# Content calendar template, built around your posting plan Pick your platforms, how many posts a week and for how many weeks, add your topics, and the generator lays out a full content calendar. Download it as a spreadsheet (CSV or XLSX) or as a calendar file for Google Calendar, Outlook and Apple Calendar. It runs in your browser, so nothing is stored. ## How to make a content calendar in six steps Everything happens on this page, and you only download the file at the end. ### Pick your platforms Choose any mix of Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Pinterest and Threads. ### Set your posting rhythm Choose 1 to 7 posts a week. The same rhythm applies to every platform you picked. ### Choose the time span Plan 1, 2, 4, 8 or 13 weeks ahead, and set the time of day your posts should go out. ### Add your topics Type one topic per line, for example product, behind the scenes and customer questions. The calendar rotates them in order. ### Check the preview The preview shows your first 10 posts with the format for each platform, such as Reel, carousel, image or story on Instagram. ### Download the file you need Get a CSV, an Excel file (XLSX) or a calendar file (ICS). The CSV imports straight into the Crowdbird planner. ## CSV, XLSX or ICS: which download fits All three hold the same plan. They differ in where you use it. | File | Opens in | Best for | | --- | --- | --- | | CSV | Google Sheets, Excel, Crowdbird planner | Importing posts as drafts | | XLSX | Excel, Google Sheets, Numbers | Editing the plan with a team | | ICS | Google Calendar, Outlook, Apple Calendar | Seeing each post as a 30 minute slot | ## Take your plan further ### [Social media scheduler](https://crowdbird.ai/en/features/scheduler) Import your calendar as drafts and publish to every platform from one place. ### [Best time to post on Instagram](https://crowdbird.ai/en/free-tools/best-time-to-post-instagram) See at which hours your recent Instagram posts did best. ### [Best time to post on TikTok](https://crowdbird.ai/en/free-tools/best-time-to-post-tiktok) Compare your recent TikTok videos by weekday and hour. ## What a good content calendar includes A content calendar answers four questions for every post. The template fills in the first three for you, you add the fourth. - **When:** date and time for each platform. - **What:** the topic for that day, taken in turn from your topic list. - **How:** the format, like a Reel, carousel, image or Story on Instagram. - **Status:** whether the post is an idea, a draft or scheduled. That way you see what's still missing. ## Find topics that last A calendar is only as good as its topics. Three to five recurring themes are enough for weeks. 1. **Write down what you can show again and again:** products, behind the scenes, customer questions, seasonal moments. 2. **One topic per line:** The template spreads them across the weeks in turn. 3. **Pick a pace you can keep:** Three posts a week for eight weeks beats posting daily for one week and then going quiet. 4. **Write the captions later:** The calendar gives you dates and topics. You write each caption when the post is up next. > Ceramico Studio plans four weeks with three posts a week on Instagram and TikTok. The topics: new pieces, a look into the workshop, care tips. ## From calendar to scheduled post A calendar only helps once the posts actually go out. Download the CSV and import it into the [Crowdbird scheduler](https://crowdbird.ai/en/features/scheduler). Each row becomes a draft for your connected account, with date, time and topic. You just add the text and media. To find times that suit your account, use the best time to post tools for [Instagram](https://crowdbird.ai/en/free-tools/best-time-to-post-instagram) and [TikTok](https://crowdbird.ai/en/free-tools/best-time-to-post-tiktok). The [caption generator](https://crowdbird.ai/en/free-tools/caption-generator) drafts the captions. ## Common mistakes - **Too much at once:** A pace you drop after two weeks helps no one. - **Only one topic:** Variety keeps your profile alive. - **The same format everywhere:** Use what each platform does well. - **A plan without dates:** Only scheduled posts actually go out. ## Questions about content calendars ### What is a content calendar? A content calendar is a schedule of what you will post, where and when, usually for several weeks ahead. It lists the date, time, platform, format and topic of each post, so you can plan themes, avoid gaps and prepare content before it is due. ### How do I make a content calendar in Google Sheets? Generate your plan above and download it as CSV or XLSX, then open the file in Google Sheets with File, Import. Each row is one post with its date, time, platform, format and topic, so you can sort, filter and add captions right in the sheet. ### Is there a free content calendar template? Yes. This generator is free, needs no account and builds the template from your own platforms, rhythm and topics instead of a blank grid. It runs in your browser and nothing you enter is stored or sent anywhere. ### What should a social media content calendar include? At minimum the date and time, the platform, the format and the topic of each post. Many teams add the caption, the media file, who is responsible and the status. The generated file covers the first four, and the Crowdbird planner holds the rest once you import it. ### How far ahead should I plan social media content? Four to eight weeks is a practical range for most small teams: far enough to plan themes and launches, short enough to react to trends. The generator plans 1, 2, 4, 8 or 13 weeks, so you can start short and extend once the rhythm works. ### Should I download CSV or ICS? Download CSV or XLSX if you want to edit the plan or import it into the Crowdbird planner as drafts. Download ICS if you want each post as a 30 minute slot in your calendar app, in your local time, as a reminder of when to publish.