Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://pigeonholeapp.co.uk/docs/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

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Web-Based CSV Import

Access the import page from your Pigeonhole dashboard at Settings → Import. Features:

• AI-Powered Column Mapping: Upload any CSV file and our AI automatically maps columns to the correct fields
• Built-in Editor: Review and edit all extracted data before importing
• Duplicate Detection: Automatically flags potential duplicates with warning icons
• Bulk Import: Import hundreds of records in one go
• Support for Any Format: Works with CSV exports from any nursery software

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What is a CSV File?

A CSV (Comma-Separated Values) file is a simple spreadsheet format that most software can open and export. It looks like a spreadsheet but saves data as plain text, making it easy to move between different systems. You don’t need to create a CSV from scratch — most nursery software lets you export your data as a CSV directly. If you already have data in Excel or Google Sheets, you can convert it in a few steps.

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Recommended Import Order

1. Children first — children must exist in Pigeonhole before parents or funding forms can be linked to them
2. Parents/Carers second — relatives are linked to children during import
3. Staff last — staff records are independent but can reference children
4. Funding Forms — funding forms reference children, so import children first

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How to Import via CSV

1. Navigate to Settings > Import/Export in Pigeonhole
2. Choose the tab for what you want to import (Children, Parents/Carers, Staff, or Funding Forms)
3. Download our template (optional but recommended) or use your own CSV export from your existing system
4. Upload your CSV file by clicking or dragging and dropping into the upload area
5. Wait for AI processing — our AI will automatically extract and map your data columns
6. Review in the built-in editor:
   • Check the extracted information looks correct
   • Edit any fields directly in the table
   • Remove rows you don’t want to import using the delete button
   • Pay attention to warning icons that indicate potential duplicates
7. Click “Import” to save the records to Pigeonhole

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What Each Tab Imports

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Children

Imports child records including personal details, medical information, and custom attributes. Key fields:

• First Name, Surname, Date of Birth (required)
• Start Date, Gender
• Address (Line 1, Town, County, Post Code)
• Health Notes, Allergies, Dietary requirements
• Collection Password
• Flags: Term Time Only, Two Year Funded, Looked After, EHC Plan, SEN, Pupil Premium, Free School Meals, EAL
• Any custom attributes you have set up in Pigeonhole

Template: Click Download Template on the Children tab to get a CSV with all supported column headers, including your custom attributes.

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Parents/Carers

Imports parent and carer records and links them to their children. Key fields:

• First Name, Surname, Email (required for parents and carers)
• Phone Number (required for emergency contacts)
• Relationship (Mother, Father, Grandmother, Grandfather, Other, Emergency Contact)
• Date of Birth
• Bill Payer — whether this person receives invoices
• Parental Responsibility — whether this person has legal parental responsibility

Linking parents to children: Our AI will automatically try to match each parent to the correct child using the child’s name columns. For best results, include Child First Name and Child Surname columns in your CSV (the template includes these). Template format — multiple parents per row: Our template supports importing two parents per row, which is useful if your existing system stores family data with one row per child: Each row will produce two separate parent records in Pigeonhole, both linked to the child. Download the template from the Parents/Carers tab to see the full list of columns. You can also upload a CSV with one parent per row — any format works.

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Staff

Imports staff member records. Key fields:

• First Name, Surname, Email (required)
• Phone Number

After importing, staff members will receive an invitation email to set up their Pigeonhole account and access the system.

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Funding Forms

Imports funding form records including child details, funding hours, and parent eligibility information. See the dedicated Funding Forms Import guide for full instructions.

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Tips for Best Results

• Include a header row — column names in the first row help our AI map your data correctly
• Ensure consistent formatting — for example, use the same date format throughout (e.g. DD/MM/YYYY)
• Remove unnecessary columns — unused columns are simply ignored, but a cleaner file helps the AI
• Use our template as a starting point — it includes all supported column names and is ready to fill in
• Test with a small batch first — import 5–10 records to check everything looks right before doing a full import
• Our AI handles column name variations — “First Name”, “firstname”, “Forename”, and “first_name” all map to the same field

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Getting Data from Other Nursery Providers

Below are instructions for exporting data from common nursery software providers. Once you have your CSV export, use the import method above.