Import Members
Use Import Members to upload a spreadsheet and create many member accounts in one workflow.
Who can access it
The current menu link is only visible to Super Admin and Admin.
Before you import
The current tool expects you to prepare a file before you start.
Current setup guidance includes:
- set up Roles and Membership Types first
- create a separate import file for each membership type
- include a heading row in the file
- provide at least First Name, Last Name, and Email
- use CSV, XLSX, or XLS format
- use the sample files provided in the tool if you need a starting template
Helpful detail:
- The tool includes downloadable sample files in both CSV and Excel format.
- If you are using Excel, formatting columns as text can help preserve data exactly as entered.
The import workflow
The current workflow has five main steps:
- Upload your file.
- Configure the field mapping and choose a membership type.
- Preview a sample of the mapped data.
- Import the records.
- Review the results, including any failures or errors.
Membership type is required
During the configure step, you must choose one membership type for the entire file.
Important current behavior:
- the membership type is required before the tool will continue
- all imported members in that file receive the selected membership type
- the configure screen states that imported members are set as currently paid up
How field mapping works
The configure step lets you match your spreadsheet columns to member fields.
Current behavior includes:
- automatic matching when a column heading exactly matches a field attribute
- allowing non-required fields to be left empty
- allowing a single custom value to be used for all rows in one mapped field
Member custom fields during import
Member custom fields can be part of imports, but the current import flow only exposes fields that are active and allowed for import.
This helps keep the import screen focused on fields that are meant to be filled this way.
Fields that are not imported through this tool
The current implementation excludes several system-managed fields from the import mapping, including:
- communication and privacy settings
- active status
- board position
- password
- creation method
- internal notes
- membership status
- membership type
Preview and review behavior
Before importing, the preview step shows a sample of what the mapped data will look like.
After importing, the review step shows:
- how many rows were imported successfully
- validation failures
- other import errors
- row-by-row details so you can see what needs to be corrected
Helpful detail:
- If the number of new members would exceed your club plan limit, the preview step blocks the import and shows an upgrade message instead.
Practical workflow tips
- Use one file per membership type.
- Clean up heading names before uploading so auto-matching works better.
- Review the preview carefully before running the import.
- Correct failures in your spreadsheet and re-import rather than trying to work around them manually.
Related topics
- Members - Review the member records created by the import.
- Membership Types - Set up the membership type that will be assigned during import.
- Member Custom Fields - Manage custom fields that can appear in the import mapping.
- Roles - Understand the role setup the tool asks you to review before importing.