While creating and editing Event App feature items or attendees one-by-one in the Webex Events platform is easy, it can be time-consuming if you need to add a lot of information. To save yourself some time, use our import templates to add lots of new content quickly and simply. Need to update or reorder a lot of existing data? No problem! Simply export that data and import it with your changes.
This article provides general import guidance and instructions on downloading templates, exporting Webex Events data, and importing both new and edited data.
General import guidelines
Before you import anything, read these tips. 👍
Carefully read the 'Instructions' sheet in import templates or export files and revisit it often. Each unique template includes import instructions, column explanations and examples, important notes, and more.
Download a new template each time you need to import new data to ensure your upload is successful in case we changed anything.
When editing data you exported from Webex Events, never change the 'Unique Identifier' column if you're importing it back into the same Event. This identifier is how Webex Events updates existing data instead of duplicating it when you import the file.
If you're importing data from one Event into another, prevent import errors by deleting any columns that contain data for fields or features that don't exist in the new Event.
If you're importing attendees with answers to questions, you have to create questions in the Webex Events platform before you import attendee answers to questions.
The 'Image' column requires a URL (link) to an image hosted online. Use the Webex Events Uploader to host images and generate links, or use your favorite file hosting tool.
Ensure that any Internal Links you want to add are connected to already existing Event App content. For example, you must add your speakers to the Speakers feature before internally linking them to a Session via import.
If you're adding an External Link using the Phone Number, Email Address, or Website columns, the associated Label field is required.
If you receive any error messages, read them carefully to learn how to locate and resolve the errors. They provide details about what happened, and they include the exact cells or sheets that caused each error. Refer to our article about common import errors for help resolving errors.
Except for Attendees, the order of items in the spreadsheet is the order they'll be in when you import them. Make sure to sort the spreadsheet based on the correct column so that the order is correct after import.
When importing Attendees, the character limit for the Summary field is 250 characters. The upload will fail if any cell in this column has more than 250 characters.
Features with export and import capability
Each of the features below supports import. All except the Documents feature and Preset Agendas support export, too.
General
Registration
Event App
Lead Retrieval
Download a template or export data
If you want to add completely new attendees or other data, we provide templates that include instructions and examples to help you format your data correctly. Read the next section to learn how to download a template.
If you need to change attendees or feature items already in your Event, you must export the data first. Exported items include the 'Unique Identifier' column, which is what Webex Events uses to update existing data instead of duplicating it. Read the "Export existing data" section of this article for instructions.
Download a template
When editing any of the features or products listed above, click the Import button. In the modal that appears, click the Download button.
If necessary, authorize the download in your browser, then open the .xlsx file in your preferred spreadsheet program.
💡 Keep in mind, if you're importing new attendee data and you've previously imported some attendees, only include the new attendees in the import to avoid accidental duplicates.
Now, read the "Make changes and import" section of this article.
Export existing data
Use the check boxes to select the items you need to update, or click the box at the top of the list to select them all.
Next, click the three-dot (⋯) icon beside the 'Search' field.
Click Export.
A notification pops up to inform you that the system is preparing your file. When the export is ready, a new notification appears. Click the Click here to download link to download the file.
If you missed the notification, don't worry! Simply click the bell icon at the top right corner of the screen to review all your past notifications.
Make changes and import
Open the template or export .xlsx file on your device. An export file is an exact copy of the new data template, and it contains all the data you exported along with a new 'Unique Identifier' column.
Both the import templates and export files contain the following:
An 'Instructions' sheet. Read the instructions carefully and review the 'Column Examples' section if you're unsure how to format data or which data belongs in which column.
One or more other sheets where you'll enter or edit information. As you edit, keep the points outlined in the following sections in mind:
Description text formatting
Use the following standard HTML tags in any 'Description' cell to format the text accordingly after it's imported into Webex Events.
⚠️ Caution! Don't use HTML formatting on any elements except 'Description' fields.
Headings: <h1>text here</h1> <h2>text here</h2> etc.
Bold: <strong>text here</strong>
Italic: <em>text here</em>
Underline: <u>text here</u>
Line break: <br>
Paragraph: <p>paragraph here</p>
Color: <span style="color: rgb(255, 255,0);">text here</span> Change the rgb value to your desired color, or use a hex color.
Background color: <span style="color: rgb(0,138, 0); background-color: rgb(68, 68,68);">text here</span> Change the rgb value to your desired color, or use a hex color.
Ordered list (numbered): <ol><li>first item text here</li><li>second item text here</li></ol>
Unordered list (bullets): <ul><li>first item text here</li><li>second item text here</li></ul>
Hyperlink: <a rel="noopener noreferrer"href="https://examplelink.com "target="_blank">anchor text here</a>
Image: <img src="https://imagelink.com">
Below is an example of text formatted via upload. The text shown at the bottom of the image is the code and text as entered in the file.
Internal links
While it's possible to set up Internal Links when importing data, you must do so carefully to avoid import errors. To help you understand the process, let's use the example of linking Sessions to speaker profiles.
Since at least one of the features to be linked and its items must already exist in the Event App, start by uploading Sessions. We recommend importing data from most to least complex. In this example, it's likely you'd import Sessions first.
After adding all of your Sessions to the Event App, download the Speakers template as described in the "Download a template" section of this article.
Enter the data for your speakers. Since we already added the Sessions, the 'Agenda' column appears in the Speakers template. To link a speaker to a Session, simply enter the Session name in the 'Agenda' column, exactly as it appears in the Webex Events platform.
After adding all necessary information, save the file and import it. After the import is complete, the Sessions and speaker profiles will be internally linked!
When you've filled in or edited all the necessary information and are ready to import, save the file.
Import the file
Back on the page you downloaded the template or exported data from, click the Import button.
In the import modal under the 'Upload your file' step, click Select file or drag and drop the file into the box.
A notification pops up to inform you that the system is preparing the file for upload. While the file is processing, you can continue to work on other aspects of the Event. After the file has finished importing, either the "It's Done!" message, or the "Oops!" message appear.
If there were errors during the import, click the View Error Report button to review a detailed description of what went wrong and the exact cell that caused the error, when relevant.
💡 Keep in mind, if there's an error during import, no data from the file will be uploaded. Data is only added after an import with no errors.
After you've fixed the error, simply try the import again! If you need help with import errors, refer to our helpful article about fixing common import errors. Chat with our amazing support team for further help.
💡 Keep in mind, importing collaboration configurations doesn't automatically send invitation emails. You must send invitation emails from the associated feature page. Read our article about using collaboration forms for more information.
Now you know how to export and import data into your Webex Event!
Questions? Chat with us or email support@socio.events.