Import availability

You can import availability rules from a CSV or Excel file instead of entering them manually. FindMeTime always shows a preview before making changes.

What you can import

An import can add recurring available hours, recurring unavailable times, and exceptions for specific dates. Depending on the file, it may also provide the pattern name, timezone, or holiday settings.

Recurring available hours, such as Monday to Friday from 09:00 to 17:00
Recurring unavailable times, such as lunch from 12:00 to 13:00
Specific-date exceptions, such as holidays, travel, or temporary working hours
Optional pattern details, when supported by the selected import format

Recommended: FindMeTime Format

The easiest option is to use the FindMeTime Format template. It works with both CSV and Excel files and does not require a custom mapping.

Required column headers

Weekday,Start Time,End Time,Free or Busy,Start Date,End Date,Name

Column names must remain in English, but the Name column may contain any language. Prefer UTF-8 CSV; Japanese Windows Excel CSV (Shift_JIS / CP932) is also accepted.

What each column means

Weekday: The weekday for a recurring rule, using Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, or Sun. Leave it empty for rows that use specific dates.
Start Time: The beginning of the time range. Leave it empty to use the start of the day when the row type supports an all-day range.
End Time: The end of the time range. Leave it empty to use the end of the day when the row type supports an all-day range.
Free or Busy: Use Free for available time and Busy for unavailable time. An empty value is treated as Free in FindMeTime Format.
Start Date: The first date of a one-time exception. Leave it empty for recurring weekday rules.
End Date: The final date of an exception. For a single-day exception, use the same date or leave it empty if supported by the import preview.
Name: An optional label such as Lunch, Holiday, Business trip, or Summer hours.

How rows are interpreted

No dates + Free

Creates recurring availability.

No dates + Busy

Creates recurring unavailability.

Dates + Busy

Creates an unavailable date exception. If no times are provided, it is treated as an all-day exception.

Dates + Free

Replaces the normal availability for those dates with the specified available hours.

Example

This example creates weekday availability, a repeating lunch break, one unavailable holiday, and one day with replacement hours.

Weekday,Start Time,End Time,Free or Busy,Start Date,End Date,Name
Mon,09:00,17:00,Free,,,Weekday hours
Tue,09:00,17:00,Free,,,Weekday hours
Wed,09:00,17:00,Free,,,Weekday hours
Thu,09:00,17:00,Free,,,Weekday hours
Fri,09:00,17:00,Free,,,Weekday hours
Mon,12:00,13:00,Busy,,,Lunch
Tue,12:00,13:00,Busy,,,Lunch
Wed,12:00,13:00,Busy,,,Lunch
Thu,12:00,13:00,Busy,,,Lunch
Fri,12:00,13:00,Busy,,,Lunch
,,,Busy,2026-08-11,2026-08-11,Holiday
,10:00,15:00,Free,2026-08-14,2026-08-14,Short day

Dates and times

Use a consistent format throughout the file. ISO dates such as 2026-08-14 are recommended because they are not ambiguous. Avoid values such as 03/04/2026 unless you clearly know whether they mean 3 April or March 4.

Use normal clock times such as 09:00 or 17:30. Check the preview carefully when importing spreadsheet-formatted dates or times.

Files with different column names

If your existing spreadsheet cannot be changed to match FindMeTime Format, choose Custom YAML recipe in the import wizard. A recipe describes how your columns correspond to FindMeTime fields.

A custom recipe can

Match different column names
Separate different row types in the same sheet
Convert supported weekday, date, and time formats
Map rows into recurring availability, recurring unavailability, or date exceptions

A custom recipe does not

Change the original CSV or Excel file
Apply changes automatically
Run scripts, formulas, macros, or other executable code
Import Google Calendar events or busy-time exports as availability rules

Using AI to create a custom recipe

You may ask an AI assistant to draft a custom YAML recipe. Give it the complete header row, two or three representative sample rows, and any details about date, time, weekday, or status formats.

Replace names, email addresses, notes, and other private values with anonymized examples before sharing spreadsheet samples.

An AI-generated recipe is only a draft. FindMeTime validates it and shows the resulting changes in the preview. Review the preview before selecting Apply.

Information to give the AI

File type: CSV or XLSX

Header row:
[paste the complete header row]

Sample rows:
[paste 2–3 representative rows]

Date format:
yyyy-mm-dd, dd/mm/yyyy, mm/dd/yyyy, or other

Time format:
for example 09:00, 9:00 AM, or Excel time values

Weekday format:
for example Mon, Monday, 月, or numeric values

Status meanings:
for example Available = free, Blocked = busy

Additional notes:
[explain blank values, multiple sheets, or unusual rows]

Google Calendar data

Do not import Google Calendar event lists or free/busy exports into an availability pattern. Calendar events describe existing commitments, while an availability pattern describes the hours you normally offer.

When Google Calendar is connected, FindMeTime checks calendar conflicts separately while calculating bookable times.

Preview before applying

Uploading a file or pasting a custom recipe does not immediately change the pattern. FindMeTime first parses the file and shows what will be added or changed.

Check the detected timezone and pattern details
Confirm recurring available and unavailable hours
Check every date exception and date range
Review warnings, skipped rows, and validation errors
Select Apply only when the preview matches your intention

Existing pattern data

The import wizard tells you whether imported data will be added, replaced, or merged. Review this carefully before applying, especially when importing into a pattern that already contains rules.

Common problems

The standard format is not detected

Check that the headers use the exact FindMeTime Format names and that the header row is the first configured row.

Dates are interpreted incorrectly

Use ISO dates such as 2026-08-14, or configure an explicit date format in a custom recipe.

Rows appear in the wrong section

Check the Free or Busy value and whether Start Date or End Date contains a value.

A row becomes all-day

Check whether Start Time and End Time are empty. Empty times may represent a full-day range.

Rows are skipped

Open the import warnings. A row may be missing a required weekday, date, status, or time value.

Related help

Availability patterns Book a Time pages