Moving your club from Excel: a step-by-step data migration plan

Moving from Excel to club management software starts with one organised file: one row for each participant, with their guardian, contact details and group. Move what you need for everyday work in the current season, such as participants, groups and relevant recorded payments. Keep older history in a separate archive. Work through groups and venues, participants, parent invitations, then passes and fees. During the first month, keep the old file as a reference rather than a second place to enter changes.

What to move and what to leave in an archive

A new system does not need every detail your club has collected over the years on its first day. It needs the information you use to run the current season.

• Move the records you need now: active participants, their guardians and necessary contact details, groups, training venues and relevant payments from the current season. Keep dates of birth or joining dates where they are needed for your club's processes.
• Keep historical material separately: attendance from earlier seasons, previous years' financial records and records of people who left the club. Decide who should have access and how long you need to retain each category.
• Leave unnecessary data out of the import: old notes and information collected without a current purpose. A system change is an opportunity to review what the club actually needs.

Keep the original file securely and work on a copy. A read-only spreadsheet or PDF can provide a reference for older history, with access limited to the people who need it. A separate archive is not a substitute for the club's record retention decisions.

Prepare the file before uploading it

A consistent spreadsheet is easier to review. Check these points before starting an import:

1. Put headings in the first row. Keep one type of information in each column: first name and surname separately, and a guardian's email separately from their phone number.
2. Use one row per participant. Siblings should have separate rows, even if they share a guardian.
3. Use consistent group names. “Children 6–8 Mon/Wed” and “children 6-8 Monday Wednesday” may be treated as different names.
4. Use one date format throughout each date column.
5. Separate former participants. Keep them in the appropriate archive or a separate file so they are not included in new parent invitations.
6. Review duplicates and email spelling. A typing error can prevent an invitation from reaching the intended person.
7. Keep the joining date if you have it. Without historical joining dates, you may only be able to calculate membership history from the date of the move.

Follow this order: groups, participants, parents, fees

Each step provides the context for the next one.

1. Groups and venues: establish the structure into which participants will be placed. Set up class schedules separately.
2. Participants and guardians: import the checked file, either for the whole club or one branch at a time.
3. Parent invitations: send these after checking profiles and group assignments. A parent should see the correct child and group when they first sign in.
4. Passes and payments: configure these when group assignments and fee rules are clear. Choose an explicit date for starting the new billing process.

If you have several branches or sections, you can move them in stages. Start with one branch, check its data and invitations, then use what you learn when preparing the next file.

Use the first month to check the transition

Do not remove your old reference file immediately. Keep it available for comparison during the first month, but choose one system in which new changes will be recorded. Updating two separate records throughout the month creates a reconciliation task of its own.

• Tell staff the date from which all changes must be recorded in the new system.
• At the first class, show coaches where to find their participant list and mark attendance.
• At month end, compare recorded payments with your bank statement and the relevant opening records.
• Choose one person to coordinate corrections. Staff should report errors rather than maintain their own competing versions of the file.
• Explain the change to parents: what is moving, where their invitation will come from and who can answer questions.

How this works in Klubownik

Open Settings → Import and export. Upload an Excel (.xlsx) or CSV file, up to 10 MB, with headings in the first row. First name and surname are the required fields. If you are switching from another program, you work with an exported file. The wizard provides export instructions for selected systems and recognises common headings; it does not connect directly to those accounts.

• The wizard suggests mappings for names, guardians, groups and monthly payment columns. Review and correct each mapping before confirming, and check the proposed numbers of participants, guardians and new groups.
• Missing groups can be created without a schedule. Duplicate detection checks the stored identifying fields; review the preview rather than assuming every spelling variation will be recognised.
• An amount in a month column can be recorded as a paid fee for that month in the participant's group. Check the month and year mapping in the wizard.
• The import history offers undo for 72 hours, subject to its conditions. Later payments, refunds, invoices or related records can block undo. Fields filled in on existing participant records are not all reversed by undoing an import.
• After import, assign passes in Finance. Use “Invite to create account” from the participant list to invite parents. The invitation link is valid for seven days.
• Under Administration → Data export, you can export participants, guardians, groups, payments and attendance to Excel.

The import does not transfer attendance history, class schedules, passes, invoices or documents. One row represents one participant, one guardian and one group. It cannot exceed the participant limit of your plan: if the file contains more participants than the available capacity, the import will not run. Plan document collection separately; the documents and consents overview explains the available tools.

If you would like help with setup, complete the Settings Questionnaire in Settings. Klubownik offers help configuring the club and importing data from your file. See the import process and its limits, or explore the shared features for sports clubs.

Frequently asked questions

Can I import attendance history?

No. Klubownik's file import does not move attendance history. Keep the history you still need in an appropriate read-only archive. Recorded payments can be imported from month columns containing amounts.

What if I upload the wrong file?

Review column mappings and the summary before confirming. If you need to undo an import afterwards, use its history within the 72-hour window and check the conditions. Later activity can prevent undo, and updates to existing participant fields are not all reversed.

When should I invite parents?

After checking records and group assignments. A child's invitation goes to the guardian's email address; an adult participant receives their own invitation.

For a new owner's first club, the trial lasts 30 days without a payment card. Create your first club and review the import process.