You will need the Import permission to access the import tools.
To open the import tools, go to Settings & Tools (cog icon in the tool-bar) > Tools/Utilities > Import Data.
Note: Would you rather we import your data for you? Click your user avatar in the top right of the toolbar and choose Request Data Import, then submit the form that appears. Learn more.
To start an import, click + New Import. In the New Import window:
Choose the kind of data to import from the Type drop-down (for example, People).
Under Data CSV File, click download template file for a starter template, or Browse... to upload your own file. The file must be in CSV format (a table of columns and rows saved with a .csv extension). If you have an Excel file, open it and save it as a .csv first.
The template is optional — you can upload any CSV file — but it's helpful for seeing the fields you can import. After you upload, the system maps the columns in your CSV to the fields it can import, making a best guess for each. We highly recommend reviewing those guesses and correcting them before importing.
Fill in any other mappings you'd like to use. Fields left blank are not imported, and fields marked with a red star are required.
When everything looks good, click Import to begin. If there are any errors, a red message appears with the line number where the error occurred.
Tip: To see the fields and data types available for an import, upload your CSV first. The mapping screen then shows every available field — use it as documentation for what each field accepts. It also helps to know how the record is organized in One Church before you import; the fields you map correspond to the same fields on the record, and you can map custom fields too.
Field Types
When mapping fields, the data type for each field is shown underneath its label. A few common types:
Boolean fields should be "Yes" or "No." They also accept "Y" and "N" as well as "True," False," 1," "0," "T," and "F."
Text fields accept free text — enter anything you'd like.
Some mapping fields correspond to drop-downs on the record you're uploading. Enter the exact text from the drop-down. If you enter an option that isn't in the drop-down, the system creates the new option automatically.
Importing People
Most of the time you'll be importing people. Keep these tips in mind.
External ID
The External ID is an optional field that uniquely identifies the person outside of One Church. If you plan to upload other information tied to the person (notes, group membership, safeguards, and so on), include this field in your CSV. You can then use the same External ID in the other import tools to link that data to this person.
No two people can share the same External ID (the system returns an error if they do). If none is specified, One Church generates its own.
Family ID
To group people into the same family, give them the same Family ID in your CSV. The value can be numbers or text — what matters is that everyone with the same value is placed in the same family. Choose a value that wasn't previously imported, or you'll add these people to an existing family.
The Family ID in the file is not the ID of the family in One Church — it's simply a way to group people into households, typically the Family ID from your previous system. If you don't include a Family ID, the person is imported into their own family as the head of household.
Importing Other Data
All the other import tools follow the same layout. A few things to know:
Check the results of an import right away for errors so you can redo it if needed.
You can undo an import (as long as its records aren't linked to non-imported records) from the import's 3-dots menu on the Import Data listing. Undoing makes it as if the import never happened, including removing any new drop-down values it added.
Only the person who performed an import, and super users, can download the original file used for that import.
If you need help, contact support, or submit a request for us to import your data if you'd rather we handle it.