Importing Parent Contacts Data via CSV

Owned by Clea Boyd-Eedle (Unlicensed)
Last updated: Sept 03, 2021 by Theresa Klunk (Deactivated)

You can import Parent Contacts information into EdSmart using the manual import function. 


Note

This may not be necessary if EdSmart is set up to automatically sync from your Student Management System nightly. Please contact your school ICT team to confirm if data is syncing into EdSmart, or contact EdSmart Support for assistance.  See this article for more information: School Data Management in EdSmart.


Step 1 - Prepare your import file

The data must be in CSV (comma delimited) format. Each contact record must have a unique Parent ID, and a Student ID so we know which Student this Parent Contact belongs to.  

The first row of the file must contain field names (you can name the fields however you like, you'll have an opportunity to map those fields to fields in EdSmart in a moment).

Note

If a Parent Contact has more than one Student, You can have multiple rows related to that Parent, one for each Contact-Student relationship.  Use the same Parent ID for each row pertaining to that Parent Contact. 

It is also a best practice for Contacts to have their own email address and not share with a spouse.  This enables features such as Contact Attributes and Parent Initiated Forms to be associated with the correct Parent Contact.

Step 2 - Select File

Click on your user name at the top right of EdSmart, and click Import Data from the drop down menu.

Select Type of Data as 'Parent contact list', and whether you want to enable Email and/or SMS text message notifications for the parents you are importing. (SMS notifications may need to be enabled for your account, so if the SMS is not option is not available please contact Support.

Click the green 'Select File' button. Pick your CSV file. The file will be automatically uploaded.

Step 3 - Map Fields

  1. You need to map the fields in your file to fields in EdSmart. For Contact records you must have:
  2. Parent Id (a unique identifier for the Parent)
  3. Student Id (unique identifier of the Student this Parent will be allocated to)
  4. First Name
  5. Last Name
  6. Email

Don't forget, if you are using Two Factor Authentication parents will also need a mobile phone number.

Using the drop down lists next to each field, select the correct field from your import file, then click Next.

Step 4 - Wait for the Import

A message will display telling you that the import is in progress. An email will be sent to you when the Parent data has been imported, normally this only takes a few minutes.