Importing your hymnal index from a spreadsheet
To import a hymnal index, keep one row per hymn with at least a number or a title (and ideally the first line, tune, meter and seasons), save the sheet as CSV, open it in the Import tab of the hymnal library, match each column to a field, check the report, then import. Rows already in the library are counted and skipped, so running the same file twice changes nothing.
Importing an index in five steps
Any spreadsheet program can save CSV: choose Save As or Download, then Comma Separated Values.
- Tidy the sheet. One header row, one row per hymn, and a column each for number, title, first line, tune, meter and seasons. Extra columns can stay; they are ignored.
- Save as CSV. Save a CSV copy of the sheet. Nothing is uploaded: the file is read inside the page.
- Match the columns. Open the Import tab, choose a hymnal index, pick the file and check each column's match; the first row is shown beside each.
- Check the import. Read the report: how many hymns will be added, how many are already in the library, and every row that cannot be placed, with its row number.
- Import. Import, then tag any hymns the seasons column did not cover.
Which columns to keep
The number and the title are what the planner matches on. The first line helps a congregation and prints on the bulletin insert. The tune name is what catches the same tune under two texts, so it is worth having. The meter is for swapping a tune. A seasons column in plain words (Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter, Pentecost, All Saints, Christ the King) becomes season tags; anything it does not recognise becomes a topic.
Only keep what your parish is entitled to keep. Many hymnal indexes are publishers' material: an index you typed for your own use is fine to import, but the planner never ships one. The public domain starter index covers hymns first published before 1929.
Duplicates and spreadsheet formulas
A row whose number is already in the hymnal with the same title is counted as already in the library. A row whose number is taken by a different title is refused and reported, because one of the two is a typing slip. On export, any cell a spreadsheet would run as a formula (one starting with =, +, -, @, a tab or a return) gets a leading apostrophe so it opens as text; on import that apostrophe is taken off again.
Worked example: a short index with the usual slips
This file has a repeated row, a number with nothing else, a number used twice for two different hymns, and a cell that a spreadsheet would run as a formula:
- No.,Title,Tune,Meter,Season
- 390,Praise to the Lord the Almighty,LOBE DEN HERREN,14.14.4.7.8,General
- 56,O come O come Emmanuel,VENI EMMANUEL,LM,Advent
- 56,O come O come Emmanuel,VENI EMMANUEL,LM,Advent
- 57,,,,
- 58,Lo he comes with clouds descending,HELMSLEY,87 87 47,Advent; Christ the King
- 390,All creatures of our God and King,LASST UNS ERFREUEN,LM with alleluias,
- '=1+1,A title a spreadsheet would run as a formula,,,
Imported into an empty library, the report reads: 5 hymns added, 1 already in the library, 1 hymnals added, 1 rows skipped. The refused row:
| Row | Reason |
|---|---|
| Row 7 | Number 390 is already "Praise to the Lord the Almighty" in this hymnal, so "All creatures of our God and King" was skipped. |
Importing the same file again reads: 0 hymns added, 6 already in the library, 1 rows skipped. Exported back to CSV, the formula row comes out as text: Parish hymnal,'=1+1,A title a spreadsheet would run as a formula,,,,,,,
Common mistakes
- Importing without a number or title column matched, so nothing can be placed.
- Two hymnals in one sheet without a hymnal column, which merges them and refuses every clashing number.
- Seasons written as codes the planner cannot read; write the season names in words, separated by commas or semicolons.
- Importing a publisher's full index without the right to copy it.
- Editing the exported CSV in a spreadsheet and saving it with the numbers turned into dates or with leading zeros stripped.
Plan it now
Open the planning desk to pick this Sunday's hymns with last-sung dates beside them, or the library to enter your hymnal. Everything stays in this browser; nothing is uploaded and there is no account.
Frequently asked questions
What file format does the import need?
CSV, which every spreadsheet program can save. Comma, semicolon and tab separated files are all read, with or without a byte order mark.
Can I import past services as well as the index?
Yes. A sung history file, one row per hymn sung with its date and number, fills in the last-sung history. Import the index first so the numbers can be matched.
What happens if I import the same file twice?
Nothing changes. Every row already in the library is counted as already there and left alone.
Is my spreadsheet uploaded anywhere?
No. The file is read inside the page in your browser, and only what you import is kept, in this browser.
Sources
Last reviewed 27 September 2026 against:
- Copyright Term and the Public Domain in the United States, Cornell University Library, table as of 1 January 2026, read 27 September 2026. Used for: Works first published in the United States before 1931 are in the public domain through expiry of copyright; the starter index holds itself to the stricter before 1929.
- Hymnary.org text and tune pages, Hymnary.org, one text page and one tune page per starter entry, read 27 September 2026. Used for: The first publication year of each starter index text and tune, its first line, author or translator, and meter.
This guide is our own summary, not a rule book. Rules are paraphrased, never quoted at length, and if this page disagrees with the current published rules, the rules win. Hymnwise is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to any church, denomination, diocese, hymnal publisher, lectionary body or licensing service, including the Consultation on Common Texts, Augsburg Fortress, Church Publishing, GIA, OCP, Hope Publishing, Hymnary.org, OneLicense and CCLI.