Overview
Bringing your booking and passenger information into Fieldbook is easy with our CSV import feature. Whether your data comes from a booking platform, spreadsheets, or forms, this guide will walk you through the process step-by-step to ensure your data is accurately uploaded and mapped in Fieldbook.
Importing booking and passenger data allows you to:
Save time by bulk adding booking and passenger data into Fieldbook.
Automatically populate guide and supplier documents with imported data
Eliminate the need for manual data entry, reducing the risk of errors.
With Fieldbook’s intuitive importing interface, you can map your data fields easily, and the system remembers your mapping for future imports.
🎥 Check out this video for an overview of the booking import feature:
Import Booking & Passenger Data
You can import booking data into a departure. You can importing your booking data in five simple steps:
1. Prepare your CSV for import.
2. Import the CSV to a Fieldbook departure.
3. Map your data fields.
4. Review your data.
5. Complete the import.
Reimporting Existing Bookings
In the current version of the booking import feature, reimporting an existing booking and merging changes is not supported. If updates are needed, we recommend the following:
Manual Edits: Update booking or passenger details directly in Fieldbook.
Reimporting: Remove the original booking before reimporting it.
To avoid additional steps, we recommend importing bookings only when they are in a final state or unlikely to change. For more details on reimporting, read more here.
1. Preparing Your CSV for Import
Properly preparing your data is essential for a smooth import process into Fieldbook. How you prepare your CSV depends on the source of your booking and passenger information.
Exporting CSV Data from a Booking Platform
If you’re using a booking platform, most platforms allow you to export booking data as a spreadsheet or CSV file. Once exported, you can map this data directly to Fieldbook. For detailed guidance on specific platforms, refer to:
Need help with another platform? Contact us at [email protected], and we’ll create a tailored guide for you.
Exporting CSV Data from a Form Platform
If your data originates from a form platform like Google Forms, you can download/export the form response data as a spreadsheet. Once downloaded, save the spreadsheet as a CSV file. Ensure the first row contains the column names.
Exporting CSV Data from a Spreadsheet
If your booking and passenger data is already in a spreadsheet, simply save the relevant tab as a CSV file. As with form data, make sure the first row includes the column names for accurate mapping during the import process.
What If You Don’t Have a Booking Reference?
Fieldbook requires a Booking Reference to import your data. This booking reference allows Fieldbook to group passengers from the same transaction. If your data doesn’t include booking references, you can easily create them for the import. Here are a couple of examples:
For Individual Passengers from Form Data: Combine the last name and product code / trip name to create a unique reference. For example, “smith-amazingtour2024” ensures each passenger has a distinct booking reference.
For Group Bookings (e.g., Corporate or School Groups): Use a single reference to consolidate all passengers under the same booking. For example, “Greenwood High - June 2024” groups the entire school’s passengers for the trip.
2. Import the CSV to a Fieldbook Departure
To import your data:
Go to the Bookings tab of your departure.
Click Import Bookings.
Select your CSV file and proceed to the next step.
3. Mapping Fields from CSV to Fieldbook
Fieldbook will guide you in matching the columns in your CSV to the fields in Fieldbook.
Fieldbook Data Fields
Refer to our Data Reference Guide for a comprehensive overview of all Fieldbook data fields available during the import process.
Errors & Warnings
During the mapping stage, Fieldbook will flag any errors and warn you where there are mapping issues.
Handling Missing or Custom Fields
If your CSV contains data that doesn’t quite match an existing Fieldbook field, you can map it to one of the following notes fields:
Guide Notes: Appears on the guide itinerary (e.g., swimming experience).
Supplier Notes: Appears in the supplier assignment document (e.g., corner room).
Booking Notes: Internal notes visible only to your team (e.g., t-shirt size or dietary preferences).
Tip: You can map multiple columns to a the Booking Notes field. For example you can map “T-Shirt Size: M” and “Swimming Experience: Beginner” to the Booking Notes field.
Mapping Package Options
If your bookings include options like room options or optional extras, these can be mapped to a Fieldbook Package Options.
When mapping the field, select "Package option"
Map the values from your CSV to the appropriate options in Fieldbook by clicking the pen icon:
4. Reviewing Data for Accuracy
Before completing your import, Fieldbook previews your data and flags any issues.
Existing Customer
Fieldbook will check if the customer record matches an existing one. If a match is found, you can choose to update the existing record or create a new one.
Reimporting a Booking
If a booking with the same booking reference already exists in the departure, it cannot be re-imported directly. Follow these options to handle the situation:
Skip the Import:
Uncheck the box for “Import this booking” to skip importing the duplicate record.Manually Update the Booking:
If only certain fields have changed, you can update them manually within Fieldbook.Reimport the Booking:
Note: any additional notes or data associated with the booking may be affected when you delete or cancel it, so ensure any important information is documented elsewhere if needed.
Delete or Cancel the Existing Booking: If deletion is unavailable, cancel the booking instead.
For cancelled bookings, add a Unique Suffix to the Booking reference: Update the booking reference with a unique suffix (e.g., B1000 (CX)) to ensure it doesn’t conflict with the original.
Reimport the booking
5. Completing the Import
Once your data is reviewed:
Click Import to finalise the process.
Fieldbook updates your departure with the imported booking data.