AdministrationReference article

Importing Data

Here is how files need to be formatted for each import type. Both class and student roster imports accept Excel or CSV files. You can download ready-made sample files below, or use the templates in the Import Data screen.

Class Import (Excel or CSV)

Goal: Create or update classes for a selected semester.

Required column

Required column for class import
Column	Purpose
Class ID	Unique code for the class (e.g., F26-BEG-MW). This is the matching key.

Aliases accepted: class id, classid, class code, code, id.

Optional columns

Optional columns for class import
Column	Purpose
Class Name	Display name. If omitted, Class ID is used.
Program	Program/track name.
Level	Skill level.
Location	Site/campus.
Room	Room number.
Meets On / Day	Meeting day(s).
Time / Start Time	Start time.

Aliases are accepted for all of these (for example course, title, site, center, weekday, meeting time).

Supported values

Level must be one of: Literacy, Pre-Beginner, Beginner, Low Beginner, High Beginner, Intermediate, Low Intermediate, High Intermediate, Advanced, Conversation, Citizenship. Unknown levels are saved as-is but flagged with a warning.
Time can be 7:00 PM, 7pm, 19:00, or an Excel time fraction.
Days can be combined with , , ; , / , & , or and — for example Monday & Wednesday or Tuesday, Thursday.
You can also use a one-column-per-level layout: a column named Beginner containing the start time, another named Intermediate, etc. The importer reads the level from the column header and the time from the cell.

Row outcomes

New — Class ID does not exist yet.
Update — Class ID exists and one or more fields changed.
Unchanged — Class ID exists and no fields changed.
Error — Missing Class ID, unreadable time/day, or duplicate Class ID in the same file.

Student Roster Import (Excel or CSV)

Goal: Add students to a specific class for a specific semester.

The roster import is additive and enrollment-focused. It adds new students and enrolls matched students into the class you selected — it never overrides or updates existing student records. Importing a roster will not overwrite names, emails, phones, or notes for students already in the system. To change a student's profile, use the student edit flow instead.

Required columns

Required columns for student roster import
Column	Purpose
First Name	Student's first name.
Last Name	Student's last name.
Enrollment Date	When the student enrolled.

Aliases accepted for names include firstname, given name, surname, family name. Aliases for enrollment date include enrolled on, start date, date.

Optional columns

Optional columns for student roster import
Column	Purpose
Email	Used to match against existing students.
Phone Number	Used to match against existing students.
Notes	Free-form notes.

Supported values

Enrollment Date can be 09/01/2026, 2026-09-01, Sep 1, 2026, or an Excel serial number.

Matching rules

Each row is matched to an existing student in this order:

1. Email — if exactly one student has the same email, the row matches that student.
2. Phone — if the row has no email and exactly one student has the same phone, the row matches that student.
3. Name — if the first and last name already exist but there is no email or phone match, the row is flagged for review. It never merges on name alone.
Duplicate emails within the same file are rejected.

What happens after matching

New student — A new students record is created with the row's data, then enrolled in the selected class.
Existing student — The existing student record is left unchanged; only a new enrollments record is created for the selected class.
Already enrolled — The matched student is already in this class — no change at all.
Needs review — The row is held until an admin chooses “create new” or picks the correct existing student.
Error — Missing required fields or unreadable date.

General tips

The first row must be headers.
Extra columns are ignored.
Column names are case-insensitive and punctuation-insensitive.
Downloadable templates are available in the Import Data screen for both import types.

Always review the row outcomes after importing. Rows flagged as Error or Needs review are skipped or held until you resolve them.

Download sample files

These samples are already formatted correctly and will import cleanly. Use them as a starting point: replace the example rows with your own data and keep the header row exactly as it is.

Class import sample

Five example classes across levels, with days, times, locations, and rooms.

Excel (.xlsx)CSV (.csv)

Student roster import sample

Example students with names, enrollment dates, emails, phone numbers, and notes.

Excel (.xlsx)CSV (.csv)

How to use these sample files

Import classes first, then rosters. Student rosters are imported into a class, so the class has to exist before you can add students to it.

Step 1 — Import the classes

Download the class import sample (.xlsx or .csv) above.
Open it and replace the example rows with your classes. Keep the first row of column headers unchanged.
In NNP Attendance, sign in as an Administrator and go to Import Data.
Choose the Class Import option and select the semester these classes belong to.
Upload your file into the class import upload area (drag and drop or click to browse).
Review the preview, then confirm the import.

Step 2 — Import the student roster

Download the student roster sample (.xlsx or .csv) above.
Replace the example students with your own, keeping the header row unchanged.
Back in Import Data, choose the Student Roster Import option.
Select the semester and then the class these students should be enrolled in — the roster file itself does not contain the class.
Upload the roster file in that screen's upload area.
Resolve anything marked Needs review, then confirm the import.

What success looks like

The preview lists every row from your file with no Error rows.
For the class sample: each row shows as New the first time, or Unchanged if you import the same file again.
For the roster sample: rows show as New student + new enrollment the first time, and Already enrolled if you import it again.
After confirming, a summary shows the counts of created and updated records.
The new classes appear in the class list for that semester, and the students appear on the class roster and on the attendance screen for that class.

If a row fails, fix it in your file and re-upload the whole file — rows that already imported successfully will come back as Unchanged or Already enrolled rather than being duplicated.

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