Keep the version you actually sent
Preserve that baseline unchanged. Prepare the latest snapshot separately. Compare the same event and the same person records, rather than two rows that happen to have the same position.
Use one stable ID per person
G001 must refer to the same person in both versions, even when the list is sorted differently. Keep the mapping to names outside this tool. A household of four needs four rows when all four meals are included. Ask your caterer how child, vendor and staff meals should be treated.
Prepare the three required columns
The tool accepts guest_id,status,meal. Status is exactly GOING, NOT_GOING or PENDING. Each GOING record needs a known meal label; the other statuses need an empty meal. Use anonymous IDs, not guest names. Your RSVP platform's raw export may need manual mapping; this is not a direct platform importer.
Agree labels before comparing. Chicken and chicken are separate labels here, as are Vegetarian and Veg. Preserve your original source copies. If your existing RSVP platform already covers your task, use it.
Look beyond the total
In this fictional example, G001 switches from Chicken to Vegetarian. G002 declines their Beef meal. G004 goes from pending to confirmed Chicken. G005 is newly added but still pending.
| Meal | Earlier | Latest | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Beef | 1 | 0 | −1 |
| Vegetarian | 1 | 2 | +1 |
Four records change, including the new pending person who adds no meal. The number of changed records alone does not tell you how many meals to prepare. Review both the meal totals and the individual changes.
Investigate missing rows
A missing ID might mean a filtered export, an omission or a new ID assignment. It is not proof that the person declined. Verify the original record before revising a catering order. A report of no changes proves only that the prepared inputs match, not that those inputs are complete.
Finish the human handoff
Check the event, meal identifiers and any child, vendor or staff categories. Handle allergies and dietary instructions in your separate approved catering workflow. Follow the deadline and approval process in your actual agreement, and get acknowledgement of the revised version. This tool cannot approve an order or determine food safety.
Sources and existing alternatives
Zola describes guest-list exports, and its meal preference breakdown may already cover your needs. CSVTool offers a general free CSV comparison. This free tool adds a bounded review flow for prepared meal snapshots; it is not a claim that comparable tools do not exist. Sources reviewed October 5, 2026.