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Saving: where your charts are

Charts are saved automatically in your browser’s built-in storage, on this device. The title bar shows Saved on this device only after the browser confirms the save. While a save is pending it shows Unsaved changes or Saving….

• Each browser and device has its own charts. They don’t sync.
• Clearing site data or browsing history can delete charts. Private windows usually forget them when closed.
• Local storage is not encrypted and not a cloud backup. Anyone using the same browser profile can open your charts.
• On My charts, Ask the browser to keep this data makes automatic clean-up less likely; the browser decides whether to grant it.

Backups and moving charts

A backup is a .json file containing the whole chart: room, seats, people, assignments, locks, rules, versions and settings. Download one from Print & export › Download backup, or from My charts (one chart or all charts).

To open it elsewhere, go to My charts and choose Open a backup. By default it opens as a separate chart; replacing an existing chart is only done if you choose it. Older backup formats are upgraded automatically; backups from a newer version are refused without changing your file. Full guide: How to back up seating charts and move them between devices.

Importing names (paste or CSV)

Add names takes one name per line. Commas stay part of the name; blank lines are ignored. Import CSV shows a preview first: choose the separator (commas, semicolons, tabs, or one name per line), whether there’s a header row, the name column, an optional second name column and join order, and optional group and short-name columns.

Excel (.xlsx) and Numbers files can’t be read directly — save as CSV UTF-8 first. Duplicate names are kept as separate people. Up to 400 people per chart. Full guide: How to import a roster from a CSV file.

Placing people without dragging

Choose a name in People, then choose a seat on the plan or in the Seats list. Or select a seat and use Seat someone here to pick from a list. Selecting a seat also offers Swap with…, Lock seat and Unassign. Moves that would break a must-rule are refused, and the message names the rule.

Rules

Keep apart and sit together can mean adjacent seats or the same table (a desk, pod or row counts as a table). Preferred area chooses tables, rows or seats. Avoid previous neighbors compares with a saved version. Each rule is a must (never broken) or a preference. Adjacency is a distance you can set in Layout; select a seat and turn on Show which seats count as adjacent to check it.

If automatic arranging can’t find a plan, your chart is not changed and no rule is relaxed. See How to fix conflicting seating rules.

Printing, PDF, PNG and CSV

Print / Save as PDF opens your browser’s print dialog; choose Save as PDF as the printer to get a PDF file. Turn on Background graphics there to keep colors. Choose US Letter or A4, portrait or landscape, and fit on one page or split across two or three — splits fall between tables or rows.

PNG exports the whole chart at 1×, 2× or 3× resolution. CSV has these columns: seat number, table or row, seat in table, seat label, seat status, section, section chair, name, short name, group, locked. People still needing a seat follow at the end. Formula-like cells are prefixed with an apostrophe so spreadsheets don’t run them. Exports never contain ads, controls or watermarks.

Keyboard controls

Shortcuts never fire while you’re typing in a field.

The same chart in two tabs

Only one tab can edit a chart at a time. A second tab opens it read-only, with options to Edit here instead, Save as a copy or Download backup. Saves are checked against the latest version, so an older tab can never overwrite newer work.

When something goes wrong

• “Not saved” — the browser refused to save (storage full or blocked). Download a backup right away, then free space or allow site data.
• “This browser is not letting the site save data” — common in private windows. You can still work, but download a backup before closing the tab.
• “This chart is not on this device” — it was made in another browser or device. Use a backup to move it.
• A backup won’t open — make sure it’s the .json file from this app; the message explains what’s wrong.
• The download didn’t start — check whether your browser blocks downloads for this site.

Privacy in one paragraph

The editor runs on its own address (app.seatingplangenerator.com) with no advertising, analytics or third-party scripts. Names, lists, rules and seats are never sent to a server. These public pages are separate; the privacy policy explains which services they may use.

Limits

• Up to 400 people, 600 seats, 300 tables or objects and 300 rules per chart; up to 40 seats on one table or row.
• Up to 25 versions you save yourself (kept until you delete them) plus the 15 most recent automatic versions.
• No cloud sync, public share links or real-time collaboration — by design, so your lists stay with you.
• Plans are diagrams, not measured floor plans, and don’t check capacity or safety rules.