Participant import errors and how to fix them

When importing participants to your library, the file goes through a number of checks to make sure that the information being imported is supported by our system and free from technical issues. 

If any errors occur during this process, they will be displayed along with a brief explanation of what's happened. You can also download a detailed Error Report which documents which rows or columns need to be updated.

Two types of cards can show on the error screen:

• Red cards: These are errors that must be resolved. You will not be able to continue with your import until the file has been edited and re-uploaded.
• Yellow cards: These are warnings. You can decide whether to act on them or to continue with your import.

Let's explore errors and warnings by topic:

• Column errors
• Date formatting
• First and last names
• Email formatting
• Mobile formatting
• Gender
• File structure
• Heading structure
• ID code/number
• Demographic information
• Languages
• Level information
• Unrecognised CSV/Excel/Spreadsheet
• Unique values are shared

Column errors

The information stored in the columns and the column headings is what will be imported into your libraries. If there is an important column heading missing or information that we don't understand, you might generate the following errors and warnings:

Errors

• Column value too long: We found a value that was too long to process. Download the Error Report to find out where this value is in your file. Maximum character limit is 256 characters.
• Duplicate column name used: There are columns with the same heading.  Check your import file and rename or remove the duplicate column(s) before reimporting your file.
• Not enough headers: A column was found with demographic information for participants but without a heading.  Add a heading before reimporting your file.
• Reserved column name used: One of your columns is using an AskYourTeam reserved heading name (First Name, Last Name, Gender, Level, Age, Length of Service).  To continue, give your column a unique name.
• Mismatched header name used - one of your columns is named similar to another heading.  A suggestion will be provided on the column name we believe is correct.

Warnings

• Blank values: There are blank values in one or more of your columns. If you weren't expecting any blank values in this column, check your file and confirm if you're missing data. If so, add it and reimport your file.

  Otherwise, you can handle blank values in the following way:

  • Continue with the import and allow participants to self-select their Demographic Option.
  • Continue with the import and use the Participant Library to update this information.

Date formatting

Dates in your file need to use the format: dd/mm/yyyy (24/03/2019). If there is an issue with a date entered, you can generate the following errors:

Errors

• Birthdate occurs in the future: Birthdates can't be a date in the future. Ensure all dates are in the past before re-importing your file.
• Invalid date format: Check the dates in your file follow the recommended format dd/mm/yyyy (24/03/2019).  Download the Error Report for more information on where this invalid date format is within your file.

First and last names

'First name' and 'Last name' are required fields, so they must be present in the import file. They can generate the following errors and warnings.

If there is a problem with first and last names in your file, you might generate the following errors and warnings:

Errors

• Name too long: Names should be no longer than 100 characters. The character limit is per column e.g. a participant's first name cannot be longer than 100 characters.
• Missing name: A first and last name is required for each participant. If there is a name missing from an import, this will produce a critical error and this is required to be fixed before continuing with the import. We recommended using the filter option in Excel to check for blank values in the first or last name columns before re-importing.
• Invalid name format: File contains special characters or symbols that aren't supported. These will need to be removed before you reimport the file.

To fix these errors, download the Error Report to find which cells can't be processed. Update or remove the participant's information and import the file again.

Warnings

• Name is not unique: There are two or more participants with the same name. If this is expected, please ignore this warning.

Email address formatting

Emails have become part of our everyday lives and these come with a recommended format of yourname@example.com. It is uncommon to come across an issue with an email address, but if you have encountered an email-based import error, here is what they mean:

Errors

• Unrecognised email: Check that the email address(es) follows the standard email format. Check the email addresses contain text before and after the "@" symbol.
• Your email is too long: Email addresses can only be 255 characters in length, but we have detected an email that is longer than this.  Check the email is correct. If so, as we are unable to support this length, please consider using another address, a mobile number, or a passcode for this participant.
• Duplicate email address: Email addresses must be unique. We are unable to process the import if there are records with duplicate email addresses.

Warnings

• No email or mobile found: There are participants with no email or mobile number. These people will be assigned a passcode. A 12-digit token will be generated when a survey is created, allowing these participants to take the survey. Find out more about passcode participants.

Mobile formatting

We support two mobile number formats, these are:

• +64211234567
• 64211234567

If there are mobile numbers in the import file with different formatting, you will return the following error: Invalid mobile number format

Gender

The demographic options for gender are:

• non-binary
• female
• male
• another gender
• prefer not to say

Why only 5 gender identities?

AskYourTeam reports require a demographic group to meet a minimum threshold before displaying results.  If we list all gender identities, this would likely result in no reports being generated for minority gender identities.

If you don't want to use our gender options, please remove our column header.

To add your own gender options, you can:

• add a column with a different heading in your import file, along with the relevant option for each participant, or
• add the new category and options in your Demographic Library and let participants select which option they identify with during the survey.

File structure

During the import process, we check the file structure to ensure we are able to read the information contained.  As part of this, it checks how many rows, sheets, etc are included.

If there is a problem with your file structure, you might generate the following errors and warnings:

Errors

• Too many rows: Our import process will only support 100,000 rows. Check if you need that many rows imported.  If you do, please separate the import file into two or more files. Import each file one at a time and choose to keep existing participants for each additional file import.
• Empty file: We weren't able to find any information in your file.

Warnings

• Too many worksheets: Importing a file with multiple worksheets will return a warning message.  If you choose to continue, we will import the first worksheet only. If there is further information on other sheets that you need to import, please transfer these into one worksheet.

