Import and export sessions and speakers

Typing forty sessions by hand is a bad use of an afternoon. Both the Agenda and Speakers tabs have Import CSV and Export CSV.

Export first

Even for an import, export first. It gives you a file with exactly the right columns, which is far easier than guessing the format.

1. Open Program and go to Agenda or Speakers.
2. Click Export CSV.

   

Import

1. Fill in your spreadsheet, using the exported file as the template.
2. Save as CSV, UTF-8.
3. Click Import CSV and choose the file.

Preparing the file

• Start from the export. Match its columns exactly.
• Use one consistent date and time format throughout.
• Match track names exactly to the tracks you have already created — create the tracks first.
• Delete blank rows at the bottom.
• Save as CSV UTF-8, especially for Arabic or accented names.

Export as a backup

Export your agenda whenever it reaches a state you would not want to lose, and certainly before any restructuring.

It is the only complete snapshot you have — session revisions are not kept the way page sections are.

What happens next

Imported sessions appear on the agenda and on your public site immediately.

Speakers must be imported before the sessions that reference them, or the links will not be made.

Common problems

Sessions arrived with no track. The track names in your file do not match existing tracks exactly. Create them first, matching the spelling.

Times are wrong or blank. Date format. Copy the format from your export exactly.

Arabic or accented text is mangled. Not saved as UTF-8. In Excel use *Save As → CSV UTF-8*.

Speakers are not linked to sessions. Import speakers first, then sessions.

The import created duplicates. Importing adds; it does not update existing rows. Delete the duplicates, or use bulk delete and re-import cleanly.

Some rows were skipped. Missing a required value, usually the name or the start time.