# Uploading a Cohort via CSV

OVERVIEW

This option allows you to upload a CSV file if you already have a file prepared.
If you need help preparing your CSV file for Arist there is also a link to
download a Template CSV that contains the proper formatting and required
information for your learners. This option is best for importing large numbers
of learners at the same time.





CSV formatting can be a bit tricky, but it is integral to successfully upload
Learners to Arist in bulk. These are the different columns that are required:



Account Email: The email field is used by the Arist platform as a unique
identifier. This is used to create the Learner record, it is not used for any
email communication, unless Email is the selected delivery method.



Address Type: The options for this field are sms, email, or sms_whatsapp. If you
have a Teams or Slack integration, you will choose "email" for this column. Our
integration will then pull the Teams/Slack address on the backend.



Address Value: This is where you type in the user's phone number or email, based
on the Address Type chosen in the last step. Phone numbers should be with no
dashes (e.g. 5557771234). We also accept numbers in E164 format (with country
code e.g. +15557771234). For more info on formatting your Excel columns to
support E164 format, check this page
[https://community.cisco.com/t5/ip-telephony-and-phones/keeping-e164-numbers-in-the-correct-format-in-excel-spreadsheets/td-p/2068043].





Other, Optional Fields Accepted by Arist:

 * First name - Learner first name

 * Last name - Learner last name

 * Full name - Learner first and last name

 * External user ID -

 * External manager ID -

 * Timezone - Timezone the Learner is located in. Follow the timezone formats
   from this page
   [https://gist.github.com/sam0x17/44bcd80e96921fcd71b6e55d1d8d68de]. Only the
   left side values are ingested, and do not use quotation marks.

 * Create a new field - You also have the option to create custom fields if you
   wish which can be used when creating rule based groups or automations within
   the platform. To do this, create a new column with the name of what the field
   should be (e.g. Manager Name) then place the values for each user in that
   column. When you upload the CSV you'll be able to select those columns and
   map them as custom fields.


MAPPING YOUR CSV

Once you're ready to upload, drag the file into the uploader or select it
manually from your computer. Once it processes you should see a preview of the
columns and data you're uploading. If everything looks correct then click
continue.





The next page will allow you to match fields to where they need to go in the
Arist Platform. If you've followed our formatting guide this should be already
matched automatically for you. If you're uploading custom metadata, you will
need to choose "Create a new field" and then map it.







Once everything is mapped click continue. The next screen will allow you to see
all fields that will be uploaded and verify the information looks correct. Click
continue and the CSV will import and provide a report highlighting the number of
records successfully imported and any errors that may have occurred.





> Pro Tip: If you have a group of new learners that you need to add to the
> cohort but they are included in the CSV with the original set, you can still
> upload the full file and the system will add those new learners while
> recognizing the existing Learners and preserving their data.

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