Overview

Seat maps let buyers pick exactly where they’ll sit. For reserved seating events, a good map makes buying easier and gives you tight control over inventory. This guide covers the whole seat map process – from building to getting rid of them.

When You Need a Seat Map

Use seat maps when:

• You’re selling reserved/assigned seating
• Different sections cost different amounts
• You want buyers to see and pick their seats
• You need to track specific seat inventory

General admission events usually don’t need seat maps – buyers just get a ticket without a specific seat.

Creating a Seat Map

Getting to the Builder

1. Go to Ticketing then Seat Maps
2. Click Create Seat Map
3. Name your map (like “Main Gym” or “Stadium – Standard Layout”)
4. Enter the builder

Building with the Visual Editor

The seat map builder gives you tools to create your layout:

Sections – Group seats into areas (Floor, Balcony, VIP, etc.)

Rows – Add rows within sections

Seats – Individual seats within rows

Labels – Name sections, rows, and seats so buyers know what’s what

Basic steps:

1. Create your sections
2. Add rows to each section
3. Set how many seats per row
4. Set up labels (Row A, Row B, etc.)
5. Arrange it to match your real venue

CSV Import

For big or complex venues, importing seat data via CSV is way faster:

1. Make a CSV with columns: Section, Row, Seat Number (and maybe status/category)
2. Click Import in the builder
3. Upload your file
4. Map columns to fields
5. Check it and import

CSV Requirements:

• Each row in the CSV is one seat
• Section and Row are required
• Seat numbers should be unique within each row
• Be consistent with naming (don’t mix “Section A” and “Sec A”)

Common errors:

• Duplicate seat (same section/row/seat number)
• Missing required columns
• Invalid characters

Fix errors in your CSV and try again.

Publishing a Seat Map

Seat maps have a publish status:

Draft

• Only admins can see it
• Can’t be linked to ticket types
• Edit freely

Published

• Can link to ticket types
• Changes get more restricted
• Can be used in live events

To publish:

1. Open the seat map
2. Check your layout
3. Click Publish
4. Confirm

Editing Published Seat Maps

Once it’s published and linked to events:

What You Can Edit

• Add new sections/rows/seats (more inventory)
• Update labels and where things are positioned
• Add seats that weren’t in the original map

What You Can’t Edit

• Remove seats that have been sold
• Change the basic structure in ways that mess up existing tickets

Usage Count and Delete Rules

The seat maps list shows a usage count – how many events/ticket types are using this map.

Usage Count: 0

Not linked to any events. Can delete it no problem.

Usage Count: 1+

Linked to one or more ticket types. Can’t be deleted.

Why? Deleting a seat map that’s being used would break existing ticket types and maybe mess up sold tickets. The map has to stay until nothing’s using it.

To Delete a Map That’s Being Used

1. Find all events/ticket types using it (check the usage details)
2. Either:
   • Delete those ticket types
   • Switch them to a different seat map
   • Switch them to general admission
3. Once usage count hits 0, you can delete

Cloning a Seat Map

Need a similar map with small changes? Clone instead of starting over:

1. Find the seat map you want to copy
2. Click Clone or Duplicate
3. Name the new map
4. Edit as needed
5. Publish when ready

Good for:

• Seasonal changes (some sections closed in winter)
• Event-specific setups (stage placement changes)
• Testing changes without messing up live maps

Getting Rid of a Seat Map

When you don’t need a map anymore:

If Usage Count is 0

Just delete it.

If Still Being Used

1. Keep it active until linked events are done
2. Don’t link it to new events
3. After all events are over and orders are settled, unlink and delete

Or just leave old maps alone – they don’t hurt anything and give you history.

Best Practices

• Match reality – Your digital map should look like the actual venue
• Label clearly – Buyers should easily find their section and seat
• Test before publishing – See what the buyer experience is like
• Start simple – You can add complexity later, fixing a too-complex map is harder
• Clone for changes – Don’t edit published maps heavily, clone and modify

Troubleshooting

“I can’t delete this seat map”

It’s linked to ticket types. Check usage count and remove references first.

“Seats aren’t showing for buyers”

Make sure the map is published and correctly linked to the ticket type.

“My CSV import failed”

Check for duplicate seats, missing columns, or formatting problems. Look at the error messages.

What’s Next?

Tickets are selling – now manage the orders. Learn how to resolve ticket orders: refunds and pending payment recovery.