> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://support.essal.cloud/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Importing Employees from CSV {/* category: Employee Management */} The CSV import wizard lets you add many employees at once from a spreadsheet. This article walks through each step of the 4-step wizard. Navigate to **Employees** in the sidebar, then click **Import CSV** in the top-right corner (or press `Alt+I`). CSV import wizard showing the file upload step *** ## Before You Start Prepare your data: * Export your employee list from your HR system as CSV, or fill in the downloadable template * Make sure at least **First Name** and **Last Name** columns are present — these are the only required fields * Dates should be in a standard format (e.g. `YYYY-MM-DD` or `MM/DD/YYYY`) * Blood type values should be: `A+`, `A-`, `B+`, `B-`, `AB+`, `AB-`, `O+`, or `O-` **Supported file formats**: `.csv`, `.tsv`, `.txt` *** ## Step 1 — Upload Your File Drag your file onto the upload zone, or click anywhere in the zone to browse and select a file. After the file is loaded, the wizard shows: * **Row count** — the number of data rows detected * **Column count** — the number of header columns * **File size** * **Detected Columns** — a list of all column headers found in the file If you do not have a file ready, click **Download Template** to get a pre-formatted CSV with all the standard field headers filled in. *** ## Step 2 — Map Columns Essal Access automatically maps your CSV columns to employee fields using AI-assisted inference. The mapping table shows: | Column | What it contains | | ---------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **CSV Column** | The header name from your file | | **Sample Value** | The first data value from that column | | **Confidence** | A dot indicating mapping confidence: green (high), yellow (medium), red (low) | | **Mapped To** | The employee field this column will populate | Review the mappings and correct any that are wrong using the **Mapped To** dropdown. Options include: * **Skip** — ignore this column entirely * **Full Name → First + Last** — splits a single full-name column (e.g. `"Jane Smith"` → First: `Jane`, Last: `Smith`) * All standard employee fields (see table below) * Any custom fields defined in Settings → Custom Fields ### Standard Importable Fields | Field | Required | | ---------------------- | -------- | | First Name | **Yes** | | Last Name | **Yes** | | Email | No | | Role / Job Title | No | | Department | No | | Phone Number | No | | Address | No | | City | No | | State / Province | No | | Zip Code / Postal Code | No | | Nationality | No | | Date of Birth | No | | Blood Type | No | | Bio / Description | No | > **AI mapping notice**: If the AI service is unavailable, Essal Access falls back to keyword-based column matching. An amber notice is shown when automatic fallback was used — review the mappings carefully in that case. *** ## Step 3 — Preview and Validate Before importing, the wizard validates every row. Three counters appear at the top: * **Ready** — rows that passed validation and will be imported * **Warnings** — rows with minor issues that will still import (e.g. unrecognized department name) * **Errors** — rows that cannot be imported as-is The preview table shows the first 10 valid rows and all error rows. Each row has a status pill: * **OK** (green) — valid, will import * **Warning** (amber) — will import with the issue noted * **Error** (red) — will be skipped unless you choose to import anyway ### Handling Errors Two options when errors exist: 1. **Fix the file** — click **Back**, correct the issues in your spreadsheet, and re-upload 2. **Skip errors and import anyway** — check the **Skip Errors** checkbox. Error rows are skipped; all valid rows are still imported 3. **Download Error Report** — exports a CSV listing each error row with the issue description, useful for correcting the source file *** ## Step 4 — Import Click **Import** to start. A progress bar tracks the operation: * **Imported** — rows successfully added so far * **Failed** — rows that encountered an error during insert * **Processed** — total rows handled so far * **ETA** — estimated time remaining The import runs in batches of 50 rows. You can click **Cancel Import** to stop after the current batch finishes — rows already processed are kept. ### After Import When the import completes: * A summary shows the final counts (imported, failed) * Click **View Employees** to go to the employee list — a notification shows the import count and date * Click **Undo Import** if you need to reverse it — a confirmation prompt appears, then all imported records are deleted one by one *** ## Common Import Errors | Error | Fix | | ------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------- | | Duplicate email address | Remove duplicate rows or correct the email | | Missing required field (First or Last Name) | Fill in the missing values | | Invalid date format | Use `YYYY-MM-DD`, `MM/DD/YYYY`, or `DD/MM/YYYY` | | Invalid blood type | Use exactly: `A+`, `A-`, `B+`, `B-`, `AB+`, `AB-`, `O+`, `O-` | | Invalid custom field value | Check the allowed values for that custom field in Settings |