Importing members
Importing members from a CSV file is one way to add members to a repeat visitor group.
The CSV file must be formatted correctly or there might be an error importing the members. This is easy as we generate a template for you. Just go to People > Select your visitor group from the group selector Click the down arrow next to Add member and select Import:
You should then see a window like this:
Step-by-step
Step 1. Download our template CSV.
Downloading this will give you a blank template, the headers will correspond to the profile fields you have set up for that group.
Full name, Email, Mobile, and Start/End dates are expected as default, they’re all optional, apart from Full name.
Important: If you add Start and End dates to the repeat visitors import it's important to follow the date and time format in the column header. E.g. UK dd/mm/yyyy hh:mm or US mm/dd/yyyy hh:mm. The hours and minutes are required, leaving these out will cause an error. You can add 00:00 which will add a start or end date of midnight.
Step 2. Keeping the headers intact, row by row enter the staff member information and save.
Make sure each member has the correct details as these will be saved against them on the portal.
Enter accurate information in the correct column.
Step 3. Upload your CSV by clicking “Upload file” and selecting your file.
Make sure this is the right file, easy mistake.
Important: Importing members doesn’t check against existing group members, unless you select a unique field to cross check in step 4, so make sure you only import new people.
You should now have a group populated with all the members you need. If it failed to import, there may be a problem with the data on one or more lines. Check the red error message closely as it should direct you to the problem.
4. Update existing members (optional)
This option for importing members allow you to do two things during your member upload - update member data, and check for duplicates when importing.
Warning: When using this option it’s possible to delete field data and archive members. Please ensure you read this guide carefully before using the advanced options. Contact [email protected] if you have any questions.
Updating member data
There are several scenarios where you might want to update your group members data, this includes personal fields and QR/RFID codes. For example, you might want to add a payroll number for staff and rather than editing this one member at a time, you can use the advanced options to update this data by importing a CSV file. You need to select a unique field for the import, this is the field that the import will check to match the data in your CSV file with the member in your group. Email works well as a unique field.
From the management portal, go to Manage > Visitor Groups > Select group > Manage Members, click the arrow next to Add Member and select Import
Download the CSV file to fill out your data, and then add to the CSV template the unique field (e.g. email) for each member and the value you’d like to update
Important: The template generated for the import will include ALL of the groups personal fields as column headers. If fields are left blank the personal field data will be permanently deleted for that member. Ensure that you delete all columns you’re not using as either a unique identifier or want to update. You can also delete any members from the import if you do not want to update their data.
We recommend that you export all profile field data for a group before updating any field, this can then be imported again if data has been deleted in error. To do this, from the people directory for your chosen group click on Actions and then Export All:
Ensure all data fields are selected before selecting Export:
QR / RFID codes
When importing with the advanced options you can also update QR / RFID codes. Simply add a column header to the import template with the heading QR Code or RFID. You still need to select a unique identifier and remove any columns you do not want to update.
Check for duplicate entries
When importing members the import does not check for duplicate entries by default, this means if you import the same CSV file twice the members will be duplicated. You can use the advanced option if you want to check for duplicate entries when importing. Select Archive members not included on the import if you’d like members not included to be archived.
Deleting archived members
Go to Manage > Visitor Groups > Select group > Archived > Manage Archive and click the top tick box to select all members. Select Actions and then Delete:
Warning: Deleting members is permanant and cannot be undone.
Troubleshooting
Error
“Full Name” is a required field so if any name fields are left blank will cause an error.
Spaces either side of an email address will cause an error.
Blank rows at the top or bottom of the CSV file will cause an error
Non-UK phone numbers need their international prefix e.g France +33
Check that the date matches the format displayed in the Date column title row
Start and end dates have been included, but are in the wrong format or for repeat visitors doesn't include hours and minutes
Inaccurate Data
Check that the data you’ve entered is in the correct column. For example, First name in the Full name field and Surname in the second column will cause Role to be listed as the surname.
European decimal separator
Some European countries use a comma as a decimal separator. In this case, the comma in Comma Separated Value files is sometimes replaced with a semi-colon. Please ensure that the document you import to Sign In App has values separated by commas and not semi-colons.
Microsoft excel help: How to change semicolon to comma when saving CSV file
Google sheets help: Change semicolon to commas in formulas - Docs Editors Help
We hope you've found this guide useful but if you have any questions around Mobile sign in or any Sign In App feature, please contact our support team at [email protected].