Why spreadsheet marker imports go wrong
A spreadsheet can contain commas inside comments, quoted multiline text, separate in and out timecodes, color names, and columns that are irrelevant to the edit. A simple line splitter can corrupt those rows or place only the first part of a comment.
Timebase and sequence-start differences add another source of error. A QC report created against an hour-start master may not line up with a zero-start editorial sequence even when the visible frame numbers are otherwise correct.
Approve the rows before creating markers
The Add notes page separates Choose a File… from Paste notes and lists CSV/TSV among the supported files. It reports the detected format, row count, and timing warnings before Premiere changes. Choosing a marker file opens Review automatically; pasted rows continue with Review n Notes. Use the shared settings for the round's timecode offset, destination, color, marker name, and optional original-timecode suffix.
Review keeps the source order and shows Total, Included, Ready, and Attention counts. Correct any timecode, destination, color, name, or comment that needs an exception. Use Needs attention or Review next issue to find timing problems, then correct or exclude them. Options → Reset this note restores a row's imported values.
Choose Merge two notes to enter a deliberate merge mode separate from Include. A compact instruction card wraps its two-line guidance without stretching across Review. Each high-contrast Select for merge control appears at the far left of the note header before Include. Selected controls change to Merge note n, and after two selections the remaining controls become visibly locked. After selecting the first and second included note, preview their comments in source order. If both have usable timecodes, choose which one to keep; if exactly one does, MarkerBuddy keeps it automatically; if neither does, enter a valid timecode in the merge dialog. Cancel changes nothing. A zero-row selection stays disabled, and Back to Notes returns to the source without writing markers.
For recurring vendor or producer sheets, save those choices as an import preset. A preset reduces setup, but row approval still remains required so a changed column or timebase does not pass unnoticed.
Keep the spreadsheet useful after import
Once the rows become markers, MarkerBuddy can search and filter them by text, color, track, and status. Selected markers can also be copied back out as tab-separated text that pastes cleanly into Sheets or Excel.
That creates a practical round trip: production can work in a spreadsheet, editorial can work in the timeline, and either side can receive a clean report without sharing the entire Premiere project.
Workflow
A practical four-step process
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01
Prepare the sheet
Keep a timecode and note on each intended row. Export as CSV or TSV when working from Sheets or Excel.
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02
Check parsing
Confirm the detected rows, ranged markers, comments, and source order before opening Review.
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03
Correct and approve
The imported file opens Review automatically; pasted rows use Review n Notes. Confirm shared settings, edit each visible destination and marker color as needed, use the status filters to correct or exclude unresolved timing, and enter Merge two notes only for comments that belong together.
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04
Import the approved subset
Click Import n Markers, then use MarkerBuddy Undo if the wrong file, sequence, or offset was selected.
Good fit
Use this workflow for
- Producer notes maintained in Google Sheets or Excel
- QC reports with timecode and note columns
- Ranged markers with separate or combined in/out values
- Recurring sheets that benefit from import presets
Important limit
What this workflow does not assume
MarkerBuddy does not infer edit positions from row order alone or fetch a live Google Sheet. A row without usable timing stays visible in Review until you enter a timecode or exclude it.
