Overview
When importing bookings from a spreadsheet, you may see rows fail validation or receive an error that your file could not be processed. This article covers the most common causes and how to fix them.
Available for: Service Provider Admins
Common Causes
Import failures usually come down to one of three things:
Wrong column headers — The file uses different column names than the import expects.
Invalid phone numbers — The phone number is formatted in a way the system cannot recognize.
Missing required fields — First name, last name, or email is blank or missing.
How to Fix It
Solution 1: Use the Hovn booking import template
The easiest fix is to start from the official template so your columns are always in the right format.
Go to the session you want to add bookings to.
Click Import on the Bookings tab.
Click "Download template" to get a fresh copy of the spreadsheet.
Fill in your student data and save the file.
Upload the file using the same Import button.
Result: The template is pre-formatted with the correct columns, so your import should process without header errors.
Solution 2: Import from a roster export
If you exported a student list from another session and want to use it to book those same students into a new session, you can upload the exported file directly — no reformatting needed.
Go to the original session and export the student list using the default Download format (not AHA, ARC, or HSI).
Go to the new session and click Import on the Bookings tab.
Upload the exported file as-is.
Result: Hovn automatically maps the exported columns to the right fields.
Note: The exported file includes a Certification column that is ignored during import — you do not need to remove it.
Solution 3: Fix phone number errors
Phone numbers are optional, but if you include them, the number must be recognizable. Common issues and what to try:
What you see in your file | What to do |
| Leave it — Hovn cleans this up automatically |
| Leave it — Hovn cleans this up automatically |
| Leave it — standard formats are accepted |
| Leave it — extensions are accepted (stripped on save) |
A row of random text like | Delete the cell contents and leave it blank |
A clearly wrong number like | Correct or remove it |
If phone number errors are blocking your import, the quickest fix is to clear the phone column entirely — phone is optional and the rest of the booking will still be created.
Preventing This Issue
Always download a fresh template before each bulk import. Templates are updated when the system changes.
Leave the phone column blank if you do not have phone numbers — do not fill it with placeholder text like "N/A".
Check that every row has a first name, last name, and a valid email. Rows missing any of these will always fail.
Use the default export format when reusing a roster export as an import file. Specialty formats (AHA, ARC, HSI) are not compatible with the booking import.
Still Having Trouble?
If rows are still failing after trying the above:
Look at the error message shown after upload — it will usually name the column or field causing the problem.
Try a single test row with just one student to isolate whether the issue is with a specific piece of data or the whole file.
Contact Support and include:
Your service provider name
The session name, date, and the admin url to session page
A copy of the file you are trying to upload (remove any sensitive data first)
A screenshot of the error message