Data Import
Overview
The data import tool lets you bulk-add scouts and adults from a CSV file. This is covered briefly in Getting Started → Import Your Data. This page provides additional detail on the CSV format and troubleshooting.
Required role: Administrator or Leader
CSV Format
Your CSV file must include a header row. Supported columns:
| Column Name | Required | Format | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
first_name | Yes | Text | Member’s first name |
last_name | Yes | Text | Member’s last name |
email | No | Email format | Required for adults who need login access |
type | Yes | scout or adult | Determines where the member appears |
birthdate | No | YYYY-MM-DD | Used for age-based features |
phone | No | Text | Any phone format accepted |
address | No | Text | Full street address |
city | No | Text | City |
state | No | Text | State abbreviation |
zip | No | Text | ZIP/postal code |
rank | No | Text | Current BSA rank name |
den | No | Text | Den or patrol name (must match existing subunit) |
Example CSV
first_name,last_name,email,type,birthdate,phone,rank,den
John,Smith,,scout,2014-03-15,,Tiger,Tiger Den
Jane,Smith,jane@email.com,adult,,,,
Bob,Johnson,,scout,2013-08-22,,Wolf,Wolf Den
Troubleshooting
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| “Invalid date format” | Use YYYY-MM-DD format (e.g., 2014-03-15) |
| “Duplicate detected” | A member with same first + last + email already exists |
| “Unknown rank” | Rank name must match exactly (e.g., “First Class”, not “1st Class”) |
| “Unknown den” | The den/patrol must be created before importing |
| “Missing required field” | first_name, last_name, and type are required for every row |
Tips
- Save your spreadsheet as UTF-8 CSV
- Create dens/patrols before importing if you want to assign scouts during import
- You can import in batches — duplicates are detected and skipped
- Review the results summary after each import to catch issues