Heading structure

The heading structure refers to the top row in your participant import file. This row tells the AskYourTeasm system where the participant's data in each column should be placed in your libraries.  For example, Demographic Category headings are used to populate the Demographic Library.

If there are headings that you do not wish to use, you can remove them.  There are only two required headings: 'First Name' and 'Last Name'.

If you create your own heading, it will be imported as a Demographic Category. The values you then assign to each participant within that column will be imported as Demographic Options.

For example, if you created a column with the heading 'Location', it would become a Demographic Category when imported. The information you'd enter under it for each person (like Sydney, Wellington, Hawkes Bay, etc...) would become Demographic Options.

The following errors and warnings can be generated from the column's heading:

Errors

• Missing mandatory headers: The required headings are 'First name' 'Last name'. We found that your file was missing one or both of these required headings. Add the missing column(s) to your import file with participant information before trying your import again.

Warnings

• Recommended headings not used: There are one or more optional but recommended headings that you might find useful. Download the Error Report for a list of headings that weren't used.

Recommended headings are:

• ID
• Level
• Gender
• Start Date
• Date of Birth
• Language

ID code/number

Although an ID is a unique identifier, this is not used to identify individual people. It just allows the system to support people who may have changed their name, email address or mobile number from the previous record (e.g. marriage) or when there are multiple people with the same name in your organisation (e.g. Joe Blogs).

If there is a problem with IDs in your file, you might generate the following errors and warnings:

Errors

• Duplicate ID: IDs must be unique for each participant.  A unique ID allows the system to identify unique participants, this is especially helpful if you have two Joe Blogs in your organisation. Download the Error Report to find out where the duplicates are within your file. 
• ID is too long: There is an ID that is too long for the system to process.  Check that this ID is expected in your file.  The maximum length supported is 256 characters.

Warnings

• Blank ID: There are blanks within the ID column. If you want to use this column, all participants should have a unique ID. If you do not want to use the ID column, you can remove it from the file.

Demographic Information

Demographic categories and options will created automatically based on the column headings and information imported. As part of this process, we will also check that the demographic options being added meet the minimum reporting threshold.

If there is a problem with the demographic information in your file, you might generate the following errors and warnings:

Errors

• Reserved demographic option used: Check that there are no demographic options in your file called (Blanks) or [Blanks].

Warnings

• Below reporting threshold: A demographic option was found that may not meet the reporting threshold.  The default reporting threshold is usually 5. Download the Error Report for more information on which demographic option is below the reporting threshold.  If this is expected for this demographic option, you can ignore this warning.
• Mixed case option found: A demographic option was found multiple times with different casings (uppercase, lowercase). If you continue, we will select one of these options. To change the case, you can update this in the Demographic Library.
• Demographic options are all distinct: We found a column that has a unique value for each participant.  This can happen when a column heading is named something we don't recognise (e.g. employee ID instead of ID), and the system then tries to import this as a new demographic category, effectively creating a unique option for every participant. Download the Error Report to find out where the issue is in your file.
• Invalid multi-select demographics: Participants had invalid multi-select demographic options generated by incorrectly placed semi-colons. These semi-colons will have been removed. Check the participants listed in the Error Report against your participant import file to ensure their demographic information is correct. Ensure semi-colons are only used to separate options. Do not place semi-colons at the start or with no value between them.

Languages

We support a number of languages to make it easier for participants to take their survey and understand the questions. To set the language for individual participants, enter the locale for the language you would like to set.  For example, for English you would enter "en".

If there is a problem with the languages entered in your file, you might generate the following errors and warnings:

Errors

• Unrecognised language: A language has been included that is either in an incorrect format, or not supported. You need to enter the locale code for the language you want to set.  Find out what languages are supported and which code to use.

Warnings

• Language not set: There are participants that do not have a language set will. By default they will receive their surveys in English.  If this is expected, please ignore this warning.

Level Information

Level is a demographic that identifies two groups of people: Executives (Senior Leadership Team) and the wider organisation. This data point is used in the Alignment Report report to compare how each group responded to the survey questions.

If there is a problem with the level demographic in your file, you might generate the following errors and warnings:

Errors

• Unrecognised Level: There was a level entered that we didn't recognise. Enter 'Executive' to identify the Executive team, and leave the rest blank to have these set as 'Non-Executive'.

Warnings

• Only a single level found: Only one level was found. The Alignment Report requires at least two levels to be present.
• Missing level value: There are row(s) that do not have a level value. If a participant is missing a level, they will be considered a 'Non-Executive'.

Unrecognised CSV/Excel/Spreadsheet

Before the import process begins, our system checks the file to ensure we can read and understand what's in it. If we are unable to recognise your file, you will be unable to continue with the import until they're resolved.

If we can't recognise your file, you will get one of the following errors:

• File is not a supported file type: Supported file types are .csv or .xlsx
• File is blank: Open the file to confirm that this contains the participant information you want to import.
• File is corrupt: Check that you can open this file in Excel successfully before you try reimporting it.

Unique values are shared

ID, email address, and mobile number MUST be unique for each person in the import file and the participant library. If an update is found to share a mobile, email or ID with another existing participant, this error will be triggered.

To fix this error, check that the ID/email/mobile of existing participants in the library matches the corresponding participant data in the import file. Resolve the mismatches and import the file again.