Preparing your bookings file for import

Learn how to download the Booking Import template, including how to optimize your file for import.

New to Booking Import? Read the first article in this series for an introduction to the Booking Import feature.

Accessing the features mentioned in this article

Where can I find this feature using the top menu?

Reports > Booking Index > Import

What more do I need to use this feature?

• Admin or restricted permissions to View all reports or the Booking Index.
  
  

Which Checkfront version supports this feature - classic items, classic products, or both?

• This feature is available in both our classic version using classic items (Inventory > Items) and our classic version using classic products (Inventory > Products).  → Learn more about products

Once you arrive at the Booking Import page, you see a Download Template button. Clicking on this downloads a CSV file containing a sample booking which you can use as a template for your external bookings.  

Once you download the template, open it up and add your booking details. You can delete the sample row before saving the document or override its contents with your information.

Most fields are self-explanatory and match the fields you have chosen to show on your Booking Form (Manage > Layout > Booking Form). There are a few things to note, but we look at those below.  

Looking at the inventory image above, you see the indicated example IDs.  

This field is critical and matches the item(s)/product(s) included in the booking.

A booking cannot be imported without a matching item or product ID.

Returning to the CSV file, the second column is labelled Item ID. You input the ID we just looked at in the inventory.

A space in the Item ID field must separate multiple item/product IDs. A comma is not acceptable and prevents the booking from importing correctly.

When entering your information, it is important to use the correct formatting on columns such as Start Date and End Date. Date formats can be in MM/DD/YYYY or YYYY/MM/DD.

The date columns should also have a time associated with them. If you need to know what time the original booking was created, you can estimate the time.

The example booking contains two products in this case: London Walking Tour and Guided Walking Tour. 

In the screenshot above, the custom field labelled Stay up to date on our newsletter is a checkbox.  

On the booking form, a Customer must check the box to receive future newsletters from the company they are booking with.

When adding bookings via the spreadsheet, this option should be input as either a '0' or a '1'. A '0' means the option has been left unchecked, while a '1' means the option has been selected.  

In the following article, we look at the booking import process itself.

< Introduction to importing bookings     |     Importing your bookings file >