title: CSV Import category: HR Integration tags: hr, csv, import, file-upload, field-mapping priority: Normal
CSV Import
CSV Import allows you to bring HR employee data into IdentityCenter from comma-separated value files. This is the simplest HR integration method, requiring no API connectivity to your HR system. It is ideal for initial data loads, organizations with legacy HR platforms, and scenarios where HR exports data on a regular schedule to a shared file location.
File Format Requirements
IdentityCenter expects CSV files to meet the following specifications:
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Encoding | UTF-8 (with or without BOM) |
| Delimiter | Comma (,) |
| Headers | First row must contain column headers |
| Line Endings | CRLF or LF accepted |
| Quoting | Fields containing commas, quotes, or newlines must be double-quoted |
| Escape Character | Double-quote within a quoted field is escaped as "" |
| Maximum File Size | 100 MB per upload |
| Maximum Records | No hard limit (tested up to 500,000 records) |
Example CSV File
EmployeeID,FirstName,LastName,Email,Department,Title,ManagerID,StartDate,TerminationDate
EMP001,John,Smith,john.smith@corp.com,Engineering,Software Engineer,EMP050,2024-06-15,
EMP002,Jane,Doe,jane.doe@corp.com,Sales,Account Executive,EMP051,2023-01-10,
EMP003,Bob,Wilson,bob.wilson@corp.com,Engineering,Engineering Manager,EMP100,2020-03-01,
EMP004,Alice,Brown,alice.brown@corp.com,Finance,Financial Analyst,EMP052,2025-11-20,
EMP005,Charlie,Davis,charlie.davis@corp.com,Sales,Sales Director,EMP100,2019-07-22,2026-03-31
Note: The TerminationDate field is empty for active employees and populated with a future or current date for departing employees.
Uploading a CSV File
Manual Upload
- Navigate to Administration > HR Import (
/admin/hr-import) - Select CSV Import as the source type
- Click Upload File and select your CSV file
- The file is uploaded and parsed; column headers are extracted for mapping
Network Share Import
For recurring imports, configure IdentityCenter to read CSV files from a network share:
| Setting | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Share Path | UNC path to the file location | \\fileserver\hr-exports\ |
| File Pattern | Filename pattern to match | employees_*.csv or hr_export.csv |
| Credentials | Service account with read access to the share | CORP\svc-identity |
| Archive Processed | Move processed files to an archive folder | Yes |
| Archive Path | Where to move processed files | \\fileserver\hr-exports\archive\ |
Column Mapping
After uploading or selecting a CSV file, the column mapping interface appears. This is where you map each CSV column to an IdentityCenter identity field.
Required Mappings
These fields must be mapped for the import to proceed:
| IdentityCenter Field | Purpose | CSV Column Examples |
|---|---|---|
| EmployeeID | Unique identifier for identity matching | EmployeeID, EmpNo, PersonnelNumber |
| FirstName | Identity first name | FirstName, GivenName, First_Name |
| LastName | Identity last name | LastName, Surname, Family_Name |
Recommended Mappings
These fields are not strictly required but are strongly recommended for lifecycle automation:
| IdentityCenter Field | Purpose | CSV Column Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Primary email address | Email, WorkEmail, EmailAddress | |
| Department | Department assignment (drives Mover detection) | Department, Dept, DeptName |
| Title | Job title (drives Mover detection) | Title, JobTitle, Position |
| ManagerEmployeeID | Manager relationship (must match another EmployeeID) | ManagerID, SupervisorID, ReportsTo |
| StartDate | Hire date (drives Joiner trigger) | StartDate, HireDate, DateOfHire |
| TerminationDate | Departure date (drives Leaver trigger) | TermDate, EndDate, TerminationDate |
Optional Mappings
| IdentityCenter Field | CSV Column Examples |
|---|---|
| MiddleName | MiddleName, MiddleInitial |
| Office | Location, OfficeLocation, Site |
| Phone | Phone, WorkPhone, Telephone |
| MobilePhone | Mobile, CellPhone, MobileNumber |
| EmployeeType | EmpType, WorkerType, EmploymentType |
| Division | Division, BusinessUnit |
| Company | Company, LegalEntity |
Mapping Interface
The column mapping screen displays:
- Left column -- CSV headers detected from your file
- Right column -- IdentityCenter fields available for mapping
- Sample data -- First 5 rows of each CSV column for reference
- Auto-detect -- IdentityCenter attempts to match column names automatically
Tip: Use the Auto-Detect feature first, then manually adjust any mismatched fields. Auto-detect matches on common column name variations.
