Bring your existing bookings across

If you’re moving from another booking system, you can bring the bookings you’ve already taken into Kipdown from a CSV file, instead of typing them in again. Set up your stays first, then go to Settings → Bookings → “Bring bookings across”. Nothing changes until the last step, so you can check everything before it goes in.

The file you need

Export your bookings from your old system as a CSV file, or save a spreadsheet as CSV. Kipdown can’t connect to other booking systems directly. The file can be separated by commas, semicolons or tabs, and its first row must be headings.

These columns can be brought in:

• Arriving, and Leaving or Nights
• Guest’s name, or First name and Last name
• Email and Phone
• Adults and Children
• What was booked, and How many
• Price and Paid so far
• Their reference and Notes

Each booking needs an arrival date, a leaving date or number of nights, and a name. If there’s no Adults column, each booking counts as 2 adults. Dates can be written like 2027-08-13, 13/08/2027, 13 Aug 2027 or Aug 13, 2027.

Bringing them across step by step

1. “1. The bookings you have now”: type where they’re coming from, such as Freetobook, Pitchup or “A spreadsheet”. Then press “Choose a CSV file”, or paste the file in.
2. “2. Which column is which”: Kipdown matches the columns from their headings, and you can change any of them. Under “Dates like 03/08/2027 mean”, choose day first, as in the UK, or month first, as in the US.
3. “3. What was booked”: match each value in the file to one of your stays or named places, or choose “(we’ll choose which)”.
4. “4. Check and bring them across”: check the preview of the first 50 rows, choose your email setting, then press “Bring … bookings across”, which shows how many there are.

Large files are sent in batches of 100 for you. When it’s done, you can “See them on the calendar”, go to “All bookings”, or “Bring more across”. Anything that couldn’t be brought in is listed under “Not brought across” with the reason.

What happens to imported bookings

If the file has no Price column, each booking is priced at today’s prices, without any compulsory extras. “Paid so far” is recorded as paid “Another way”, with a note saying it was paid before you moved over.

Imported bookings are confirmed, labelled “Brought across from” with the name you gave, and keep their old reference in your notes. They follow your current terms. No card is kept for them, so Kipdown can’t take their balance automatically. You record the rest with “Record a payment” when it’s paid.

If an imported guest cancels online, the money they paid before you moved isn’t refunded automatically, though they’re told the refund your terms give. Pay that back yourself and record it with “Refund” on the booking.

If something else is already booked on a row’s dates, that row is skipped. You can tick “Book them in even where something else is already booked” instead, and sort out any clashes on the calendar afterwards. Bookings in the past are kept, marked “Already happened”.

Emails to imported guests

“Email each guest a confirmation from you now, with a link to see their booking” is off to start with. Leave it off if your old system has already confirmed them.

Even with it off, imported guests with an email address still get your arrival reminder before they come, and balance reminders while they owe money. They don’t get the thank-you email after they leave. Emails to guests explains each one.

Importing the same file twice

Kipdown doesn’t check for bookings you’ve already brought across, so importing the same file twice makes duplicates. If you need to add more later, use a file with only the new bookings.

Our guide to switching booking system goes through the whole move, including connecting your calendars with Hipcamp, Pitchup and others.

Can't find what you need? Email hello@kipdown.com and a person will reply.