Importing content with Google Sheets

We offer import via Google Sheets as a fast way to enter the large amount of film & event content that many festivals have.

Note: This option is most useful if you have a larger number of Shows and Showtimes to create. If you only have a few, it will probably be easier and faster to create them manually via the admin. We have articles describing how to do that listed here.

To get started, copy our Filmbot for Festivals Data Entry Template to your own Google Drive account: Copy the Template

Once you have made your own copy, you're ready to get started! Here are the steps:

1. First, you'll need to set up a few items in your site that can't be created with the spreadsheet. Those are:
   
   
   • Images
   • Ticket Type Groups
   • Ticket Types
   • Venues
   • Sections
   • Sponsor Levels
     
     Make sure you have added all your Ticket Types to an appropriate Ticket Type Group, then move on to step 2.
2. Fill out your Google Sheet. Each column has a note attached to the column title that is visible when you hover on it. You can reference these notes for instructions on how to fill out that column.
3. Make your Google Sheet accessible to the Filmbot for Festivals application. You can do this in one of 2 ways:
   
   Option 1: Share the Google Sheet to anyone who has the link
   • Click the Share button (top right)
   • Under the "Get Link" section, click "Only people added can open with this link"
   • Change "Restricted" to "Anyone with the link"
   • Click Done

   
   Option 2: Share the Google Sheet to the special email address for Filmbot's Google Sheets integration

   • Click the Share button (top right)
   • In the "Add people and groups" field, paste the following email address: filmbot-import@filmbot-import.iam.gserviceaccount.com
   • Optionally change the permissions to "Viewer" using the dropdown to the right of the field
   • Uncheck "Notify people" and click "OK"
   • Click yes to any "Share outside of organization?" prompts that come up
4. While you are viewing the Google Sheet, copy the URL from the browser's location bar to your clipboard. Make sure the URL starts with https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/
5. From the Dashboard, navigate to Tools > Import.
6. Click "Run Importer" under Google Sheets
7. Paste the URL to your Google Sheet into the field, and click Continue
8. Carefully read through any errors or warnings you see on the screen, and fix any that need to be fixed. If there are errors that cannot be ignored, fix them in your Google Sheet, and click Try Again. 
9. If you have no errors that are required to be fixed, there will be a section called "What will be imported" and a "Start import" button available.
10. Click the button to import your content.

Note that after every import, any Showtimes you imported will be in "Closed" sale status. You will need to go to the Scheduler and change them to Sale Status: Open.