook, Meetup and iCal)

A directory with an events section feels alive. Visitors come back to see what is happening, local businesses get more exposure, and your listings stay fresh. The problem is the work. Every event means a new listing with a title, dates, a location, an image and a host, and doing that by hand does not scale.

The WPEA My Listing Addon lets WP Event Aggregator create those event listings for you. It brings events from Eventbrite, Facebook, Meetup and iCal straight into the MyListing theme, using the same structure MyListing uses for its own events. The addon documentation is a handy second reference.

One Import, Three Results

When you import an event, the addon does more than create a single post:

1. An event listing. The event itself, with its dates, image, categories, location and a link to the original page.
2. A host listing. If the source names an organizer, the addon creates it as a Place listing, with email, phone, website and image when available, and links it to the event as its host.
3. A region. The event’s city is added to MyListing’s Region taxonomy, so visitors can filter events by location. Online events are placed in an “Online Events” region.

What You Need

• WP Event Aggregator
• WP Event Aggregator Pro
• The MyListing theme, active. A child theme of MyListing works too.
• The WPEA My Listing Addon

If something is missing, the addon shows a notice in your dashboard that tells you what to install or activate.

Quick Readiness Check

Because the addon follows MyListing’s structure, make sure your site is ready before the first import:

• Listing types. The addon uses the listing types with the slugs event and place. These are part of MyListing’s usual events and places setup, so check that they exist on your site.
• A category. Have at least one listing category ready to assign to imported events.
• A status plan. Decide whether imported events should be pending or published. Pending lets you review them first.

Setup in Three Steps

Step 1: Activate your license

Go to WP Event Aggregator → My Listing Addon License and enter your license key so the addon can receive updates.

Step 2: Connect your source

Open WP Event Aggregator → Settings and connect the source you want. Eventbrite, Facebook and Meetup each need a quick connection, such as a token or app credentials. iCal needs none. The WP Event Aggregator documentation explains each connection.

Step 3: Choose My Listing as the destination

Open the import tab for your source and find Import Into. Select My Listing, pick your categories and a status, and run the import. Imported events arrive as pending unless you choose another status.

Where Can the Events Come From?

• Eventbrite by Event ID, Organizer ID or Collection ID
• Facebook by Event ID or Facebook Page
• Meetup by Event ID or Group URL
• iCal from an .ics file, an iCal URL or an Outlook Calendar
• CSV, XML and JSON files using the file import in WP Event Aggregator Pro

For a source you want to follow over time, choose a scheduled import and set it to run hourly, twice daily, daily, weekly or monthly.

What Gets Filled In

• Title and description from the source.
• Images. The event image becomes the listing’s featured image, and is also used for the cover and gallery.
• Event dates and times in MyListing’s event date field.
• Categories from your selection in the import form.
• Location. The address and map coordinates, plus the city as a Region.
• Website field. The original event link, so visitors can click through to the source.
• Contact details. The organizer’s email and phone, when the source provides them.
• Listing expiry. Imported events are set to expire 30 days after the event ends.

Bonus: Eventbrite Tickets on the Event Page

For events imported from Eventbrite, you can show the ticket checkout right below the event. Turn on Display ticket option after event in the Eventbrite settings of WP Event Aggregator, and the addon adds the ticket section to the bottom of the event page.

Tips

• Import one event first and look at it on your site before importing in bulk.
• Review the host listings. Each new organizer is created with the same status you chose for events, so check them if you keep imports on pending.
• Turn on Update existing events for the source if you want changes at the source to come through. Without it, events already on your site are skipped.

Good to Know

• Each import creates single events. Repeating events from a source are not set up as repeating events in MyListing.
• For Facebook events, the city is saved as the location text. For other sources, the full address is saved.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need WP Event Aggregator Pro?

Yes. The addon asks for WP Event Aggregator Pro as well as the free plugin.

Does it work with a MyListing child theme?

Yes. The addon recognizes both MyListing and its child themes.

Which sources can I use?

Eventbrite, Facebook, Meetup, iCal, and CSV, XML and JSON files.

Are organizers created automatically?

Yes. They are created as Place listings and linked to the event as its host.

Can events be imported automatically?

Yes. Use a scheduled import and choose how often it should run.

Will events be published straight away?

Only if you choose that. They default to pending so you can review them.

Wrapping Up

With the addon active, adding events to your MyListing directory is a short routine: choose a source, select My Listing under Import Into, pick a category and import. Check one event, review the host listing, then scale up with organizer, page, group or feed imports and schedule them.

For more detail, see the My Listing addon docs and the WP Event Aggregator docs, or visit the WPEA My Listing Addon page and the WP Event Aggregator page.