Guest List Import FAQs

Frequently asked questions around zkipster's guest list import

Petya Filipova avatar
Written by Petya Filipova
Updated over a week ago

Q: Is there an excel template I can use as a guide to help format my file?

A: Yes. You can download our sample template from the Import Guest List page:

Q: Do I need to use all of the fields on the default template?

A: No. Any default fields not being used for the specific event does not need to be used or filled out with data. Set up the excel with only the fields needed for the event.

Q: How many guest lists can I add?

A: Please note that we have a cap of 10,000 guests per event as this is the limit we can guarantee flawless performance and a quality experience of zkipster. This limit applies to Main Guests only and is the total across any guest lists inside one event (not including +1s).

For events with 2,000+ guests, please additionally refer to our article on how to manage large guest lists in zkipster.

Q: Can I add guests on top of an existing list?

A: Yes. Adding additional guest names to your excel or manually adding guests to a list is possible at any time. Just click 'Add Guests' at the top right of the Guest's screen.


Q: Does zkipster deduplicate guest data?

A: No. Be sure to remove all duplicates before importing or adding them to an existing list.

If using multiple lists for different days or sessions, each guest will be treated as a unique guest entry and will appear as many times and in as many separate lists as you have included the guest on before importing into zkipster.

Here are the steps on how to deduplicate your guest data using Microsoft Excel:

  1. First, be sure to make a separate copy of your file in case you make any mistake

  2. Highlight/Select all the sections

  3. Click 'Data' from the menu bar then click 'Remove Duplicates' (uncheck the columns that you will not include) and click 'OK'

Q: How do I account for multiple-day events or multiple sessions within an event?

A: For multiple-day events, use zkipster's sessions feature. You can create a session for each day of the event and register guests using zkipster's RSVP form. Learn how to create, register guests, and manage event sessions.

Q: I don't have the names of my guests, can I still upload a list?

A: Yes you can definitely still upload a guest list. zkipster needs to have something in the First Name or Last Name fields for the upload to be accepted but this can be anything. We suggest just putting the company name in the First Name & Last Name fields or simply an * will do the trick.

Q: How do I account for additional guests/+1s?

A: Account for any additional guests by adding a 'Total Guest' column to your excel file. The number value in that column corresponds to the Main Guest and any additional guests they can or will bring.

  • 1 Total Guest = Main Guest only

  • 2 Total Guest = Main Guest +1

  • And so on from here.

Please Note: If only allowing for Main Guests and no additional guests, it is still a good idea to have the 'Total Guest' column and mark 1 for all of the guests. Otherwise, they may count as NO RSVP and create an inaccurate guest count.  

When accounting for +1s and additional guests, we also recommend creating a custom field for 'Guest's Name'. This will enable your check-in team to search those additional guests by name on the day of the event.

Q: Do I have to manually add the secondary email to use the CC function?

A: No. You can automatically fill the secondary email guest field by adding a 'Secondary Email' column on your spreadsheet.

Q: How do I relate guests on the spreadsheet?

A: Add the 'External ID' field and the 'Relationships' field. Both fields are required to relate your guests when you upload your spreadsheet:

Please note: ‘Relationships’ is used to relate guests to each other and does not count as an additional guest. Learn more about our ‘Relationships’ feature here.


Q: What if I forgot to assign a total guest value to my guests?

A: Once a guest list is uploaded and guest fields are matched, a prompt window will notify how many of your guests do not have a total guest value assigned. You will then have the option to choose the value for all unassigned guests from the drop-down menu.


Q: What guest status should I assign to my guests?

A: If you are using zkipster's Invitations feature, a pop-up window will prompt you to assign a Guest Status to all of your guests (if you have not already done so on your spreadsheet). The pop-up will ask you to assign your guests either as 'Confirmed' or 'Unconfirmed' status:

  • Unconfirmed - This allows you to track guest attendance when planning on sending online invitations with zkipster

  • Confirmed - Guests who have already confirmed their attendance

Please note: By making your selection via the pop-up, the system will automatically apply the chosen status (i.e. Confirmed or Unconfirmed) to ALL guests on your guest list.

If you already know the Guest Status of all or some of your guests prior to importing your list, it is recommended that you indicate this on your spreadsheet accordingly with an additional 'Guest Status' column. Give each individual guest one of the following statuses on your file and the system will recognize and assign the status information for each guest accordingly:

  • Unconfirmed

  • Confirmed

  • Declined

You can see an overview of the number of Total Guests, Unconfirmed, Confirmed, and Declined guests on the main page of the 'Guests' section on your browser.

Q: What if I imported a wrong guest list or wrong guest, can I delete it?

A: You can click back to the 'Guests' Tab and from there you will be able to see the guest list(s) you have imported.

There will be a trash can icon next to the list that you can click to delete the specific guest list.

If deleting only one guest or a selected number of guests. You can click into the guest list and select the check box next to the guest and from the 'Action' dropdown select 'Delete'. You can also click the trash can icon located at the end of the guest name.

Please note: Deleting a guest or guest list is permanent and we won't be able to retrieve it if deleted.

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