Contents of this article:
What is a CSV?
.CSV stands for "Comma Separated Values" and is a format whereby data is separated by commas. In order for the file to be read, it is vital that this format is followed with no extraneous spaces or disallowed characters. These will prevent the file from being imported.
Why use a CSV?
If you have multiple users to create using a CSV can create all users at once and save you lots of time.
Creating users via CSV
Clicking the Download CSV will provide you with a CSV file that contains all of the users currently in your organisation. The file is in a particular format that must be maintained in order for it to be interpreted by our system.
You can add additional users to this file, and then upload it to our system in order to perform a bulk import of users. Do not remove users who are already listed in the CSV.
The fields used in the user data CSV are as follows:
- User ID (Leave blank. Field gets auto-populated by the system)
- Username - Mandatory
- Email Address - Mandatory
- First Name - Mandatory
- Last Name - Mandatory
- Tag - Optional
With commas separating each of these fields, a CSV record for a user might look like this:
0001,JohnTestman,testman@irisconnect.com,John,Testman,Maths
You can open CSV files in Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets to view and edit easily, but make sure you save it in .CSV format when you are done.
The best way to check the validity of a CSV file is to open it in Notepad and make sure there are no extraneous spaces or punctuation.
Once this is confirmed, you can upload the CSV file using the Upload CSV+ button.
Any problems with the CSV import will be displayed on user to user basis. Click the info button for more information on the errors. See below for more information.
Common Errors
A field is missing
Incomplete fields
Line 1: Column Headers, Line 2: Existing User, details already in the file when it was downloaded, Line 3: New Addition
As shown above, the last name of the user was not entered. Once the Last Name field is filled in, this user will upload successfully.
Removing existing users from the CSV
After downloading the Org's CSV with existing users, do not change the current users' information. If you delete a user or any of their information that currently exists under the organisation, you will get an error like this one, as that user field (Line 2) is now empty.
Wrong format
Here, the column "Tags" was removed and therefore none of the users on the CSV will successfully upload. Ensure all columns are present when uploading the CSV.
Duplicate value
The users from Line 2 and 3 share emails, therefore this upload will not be successful. Each username and email must be unique.
The user doesn't exist
A User ID on Line 3 was made up and manually entered into the column. To rectify this issue, remove the ID number in the new user's row. You do not need to input any data here, the platform will auto generate a user ID when the user is uploaded.
Value already taken
The user on Line 3 was added, however, that user already exists on the platform. This is likely the most common error you will encounter if you are adding a lot of users by CSV. To remedy this, delete the user you added from the CSV or use a different username/email for them. Emails and usernames must be unique across the platform, even if the user is under a separate organisation.
Wrong file type
Please ensure that your file type is a CSV. Your file name will end with ".csv" If your file type is not a CSV, the platform will not recognize it and your request will not be completed.
If the platform is satisfied with the proposed CSV changes, it will appear like the image below.
Will Create will appear next to additional user information that is being added, error free.
Will Update will appear if any existing user has been altered in a way that the platform recognizes, such as a name change.
Click the Commit Changes button (top right) to finalize changes. You will then see a success message as shown below: