CSV Auto-Creation with AI: Complete Prompt Guide for Race Photographers

The Old Way (Don't Do This)

Most photographers still do this:

1. Open Excel or Numbers
2. Manually type header row: "Bib Number, Name, Team, Class"
3. Copy-paste from PDF/Word/website
4. Fix formatting issues for 30 minutes
5. Realize half the data is in wrong columns
6. Start over
7. Total time: 45-90 minutes (and you still have typos)

There's a better way.

The Smart Way: AI-Generated CSV in 5 Minutes

AI tools like ChatGPT or Claude can take messy participant data and turn it into a perfectly formatted CSV in seconds. Here's exactly how to do it.

Step 1: Copy Your Participant Data (1 minute)

Grab whatever format you have:

• Race website HTML tables
• PDF entry lists
• Word documents
• WhatsApp messages from the organizer
• Email lists

It doesn't matter how messy it is. AI will clean it up.

Step 2: Use This Exact Prompt (2 minutes)

Open ChatGPT (free version works fine) or Claude, and paste this prompt:

I need help creating a CSV file for race photo tagging. I have a list of participants below.

Please create a CSV with these exact columns:
- Bib Number (or Car Number)
- Name (Full name: First Last)
- Team (if available, otherwise leave empty)
- Class (racing class/category if mentioned, otherwise leave empty)

Rules:
1. CSV format with comma separators
2. Include header row
3. Sort by bib/car number (ascending)
4. Remove any duplicate entries
5. If bib number is missing, use "TBD"
6. Clean up formatting (no extra spaces, consistent capitalization)

Here's my participant list:
[PASTE YOUR MESSY DATA HERE]

Output only the CSV data, nothing else.

Example: ChatGPT processing participant data into clean CSV format

Step 3: AI Generates Perfect CSV (30 seconds)

The AI will output something like this:

Bib Number,Name,Team,Class
1,John Smith,Team Thunder,Pro
3,Maria Garcia,Solo Racer,Amateur
5,David Chen,Speed Demons,Pro
7,Sarah Johnson,Team Lightning,Amateur
12,Alex Rodriguez,Solo Racer,Pro

Clean. Organized. Ready to use.

Sample motorsport participant CSV file opened in Excel

Step 4: Save and Import to RaceTagger (1 minute)

1. Copy the AI-generated CSV
2. Paste into a text editor (TextEdit, Notepad)
3. Save as participants.csv
4. Open RaceTagger
5. Go to File → Import Participant List
6. Select your CSV file
7. Done!

RaceTagger successfully importing participant data from CSV

Pro Tips for Better Results

If You Have Multiple Races

Want AI to create separate CSVs for different classes? Add to your prompt:

Create separate CSV files for each racing class.
Output format: "CLASS-NAME.csv" with respective participants.

If Data is Really Messy

AI can extract data from almost anything. Try adding:

The data below is messy with extra text. Please extract only:
- Numbers that look like bib/car numbers
- Names of people
- Team names (usually after "Team" or before driver name)
- Class info (Pro, Amateur, Beginner, etc.)

Ignore: lap times, results, commentary, descriptions.

If You Need Email Addresses

Many race organizers send lists with emails for photo delivery. Add this column:

Please add a 5th column: Email
If no email is provided for a participant, leave that cell empty.

Real-World Example

Before (what you receive):

Race Results - Weekend Championship
1st Place: Car #42 - Mike Thompson (Team Velocity) - PRO CLASS - mike.t@email.com
2nd: Sarah Lee #18 Team Storm AMATEUR sarah.lee@mail.com
#7 David Kim - Solo - Pro Class
Car 23 - Lisa Chen - Amateur - Team Phoenix Racing - lisa.c@email.com

AI Prompt:

Create a CSV from this messy race data:
Columns: Car Number, Name, Team, Class, Email

[paste messy data]

AI Output (clean CSV):

Car Number,Name,Team,Class,Email
7,David Kim,Solo,Pro,
18,Sarah Lee,Team Storm,Amateur,sarah.lee@mail.com
23,Lisa Chen,Team Phoenix Racing,Amateur,lisa.c@email.com
42,Mike Thompson,Team Velocity,Pro,mike.t@email.com

Perfect. Alphabetically sorted by car number. Ready for RaceTagger.

When This Saves You Hours

This technique is a game-changer when:

• Large events: 200+ participants, would take hours manually
• Multiple classes: AI can separate them automatically
• Messy data sources: PDF scans, website screenshots, WhatsApp lists
• Last-minute entries: Organizer sends updates 30 minutes before race
• International races: Names with accents, non-English characters

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Q: AI includes extra text/commentary

• Add to prompt: "Output ONLY the CSV data, no explanations or notes"

Q: Wrong column order

• Be specific: "Column order MUST be: Bib Number, Name, Team, Class"

Q: AI guessed wrong for some entries

• That's fine! Import to RaceTagger, then manually fix the 2-3 incorrect ones. Still way faster than typing 150 entries.

Q: Some bib numbers are missing

• Tell AI: "If bib number is unknown, use 'TBD' or leave empty"

What's Next?

Now that you have a perfect CSV:

1. Import to RaceTagger in seconds
2. Let AI detect race numbers in your photos (see our complete workflow guide)
3. Auto-tag all photos with driver names and data
4. Export organized galleries ready for clients

Bottom Line

Creating participant CSVs doesn't have to be tedious. AI can turn any messy participant list into a perfect, RaceTagger-ready CSV in under 5 minutes.

The workflow:

1. Get participant data (any format)
2. Paste into ChatGPT/Claude with the prompt above
3. Copy CSV output
4. Import to RaceTagger
5. Start tagging photos

Stop spending an hour per event typing lists. Let AI do it while you focus on taking better photos.

Bonus: Bookmark this article and keep the prompt handy. You'll use it at every race.