Import a Guest List From a Spreadsheet or RSVP Site

Export your list as CSV

CSV is a plain text file where each row is a guest and columns are separated by commas. Google’s help documentation says you can download a copy of a Sheets file as a CSV, and in the web version you do this from File, then Download. In Excel, use File, then Save As, and choose the CSV format; Microsoft notes that only the current worksheet is saved, so export the sheet that holds your guests.

Many RSVP sites also offer a guest list export. Look for a download or export button on the guest list page, and choose CSV or spreadsheet.

Column format the tool accepts

Use a header row with these columns. Only the first is required.

• Name: one guest per row, for example Maria Lopez.
• Group or Party: guests who should sit together share the same value, such as Lopez family.
• Table: optional. Fill it in only for guests you have already assigned.

Clean the list first

A few minutes in the spreadsheet saves time in the chart. Sort by name to spot duplicates, and check that each person appears once. Spelling variants such as Bob and Robert are easy to miss, so scan for them.

Split couples and plus-ones into separate rows, with the same group value so they stay together. A row that reads Mr. and Mrs. Chen is counted as one seat, so write each person on their own row. Give children their own rows, too, since they need seats.

Use the same spelling for each group name. Capital letters do not matter, so Lopez Family and lopez family count as one group, but a typo such as Lopes family starts a second group.

Import and check

Paste the rows or choose the file in the tool, then check the count against your RSVP total. If a name is missing or doubled, fix it in the spreadsheet and import again; that is quicker than editing in the chart.

Privacy

The file is read in your browser. It is not uploaded to a server by this tool. Still, a guest list holds names and sometimes contact details, so remove columns such as email, phone and address before importing, and keep the spreadsheet in a place only you and your planner can open.