Clean your guest data

When preparing a guest list for bulk upload using CSV files, cleaning your data is essential to avoid common errors during the upload process. Below are key tips for cleaning your guest list data to ensure a smooth and error-free upload:

1. Remove Invisible Empty Rows and Columns

• Extra empty rows and columns in your CSV can cause errors during the upload. These are often not visible, but they still exist in the file. Tip: Select the entire sheet, scroll down to spot any unnecessary rows or columns, and delete them to keep the file clean.

2. Ensure All Values Are Single-Line

• Multi-line text in a single cell can cause formatting issues or errors during the upload. Tip: Use the Find and Replace function in Excel or Google Sheets to locate line breaks and remove them. Ensure all data is in a single line within each cell.

3. Check Email Addresses (Only One Email per Cell)

• Ensure the email column contains only one email per cell. Sometimes users may add multiple email addresses in a single cell, which will result in errors. Tip: If multiple emails exist, remove the extras and keep only the primary email.

4. Remove Extra Spaces

• Extra spaces at the beginning or end of cells can lead to mismatches during the upload process, especially for names or email addresses. Tip: Use the TRIM function to remove unnecessary spaces from your data.

5. Check for Duplicate Entries

• Duplicate guest entries can cause confusion, especially if uploaded multiple times. Tip: Use the Remove Duplicates feature in Excel or Google Sheets to quickly clean up any repeated rows.

6. Fix Long Numeric Values (QR IDs)

• If your file contains long numeric values, such as QR Code IDs, Excel may automatically convert them into scientific notation (e.g., E+). This can lead to incorrect QR IDs when the file is saved as CSV. Tip: Before converting to CSV, format the numeric cells as Text in Excel to prevent this conversion.

7. Ensure Correct Data Formatting

• Check that columns with specific data types, such as dates or numeric values, are correctly formatted. For example, ensure that dates are in the right format (YYYY-MM-DD), and numeric fields contain only numbers. Tip: Use Excel’s data validation tools to enforce the correct format for each column.

8. Validate Data Before Uploading

• Use Excel or Google Sheets’ Data Validation feature to ensure that all entries in specific columns, such as emails, are in the correct format.

By following these steps, you’ll ensure that your guest list data is clean and ready for bulk uploading, preventing errors and making the process smoother.