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Import Users with the Self-Serve Employee File Import Tool

Grace Walsh
  • Updated

The self-serve user import tool allows organizations to manage their user base by importing and updating people directly from the Admin Hub — without needing to contact Workvivo Support. You can use the tool to add new users, update existing user information, and deactivate users.

Device(s): Desktop

Roles / Permissions: Employee File Import Manager (note this is not automatically inherited from the Administrator role)

Availability: Opt-in, please reach out to your Workvivo point-of-contact to avail of this feature.

Accessing the Import Tool

To access the Self-Serve Import Tool, navigate to Admin Panel > Tools > People > Import People.

Import Types

When running an import, you will be prompted to choose an import type. There are two options:

  • Delta
    • Use this when your file contains only the users you want to add, update, or deactivate (i.e., a subset of your full employee list).
    • Users not included in the file will not be affected.

    • You can deactivate a user by including a LeaveDate in the file. The LeaveDate must be a past date in order for the user to be deactivated.

      Screenshot 2026-05-22 at 14.35.23.png

  • All Employees

    • Use this when your file contains your full employee list.
    • Users included in the file will be created or updated.
    • Users not included in the file may be deactivated/deleted by omission, depending on your import settings (the default deletion threshold is 5%, i.e. if more than 5% of users are omitted from the file, no users are deactivated. Please note if the deletion threshold is met there is currently no message to advise that no users were deleted).
    • Adding a LeaveDate to a user in the file will deactivate them.
    Screenshot 2026-05-22 at 14.35.30.png

Validating and Importing a File

  • Click Validate Import File to check your file before running the import.
  • Validation will flag any issues with your file before any changes are made to your user data. Each row is validated against organization column rules, displaying exact error rows with per-row feedback before import initiation, preventing invalid file imports.
  • Files move through sequential states (Preparing, Ready for Import/Invalid, Importing, Complete) with validation performed before execution and no option to proceed with invalid rows.
  • Once validation is complete, you can proceed to run the import.

Preparing

The file is being uploaded, parsed, and validated in the background. Each row is checked against the column rules for the organization. 

prep.png

 

Ready for Import

The file has been validated and no errors were found. The user importing can:

  • Review how many users will be created and how many will be updated (counts are shown per category).
  • Manually kick off the import by pressing Import.

ready.png

 

Invalid

If even a single row in the file is invalid the import moves to the Invalid state. The UI displays exactly which rows have errors and the user can view errors per row.

The only option at this point is to fix the file manually and upload a new one. It is not possible to continue with an invalid file — all rows must be valid before starting.

invalid.png

 

Importing

The import is running. At this point the user can no longer view the list of individual users in the import — only the original file can be downloaded. This stage may take some time depending on the size of the file.

importing.png

 

Completed

The import finished successfully.

completed.png

 

Note: Only one self-serve file import can run at a time. If another import is already in progress, you will be prompted to wait.

Important Information on File Format & Columns

 ⭐️  For a full list of supported columns and their descriptions, click on View Template in the upload modal (after you choose Delta / All Employees). 

Screenshot 2026-05-22 at 14.38.54.png

 ⭐️  To download an employee file template specific to your organization, you can simply click Download Template CSV from this modal. Templates automatically include taxonomies and custom fields specific to your organization.

Screenshot 2026-05-22 at 14.39.12.png
  • File naming conventions are at the discretion of the customer, however we recommend including the upload date in your file name for ease of review going forward.
  • Files should be uploaded in the supported formats (CSV / XLS / XLSX).
  • Dates (e.g., HireDate, LeaveDate) should be in YYYY-MM-DD format.
  • The email field must be a valid email address, with no additional spaces before / after the email.
    • Please note that if your organization uses the derived password functionality, the email format required for this will be accepted.
  • Note: If a user account has not yet been provisioned on Workvivo, and is included in an import file for the first time with a LeaveDate included, their account will be created as an active account (regardless of LeaveDate being present).

Import Timestamps

Import times displayed in the tool are shown in UTC, regardless of the timezone set on your user profile.

Reviewing Files

Previously uploaded files can be downloaded by clicking on the File Name or by clicking the three dots on the right of the file > Download.

Need Help?

If you encounter any issues or have questions about the import tool, please reach out to your Workvivo point of contact.

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