Import participants and submission from Excel

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Import participants and submissions from Excel

You can bulk import participants and their survey submissions into the system using an Excel (.xlsx) file.

Before you begin

Permissions required: You must be an administrator with rights to manage participants and create submissions.

Excel file format:

File type must be .xlsx (Excel).
The first row must contain column headers (names of the fields).
There is no strict limit on file size (tested with more than 2,600 entries).

Data included:

Participant details (name, email, phone, etc.)
Activity responses. Optional.

Steps for data import

1. Start the Import
On the Participants or Submissions page, click the three vertical dots (⋮) in the top-right corner.
From the menu, select Import from Excel.

2. Choose Import Settings
Before uploading your file, select the settings that apply.
For example, you can decide whether new participant accounts should be created using email or national ID.

3. Upload Your File
Click Upload File and select your prepared Excel (.xlsx) file.

4. Preview the Import
The system will show you a preview, including:
How many participants will be created or updated
How many submissions will be added
Review this carefully to make sure everything looks correct.

5. Confirm the Import
If the preview is correct, click Confirm to start the import.

6. Process Started
A small notification (toast message) will appear at the bottom-right corner of your screen confirming that the import has started.

7. Data Processed in the Background
The import runs in the background. You can continue working while the system creates participants and submissions.

Preparing your Excel file

Before you start the import, make sure your Excel file is correctly formatted. A well-prepared file ensures that participants and submissions are created without errors and that activity answers are captured accurately.

Required headers
Your file must include a header row. Common columns include:

profile_given_name – First name
profile_family_name – Last name
profile_email – Email address
profile_cell_phone – Phone number
person – Unique participant ID (can be left blank; system will generate one)
Question identifiers (e.g., satisfaction_rating, question1)

Dates
If you include submission timestamps (e.g., created_at), make sure they are in Excel date format or a standard date/time format.

Activity questions
Each activity question should have its own column with responses. Examples:

Rating: satisfaction_rating = 5
Multiple choice: One column per option, mark as SELECTED where chosen
Other types: Dropdowns, rankings, and matrix questions are also supported

Tip: Start with smaller datasets

If you’re unsure about formatting, try importing a small test file first before uploading larger datasets.

Best practices

Always use Preview before confirming an import.
Double-check email addresses and IDs for accuracy.
Keep a backup copy of your source Excel file.
For large imports (1000+ records), expect processing to take a bit longer.

Troubleshooting

File won’t upload → Check that it is an Excel (.xlsx) file.
Some participants not created → Make sure emails or national IDs are valid (if account creation is enabled).
Activity answers not showing → Verify that the column headers exactly match the question identifiers.
Progress seems stuck → Large files process in batches; wait a few minutes. If still stuck, contact support.

Need Help?

If you have any questions or run into issues, you can contact our support team at support@longenesis.com — we’re happy to help.

Read next: Edit activity submissions →

← Read previous: Register participant activities