Preview and Validation
Before committing the import, IdentityCenter provides a preview:
Validation Checks
| Check | Description | Severity |
|---|---|---|
| Missing Required Fields | Required fields contain empty values | Error |
| Duplicate EmployeeID | Multiple records share the same EmployeeID | Error |
| Invalid Date Format | Dates cannot be parsed (expected: YYYY-MM-DD, MM/DD/YYYY, DD/MM/YYYY) | Error |
| Invalid Email Format | Email does not match standard format | Warning |
| Missing Manager | ManagerID does not match any EmployeeID in the file | Warning |
| Orphaned Records | Records with no department or title | Warning |
Preview Summary
| Metric | Description |
|---|---|
| Total Records | Number of rows in the CSV (excluding header) |
| Valid Records | Records passing all validation checks |
| Errors | Records with validation errors (will be skipped) |
| Warnings | Records with warnings (will be imported with notes) |
| New Identities | Records not matching any existing identity |
| Updated Identities | Records matching existing identities with changed attributes |
| Unchanged | Records matching existing identities with no changes |
Review the preview carefully before proceeding. Click View Errors to see specific records that failed validation.
Handling Common Errors
Missing Required Fields
Error: Row 42 - EmployeeID is empty
Resolution: Ensure every row has a populated EmployeeID value.
Contact your HR team to correct the source data and re-export.
Duplicate Records
Error: EmployeeID "EMP001" appears in rows 15 and 203
Resolution: Remove or correct the duplicate before importing.
IdentityCenter processes the first occurrence and skips duplicates. To control which record wins, sort the CSV so the most current record appears first.
Date Format Issues
IdentityCenter accepts the following date formats:
| Format | Example |
|---|---|
YYYY-MM-DD |
2026-03-15 |
MM/DD/YYYY |
03/15/2026 |
DD/MM/YYYY |
15/03/2026 |
M/D/YYYY |
3/15/2026 |
YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS |
2026-03-15T00:00:00 |
Tip: ISO 8601 format (YYYY-MM-DD) is the least ambiguous and is recommended.
Character Encoding Issues
If names contain accented characters, diacritics, or non-Latin scripts, ensure the file is saved as UTF-8. Files saved in ANSI or Windows-1252 encoding may produce garbled characters.
Scheduling Recurring CSV Imports
For organizations that receive regular HR exports, configure automatic recurring imports:
Schedule Configuration
| Setting | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Source Path | Network share or local path | \\fileserver\hr\daily_export.csv |
| Schedule | How often to check for new files | Daily at 5:00 AM |
| Column Mapping | Saved mapping configuration | "Standard HR Mapping" |
| On Success | Action after successful import | Archive file, send notification |
| On Failure | Action after failed import | Send alert, retain file |
| Error Threshold | Maximum error percentage before aborting | 5% |
File Detection Modes
| Mode | Behavior |
|---|---|
| Fixed Filename | Always imports the same file (e.g., employees.csv) |
| Newest File | Imports the most recently modified file matching the pattern |
| All New Files | Imports all files modified since the last successful import |
Best Practices for CSV Hygiene
- Always include headers -- Never assume column order; use explicit headers
- Use consistent date formats -- Standardize on ISO 8601 (
YYYY-MM-DD) - Trim whitespace -- Leading and trailing spaces in fields cause matching failures
- Use UTF-8 encoding -- Avoids character corruption for international names
- Include all employees -- Each import should be a full snapshot, not just changes
- Populate TerminationDate only for departing employees -- Leave blank for active staff
- Validate before uploading -- Open the CSV in a text editor to verify format before importing
- Keep EmployeeID stable -- Never reuse EmployeeIDs for different employees
- Test with a small subset first, then import the full file once mappings are confirmed
- Archive processed files with timestamps for troubleshooting and audit
Next Steps
- REST API Import -- Upgrade to API-based HR integration
- SCIM 2.0 Integration -- Real-time provisioning with SCIM
- HR Integration Overview -- Return to the HR integration overview
- Lifecycle Management Overview -- How imported HR data drives automation
- Joiner Templates -- Automatic onboarding from HR imports
- Leaver Templates -- Automatic offboarding from termination dates