Preparing a CSV File for Import

The Migration Wizard accepts CSV files (.csv, or .txt for platforms that export tab-separated data under that extension). If your subscriber list is in a spreadsheet — Excel, Google Sheets, or another app — you’ll need to save or export it as a CSV before uploading. This is a one-step process in every major spreadsheet app.

Why CSV and Not Excel?

CSV (Comma-Separated Values) is a plain-text format that every platform, tool, and database can read without knowing anything about the software that created it. An Excel file (.xlsx) is a proprietary binary format that requires Excel-compatible software to parse — and the structure varies between versions.

For subscriber data, CSV is the right format: it’s unambiguous, universally readable, and contains exactly the data you need with no formatting overhead.

When you export from Patreon, Supercast, or any other platform, you’ll always get a CSV — this is the standard format subscription platforms use for data portability.

Exporting to CSV

From Microsoft Excel

1. Open your spreadsheet
2. File → Save As
3. In the “Save as type” dropdown, choose CSV (Comma delimited) (*.csv)
4. Click Save
5. If Excel asks whether to keep the current format, click Keep Current Format (or Yes)

If your workbook has multiple sheets, only the active sheet is saved. Make sure the subscriber data sheet is selected before exporting.

From Google Sheets

1. Open your spreadsheet
2. File → Download → Comma-separated values (.csv)
3. The file downloads immediately — no save dialog

If your spreadsheet has multiple sheets, only the currently visible sheet downloads.

From LibreOffice Calc or Numbers

LibreOffice: File → Save As → choose “Text CSV (.csv)” from the format list → Keep Current Format if prompted.

Numbers (Mac): File → Export To → CSV → Next → Save.

What the CSV Needs

The Migration Wizard requires at least one column containing subscriber email addresses. Every other column is optional — the visual field mapper lets you assign what each column means.

For the best import results, your CSV should include:

• Email address — required
• Subscriber name — used for personalized migration emails
• Plan or tier name — used to map to a Benecaster subscription tier
• Join date — the date the subscriber originally joined, so their start date carries over

If your CSV comes from a supported platform (Patreon and Supercast), the wizard auto-detects the format and pre-fills the column mapping for you — no manual setup required.

What the Wizard Handles for You

• Different separators. Files that separate columns with semicolons, tabs, or pipes are read as columns, not as one long line. Spreadsheets on many European language settings save CSVs with semicolons.
• Different text encodings. UTF-8, UTF-16, and Windows-1252 exports are all converted, so accented names come through intact.
• Blank rows above the headings. These are skipped automatically.
• Rows with the wrong number of values. A row with too few or too many values is kept and flagged for you to review, not dropped.
• Repeated column headings. If two columns share a heading, both are kept.

File Limits

Uploads can be up to 20 MB and 50,000 rows. If your file has more rows than that, the wizard reads up to the limit and tells you it was truncated. It never imports a partial file without saying so.

Common Issues

“The wizard says my file is a spreadsheet” — The file was saved as an Excel or other spreadsheet file and then renamed to end in .csv. The wizard checks what is actually inside the file and tells you which format it found. Open it in Excel or Google Sheets and re-export it as CSV.

“Some rows imported but others didn’t” — The import skips rows with malformed or missing email addresses and reports them after the run. You can correct those rows and re-import. An email address already on the show is matched to the existing subscriber instead of being added twice.

“My file has a title row above the headings” — Blank rows above the headings are skipped, but a row with text in it is read as the heading row. If your file has a title or notes above the data, remove them before importing.