Bulk Updating Users via CSV

Overview

When you need to update multiple users at once — such as changing team assignments, locations, or languages — a CSV upload is the most efficient method. It is particularly useful for organisational changes, onboarding batches of new starters, or keeping Learn Amp in sync with your HR systems.

Pre-requisites

Role Requirements

Admin or Owner role required

Additional Requirements

A properly formatted CSV file
Email addresses must exactly match existing users in Learn Amp
For new fields (teams, locations), names must match existing values or new ones will be created

Quick Start Guide

From the sidebar, click People
Click the + button
Select Many users
Upload your CSV file containing the users you want to update
Map your CSV columns to Learn Amp fields
Select your update settings
Click Import

Preparing Your CSV File

Required Fields

Your CSV must include these fields to match existing users:

email – Must exactly match the user's current email in Learn Amp
first_name
last_name

login_name is also required where your company has login names enabled.

Optional Fields You Can Update

Teams (primary and secondary)
Locations
Languages
Job titles
Managers
Custom fields
Hire date
Leave date
time_zone
system_role — accepts: learner, curator, reporter, learning_designer, hr, admin, owner

Optional Learning Designer Permission Columns

If you are updating users with the learning_designer role, you can include the following optional columns to control their permission toggles:

Column	Description	Accepted values

Column	Description	Accepted values
`log_in_as`	Grants or revokes the "Log in as other users" permission	`true` / `false`
`quiz_question_bank`	Grants or revokes the "Create and manage quiz question banks" permission	`true` / `false`
`group_creation`	Grants or revokes the "Create and manage groups" permission	`true` / `false`

Important rules for these columns:

They are only applied when system_role is learning_designer and the existing user is currently a Learning Designer. They are silently ignored for other roles.
Accepted values are true or false (case-insensitive). Any other value — including blank, 1, or yes — is treated as false.
These values always overwrite the existing toggle setting when conditions are met. This differs from the standard "only fill empty fields" behaviour — an explicit false will turn off a toggle that was previously on.

💡 Tip: Download a template CSV from the bulk import page to see the expected format for each field. The template does not include the Learning Designer toggle columns by default — add them manually if needed.

Update Settings

When uploading, you'll need to choose how Learn Amp handles existing data:

Setting	Behaviour

Setting	Behaviour
Do not change existing data, add only new information	Preserves current values, only adds new data where fields are empty
Replace / overwrite existing user data	Updates fields to match your CSV, replacing any existing values

⚠️ Important: Choose "Replace / overwrite" carefully. This will change existing data to match your CSV, which may remove information if your CSV has empty fields. Note that the Learning Designer toggle columns always overwrite regardless of this setting.

Column Mapping

After uploading, you'll map your CSV columns to Learn Amp's fields:

Column headers must match exactly. A header that does not match is ignored rather than being flagged, so check your headers against the downloadable template before importing.
Unmapped columns will be ignored
You can skip columns you don't want to import

After the Import

Once the import completes:

Check the People Logs – Review the import summary for any errors or warnings
Spot-check a few users – Verify that the data updated correctly
Allow processing time – Large imports may take a few minutes to fully apply

FAQs

Q: What happens if an email in my CSV doesn't match an existing user?
The row will be skipped for updates. If you're also creating new users, a new account may be created depending on your import settings.

Q: Can I update custom fields via CSV?
Yes, custom fields can be included in your CSV. The column header should match the custom field name exactly.

Q: How do I update a user's manager via CSV?
Include a "Manager" column with the manager's email address. The manager must already exist in Learn Amp.

Q: Is there a limit to how many users I can update at once?
There's no hard limit, but very large imports (thousands of users) may take longer to process. The import runs in the background, so you can navigate away while it processes.

Q: Can I bulk-update Learning Designer permission toggles via CSV?
Yes. Include the log_in_as, quiz_question_bank, and/or group_creation columns in your CSV with true or false values. These apply only to rows where system_role is learning_designer and the user is currently a Learning Designer. The values always overwrite the current toggle state.

Troubleshooting

Issue	Solution

Issue	Solution
Import not finding existing users	Ensure email addresses match exactly, including any leading/trailing spaces.
New teams/locations being created	Check that team and location names in your CSV exactly match existing values in Learn Amp.
Some fields not updating	Check your update settings – "add only" won't overwrite existing data. Note: Learning Designer toggle columns always overwrite when conditions are met.
Import seems stuck	Large imports process in the background. Check the People Logs for progress and any errors.
Manager not being assigned	Ensure the manager's email in your CSV matches an existing user who is active in Learn Amp.
Learning Designer toggle column not applying	Confirm the row's `system_role` is `learning_designer` and the user is currently a Learning Designer. Toggle columns are silently ignored otherwise.