Importing guest data from a file is how you bring an existing list into Bookboost: a mailing list from your old system, a spreadsheet of past guests, a set of contacts from an event. Once the file is in, you add those guests to a list and target them with a campaign.
The formatting decides whether it works. Most failed imports are a formatting problem in the file rather than anything in Bookboost, which is why step one is the template.
One importer, two ways to use it
Profiles > Import is the Property Data Importer. There is no separate tool: the same screen takes a one-off guest list and a recurring feed of reservation, space and rate plan data. What differs is what you map and how often you upload.
This article covers the one-off guest list. For the full field reference across all five data models — guests, reservations, properties, spaces and rate plans — see Property Data Importer Fields Available.
Sequences, and why the screen is a list
Profiles > Import lists import sequences, not individual uploads. A sequence is created the first time you map a file, and it keeps the mapping you chose so the next file in the same shape can go through without redoing the work.
Each row shows the sequence's name, how many Uploads it has taken, how many Guests, Reservations, Properties, Spaces and Rate plans it has brought in, its Last upload, and when it was Created.
For a one-off guest list you will create one sequence and upload once. For a recurring feed you upload into the same sequence each time.
Step 1: Prepare the file
Start from the import template, which carries the formatting rules for every field.
Make your own copy of the template before changing anything.
Fill in your data. The first column holds the formatting instructions for each field, so work through them as you go.
Delete the first column once your data is formatted. It is guidance, not data, and importing it will cause errors.
Save as CSV. Excel also works, but CSV is the safer choice.
Step 2: Import the file
If you manage several properties, select the right one first. The property selector sits in the header of the Import screen. Importing into the wrong property means moving the guests afterwards, so check before you upload.
Go to Profiles > Import and select Import file.
Choose your file and upload it.
Map your columns to the matching Bookboost fields, following the instructions on screen. This is where a badly formatted file shows itself.
Wait for the import to finish. Large files take longer.
Step 3: Add the guests to a list
Importing puts the guests into Bookboost. It does not group them, so if you plan to send them a campaign, put them on a list.
Go to Profiles > Lists and select the + in the top right.
Give the list a name. The category field is optional.
Go back to Profiles > Import and open the sequence you just created.
Select the records you want, then add them to the list.
Step 4: Use the list in a campaign
Go to Audiences and create a new audience.
Apply the Guest List filter and choose your list. The filter only appears once at least one list exists, so create the list first.
Add that audience to a Journey or Broadcast campaign.
Check consent before you send. An imported guest is not automatically marketable. If the file carries consent data, map it during the import; if it does not, the guests have no consent recorded and marketing campaigns will exclude them. See Consent management essentials.
What this does not do
It does not fix a badly formatted file. Improper formatting causes the import to fail, and the template exists to prevent that.
It does not add guests to a list. That is a separate step after the import.
It does not grant consent. Importing an address is not permission to market to it. Consent has to be in the file and mapped, or collected separately.
It does not choose the property for you. Whichever property is selected is where the guests land.
What to do next
For the full field list, including consent fields and historical consent dates, see Property Data Importer Fields Available.
Getting help
Open Help at the bottom of the left menu and choose Talk to us, or email support@bookboost.io.