Do you have your guest list all neatly organized in a spreadsheet? You can import it straight into Joy! If you’ve already started adding guests in Joy, don’t fret – importing a list will simply add to your existing list, not replace it – it’s like adding extra toppings to your pizza, not replacing the whole pie.
Step 1: Prep Your Spreadsheet
Joy’s all set to work its magic, but it needs a little help. Your spreadsheet needs to be in a specific format to import. We have a Google Sheets template you can start with or use as a reference.
Formatting Guidelines
- Starting in the first column the column headings must be first name, last name, and email (as seen above).
- These column headers are required for the spreadsheet to import.
- If you are missing one column or they are out of order, the import will fail.
- The column headers must be in lowercase and free from extra characters.
- You can also include a party column, this groups guests so they are all listed on the eCards and one person can respond for the entire group (learn more below) but it’s totally optional!
- Each guest must be listed in their own row.
- For a given guest, all fields are optional. You can import a guest with only a first name, last name, email, or party. But at least one of these is required; completely blank rows won’t be imported.
- You’re able to import first names, last names, email addresses, and party columns. Please note: the site doesn’t currently support importing extra columns.
- No symbols are allowed in first names and last names.
Parties and Plus-Ones
To group guests as parties, enter the same party value, such as “The Smiths” for each guest in the party. Joy will automatically group these guests as a party in your guest list. This means when you send out eCards, everyone in the party will be addressed on the eCards and one person can RSVP for everyone in the group.
This works for plus-ones, too. In the example above, the guest Christopher Wallace has a plus one: The party “CW” groups this guest with an otherwise blank row, whose details can be added after importing.
The party can be named anything you want, such as “The Smiths”, “Joe P and guest” or “Mary W and family”. This value won’t be visible in Joy; it’s just used to group your guests together under the hood.
Step 2: Save your file as a CSV
After you’ve set up your guest list’s format, save it as a CSV file. CSV stands for “Comma-separated values,” a widely used format that’s compatible with Excel, Google Sheets, and Numbers. Joy can read this format.
- From Excel: File > Save as … > Save as type > CSV
- From Google Sheets: File > Download > Comma-separated values (.csv, current sheet)
- From Numbers: File > Export to… > CSV
Step 3: Import with a Click
You’re nearly there! Ready to watch Joy work its magic? Here’s how to import your CSV file:
- Head to your admin dashboard and click Guest List.
- Click ‘Add Guests’ in the upper right corner.
- Select ‘Import Guest List.’
- Find your CSV file and let Joy do the rest.
Voila! Your guests are now part of your Joy guest list, all grouped up in their parties. Time to send out those Save the Dates and Invitations and make some magical memories!
Exporting Your Guest List
Need to take the guest list show on the road (i.e. send it to your caterer)? You can export it too:
- To export all guests, hit “Export All Guests” in the toolbar.
- For selected guests, choose them first and then click “Export Selection.”
The exported list lands as a CSV file on your computer, ready to rock with Excel, Google Sheets, or Numbers. Happy planning! 🎉
Still have some questions?
Ask us directly! Click on the black and white chat bubble in the bottom-right corner of this page to ask us your questions, or you can email us at support@withjoy.com. You’ll get a friendly response from someone on our team!