How to append (update) user information in bulk

The best practice for this week’s tip will include downloading an export from the Targets area that contains all of the profile and custom attributes for your institution for the active users that you wish to change the information of and then making changes and re-uploading your appended .CSV file export back into dialogEDU via the Management tool.

Let’s begin!

Step 1: Create and Export a current list from the Targets area of all of the users that you wish to make change the information of. For the purpose of this tutorial, I have created a target titled Staff.

To create the target group of active users, you will need to do the following:
a. Go to People
b. Click Targets
c. Click +New Target

f. Select the Basic Profile Filter without using any of the sub-filters
g. Click Save (located on the bottom left hand corner of the page)

h. Navigate back to Targets

i. Identify your new target from the list and go over to the Actions column, now click on the gear icon and select Export

j. At this point, you will want to de-select any fields that you would NOT like to make changes to. (Please note that by default all of the custom attributes for your cloud will be checked)
k. Click Generate report

l. Click Download report

m. Save the file to your desktop in an easily accessible location
n. View your .CSV file export for your target.
In this example, I will be changing the name of the department for all of the users listed

Step 2: Make the updates to your .CSV file export.
a. Save your file and re-title it so that you can distinguish between your old .CSV download and your updated .CSV file.

Step 3: Upload your updated .CSV file into dialogEDU
a. Navigate back to dialogEDU (the back-end of your institution’s site)
b. Click People
c. Select Management
d. Click +File

e. Click Upload to continue

f. Map the columns accordingly with their Mapping Options (profile and custom attributes)
g. Check the activate user account box

h. Click Begin Import

Once you have successfully updated the information for multiple users, you will notice the number of users whose information you have updated here.