Import player records from CSV or Excel

Prepare the file#

Work from a copy. Keep a backup of the original and remove records that should not be imported. Review names, dates of birth, nationality and group information. Do not assume an import creates logins or verifies guardian relationships.

A CSV may be up to 10 MB and an .xlsx workbook up to 100 MB; either way an import accepts at most 5,000 data rows. A workbook is also refused if its sheets are very large even when the file itself is not, because the roster is read in your browser — if that happens, export the single sheet you need. Keep one person's data on each row and use a clear header row. Review the import screen's required columns before uploading.

A workbook with several sheets asks which sheet holds the roster. Formulas are never calculated; the value last saved in the cell is what is read. A value that begins with =, +, - or @ is refused outright, so clean those cells in the source rather than renaming the file.

1. Open People and the import workflow.
2. Choose the CSV or .xlsx file, pick the sheet if the workbook has more than one, and map its columns to the supported fields.
3. Review validation errors and the proposed records. Correct ambiguous dates and unintended duplicates in your source file.
4. Confirm the reviewed import, then check a sample of records in People and their intended groups.

If the import fails#

Read the error before retrying. Check format, required fields, file size and the active-player allowance. If a request times out, first check whether the records already exist. Re-uploading without checking can make reconciliation harder.

Attendance history, financial ledgers, programmes, guardian verification and every field in another system are not automatically migrated by the player importer. Plan those separately and reconcile opening balances with the academy's responsible staff.