Import your guest list from the spreadsheet you already have
Import your guest list from a .csv, .xlsx or .xls file up to 5 MB, check how each column is matched, and decide on duplicates before anything is saved. Import works on every plan, including Free for your first event of up to 50 guests.
All plans Import is on every plan, including Free. Export is on Pro, Premium and Event Bundles. Compare plans
| Row | First | Surname | Mobile | Table | Side | Dietary | Plus one? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Aisha | Khan | 0491 570 110 | Table 6 | Family | Vegetarian | Yes |
| 3 | Arjun | Sharma | 0491 570 156 | Table 3 | Friends | No | |
| 4 | Emily | Chen | Head Table | Family | Gluten free | ||
| 5 | Amelia | Clarke | 0491 570 157 | Table 3 | Family | Yes | |
| 6 | Omar | Khan | 0491 570 158 | Table 6 | Friends | Halal |
Emily Chen is already on your list, so she will come up as a possible duplicate.
Import guests
Match your file's columns to guest fields, then import.
First
autoSurname
autoMobile
autoTable
autoSide
autoDietary
autoPlus one?
Each field can be used once. Attendance status is for responses received outside MyGuestWork. Dietary notes here are your own, kept separate from any RSVP dietary answers. Unmapped columns are ignored.
How to import a guest list from Excel or CSV
Every guest list starts somewhere else: a shared spreadsheet, a booking system export, a list a colleague typed up. Retyping is where mistakes creep in, so bring the file as it is.
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Upload your file
Drop in your own spreadsheet, or the template with every supported column, as a .csv, .xlsx or .xls file up to 5 MB. For Excel, the first sheet is read.
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Check the columns
Each column is shown with sample values and the field it will fill. Change any that are wrong, or ignore a column.
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Review any duplicates
Choose whether to import anyone who looks like a guest already on your list. Nothing is saved until you decide.
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Import the guests
You see how many guests were added, and which rows were skipped and why.
Spreadsheet columns the import understands
Matching is loose, so capitals, spaces, dashes and underscores do not matter. These are examples, not the full list.
| Field | Also recognised as |
|---|---|
| First name | First, Given name. The only required column. |
| Last name | Surname, Family name |
| Full name | Name, Guest, Attendee |
| Email address | |
| Phone | Mobile, Cell, WhatsApp. A separate country code column works too. |
| Table | Table number, Seat, Room, Section, Booth, or your own word for it |
| Attendance | RSVP, Status, Response. Yes and No, Confirmed and Regrets are understood. |
| Dietary requirements | Diet, Allergies, Dietary needs |
| Category | Group, Side, Party, Tag |
| Notes | Comments, Remarks |
If your file has no header row, the columns are read in order: first name, last name, then table.
Duplicates and everything else that goes wrong
Review duplicates
1 possible duplicate name found. Select guests you still want to import.
Selected duplicates will be imported. Unselected duplicates will be skipped. Non-duplicates will import automatically.
Emily Chen
Possible duplicateExisting guest: Emily Chen
Duplicates are your call
Two people called Chris Taylor with their own emails are not flagged, and duplicates within the file are caught too. Each match shows the guest it matches, or that it appears more than once in your file, with room for an internal note.
Nothing is lost quietly
A row with no first name is skipped. An invalid email is dropped, but the guest is still imported. The results screen lists it all, row by row.
Start again cleanly
Tick "Replace existing guest list" to swap in a new version of your file. It deletes your current guests, with their tables and RSVP replies, so you are asked to confirm first.
Your spreadsheet is ready as it is
Import is on every plan, including Free. Upload your CSV or Excel file and sort out the columns and duplicates before anything is saved.
Adding guests by hand
No file? Type guests straight into the list, one after another, with phone, dietary requirements, category and notes a click away. If a name is already on your list, you are asked before a second one is added.
Phone numbers you import are also what WhatsApp invitations use, so keep a Mobile or WhatsApp column.
Guest limits on each plan
Free covers 50 guests and Pro covers 150. Premium and Event Bundles have unlimited guests. If a file would take you past your limit, none of it is imported, and you are told how many places are left, so you never end up with half a list.
Managing the list after import
Search the list by name, or filter it to guests who are seated, still unseated or missing an email address. On events with RSVP you can also filter by invitation and reply.
Select several guests at once to:
- assign them all to one table
- export just those guests
- remove them from the list
- invite them to a day, or take them off one, on a multi-day event
The table picker shows how many guests each table has, its capacity, and when it is full. If your event has booths, rooms or sections instead of tables, rename them, and a column with that name imports straight in.
On a multi-day event, you can import a file straight into the days you choose, and export the tables for a single day.
Exporting your guest list
CSV and Excel export
Pro and Premium Every guest with their table, category, dietary requirements, contact details and notes, sorted by table, plus RSVP replies, plus-ones and dietary answers where you collect them. A CSV export can be imported again: clear "Unassigned" from the Table column first.
PDF export
Premium A printable A4 list with page numbers and your event's QR code, for a clipboard at the door. On Premium and Event Bundles you can also email any export, CSV, Excel or PDF, straight to someone.
What guest list import does not do
- No syncing with Google Sheets or other apps. Import and export work with files, so later changes do not flow either way.
- No seat numbers. Each guest has one table (or booth, room or section) on each day, and a Seat column fills that same field.
- No households from a file. A Group or Party column goes into category. Households are set up in RSVP (Premium and Event Bundles), where the app can suggest them from shared emails and surnames.
- No merging into existing guests. A duplicate is imported as a new guest or skipped. It does not update the guest already on your list.
What to do with your guest list next
Online RSVP
Collect replies online for the whole party, including plus-ones and dietary requirements. Everyone who says yes is already on your guest list, ready to seat.
See how RSVP worksWhatsApp invitations
Send each guest their invitation on WhatsApp in one tap, from your own WhatsApp. See who you have already opened it for, so you do not lose your place on a long list.
Invite on WhatsAppQR code seating chart
One QR code at the entrance. Guests scan it, type their name and see their table on their own phone. No app and no login.
See how it worksGuest list import questions
CSV and Excel (.csv, .xlsx and .xls), up to 5 MB. For an Excel workbook, the first sheet is imported.
Only a first name. Every other column, from email and phone to table and dietary requirements, is optional, and one full-name column is split into first and last name for you.
Usually. Common names like Surname, Mobile, Allergies or Side are recognised, and you can change each match before importing.
Excel on Windows often saves CSV files in an older text format that turns José into Jos� or José in other tools. The import detects it, so accented names and curly apostrophes come through as written. Excel files are read directly.
Guests are matched by email first, and by name when either one has no email. You see possible duplicates before anything is saved and choose which to import.
Up to 50 on Free and 150 on Pro. Premium and Event Bundles have unlimited guests. If a file would take you over your limit, none of it is imported, and you are told how many places you have left.
Yes, on Pro, Premium and Event Bundles. Pro exports CSV and Excel. Premium and Event Bundles add PDF, and on events with RSVP you can export just the guests who are attending, declined, awaiting a reply or have dietary needs.
More questions? Contact us
Bring your list in, as it is
Upload your spreadsheet and your guest list is ready for seating and invitations.