If you are switching from another booking system or spreadsheet, you can import your existing guest list into Bokko using a CSV file. The import flow lets you map columns, preview what will be created or updated, and confirm before any data is saved.
InfoGuest import is available from the Starter plan and can be run by the Owner or Manager role. It is not available to the Receptionist and Provider roles or in a demo account.
WarningOnly import guest data that you are legally entitled to process. Marketing consent is not imported automatically. Do not upload health-related or other sensitive personal data in the notes field.
Prepare the CSV file
- The file must be saved as a UTF-8 encoded CSV. In Excel: Save As → CSV UTF-8.
- Name is required for each row. At least one contact detail (phone or email) must also be present.
- Bokko saves the name, phone number, email address and notes (500 characters at most). Notes are added for new guests; the import never overwrites the notes of an existing guest.
- The file can be at most 5 MB. One import can contain at most 500 rows on the Starter plan and at most 5,000 rows on the Pro plan.
- If you are not sure about the format, use the Download template CSV button on the upload screen.
Import steps
- 1. Import
- Open Guests in the dashboard.
- Click the ⋮ menu in the guest list header and choose Import. In a wide window, where the guest profile opens next to the list, the header shows an upload icon (Import guests) instead of the menu.
- Choose your CSV file with Select file, then click Continue.
- In the Column mapping step, check which CSV column belongs to which guest field. Bokko recognises the usual column names automatically and flags the uncertain ones with a label.
- On the same screen, choose the Import mode.
- Click Analyze to generate the preview.
- In the preview, review how many guests will be created, updated or skipped, and which rows have errors. To make changes, go back to the mapping with Reanalyze.
- Click Start import, then confirm the import in the dialog.
Import modes
| Mode | What it does |
|---|---|
| Create new guests | Adds new guests. Existing guest records are not touched. |
| Create new guests and update existing names | Adds new guests and updates the name of any matching existing guest. Phone, email and notes are not modified. |
| Preview only | Shows what would happen without writing anything to the system; the preview has no Start import button. |
What to expect after the import
- The import runs in the background; meanwhile the screen shows Import in progress. When it finishes, the new guests appear in the guest list.
- An import cannot be undone in one step from the dashboard, and name updates on existing guests cannot be undone automatically either. Check the file in Preview only mode first.
- If any rows could not be imported, download the list of failed rows with Download error report on the completed import screen. Use New import to upload another file.
InfoAfter importing, inform the affected guests that their data is being processed in this system, as required by applicable data protection regulations.