How To Import Contacts Into Your Church Directory (People Area)

As part of the Giving platform, there is a "People" section on every website. This area is used to manage Giving in the Sprout and Grow Plans, but it is also used for the Directory and Groups feature in the Flourish Plan.

There are a few ways that people can be added to the "People" area of your website.

HOW DO I ADD PEOPLE INTO MY "PEOPLE" AREA?

The fastest way to add a person to the People area is to click on the black circle that contains a plus sign on the right-hand side of your screen. This will open a window requesting more information. You will save the initial information, and then click on the person's name within the People list in order to open their account and add additional info.

WHERE DO I IMPORT CONTACTS TO MY DIRECTORY?

When you log in to your website, you will go to the “People” section from the Admin menu (the gray bar on the left-hand side) -- not the “Directory.”
Once you click on “People,” you will see your directory dashboard. “Import Contacts” is located at the top right of your People List.

HOW DO I CREATE THE PROPER TEMPLATE?

Start by downloading this CSV file. NOTE: You must save and use this as a CSV (Comma Separated Values) file - not .xls or .xlsx. This will enable the import of your information to happen seamlessly.

Opening the template file will give you a format that looks like this:

Required Fields

There are a few columns that must have values in order for a successful import. Make sure that every person in your CSV file has a value for these columns: First name, Last name, and Email. If one of your contacts does not have all 3 of those, then the contact will be skipped during the import. NOTE: Since our system uses email addresses as a unique identifier for each person, any duplicated emails will not be loaded during the import.

Special Values

There are a couple of columns in your file that only support specific values:

Status: Visitor, Regular Attender, Member or Other
Gender: M or F
Age: Adult or Child. Note: We define an adult as 18 and over.

Once you have completed your CSV file, be sure to save it to your computer so that it is ready for upload.

WHAT’S NEXT?

Now for the easy part! Go back to your website and follow the prompts...

Click on the black button that says “Select A File To Import.”
Locate your CSV file on your computer, select it, and click “Open.”
You will see the following window:

Choose if you want to overwrite any existing contacts by checking the box on the left.
To import the file, click the “Continue” button.
Almost immediately, you should receive a message that you were successful! Larger imports and slower internet connections can slow down your import a bit.

HOW CAN PEOPLE REQUEST TO BE A PART OF THE DIRECTORY?

Flourish plan members have an account request option in the homepage Login window.

If they click this option and complete the form, they still do not have access to your directory until an Admin approves them in the People area of your website. Their request will be evident by a red badge alert. Admins will also be notified via email of each new request.

NOTE: Please be aware that anyone can request access to your directory. But the approving Admin needs to "guard the door" carefully. DO NOT GIVE ACCESS TO PEOPLE YOU DO NOT KNOW. It is not uncommon for hackers or bots to try to gain access to the directory to steal people's information. Click "decline" on any name that you do not recognize as being a part of your assembly, and for the safety of your personal email address, do not contact them at all.

FAQS & TROUBLESHOOTING

Help! Why is the “Processing” button not changing on my screen? You will want to check two things:
- Is your wi-fi lagging? If so, your import may not process.
- Are you loading a CSV file? If not, the import will not process.

Can I create a CSV file without using Excel? Yes! You can use Google Sheets to format your information and then click File>Download>Comma Separated Values. This will allow you to save the formatted information on your computer so that you can upload it. Other desktop data editors may also allow you to edit and save CSV files.
Why did some of my contacts not upload into my directory? If you have a contact that shares the same email with another contact, only one of them will upload. There can be no duplicate emails. Also, if you are missing part of a name (or email address) the contact will not import.