The Participant Import wizard lets you add, update, or remove large numbers of participants from a session using a CSV or Excel file. The import performs a differential sync — participants not found in the file can optionally be removed, and existing participants are updated rather than duplicated.
Required role: Session Manager or Participant Manager
Access from the Participants page by clicking Import in the action menu.
Your file must meet these requirements:
.csv) or Excel (.xlsx)The tool supports differential updates — if you're re-importing to sync records, participants not in the file can automatically be removed (see Delete Missing Attendees below).
The import wizard has five steps:
Drag your CSV or Excel file into the upload area, or click "Select file" to browse.
The file uploads immediately. When the upload is complete, the wizard automatically advances to the Map Fields step.
Only one file can be uploaded at a time. The upload accepts
.csvand.xlsxfiles.
On this step, you connect the columns in your file to the fields in HealthForms.io.
The wizard reads your file's column headers and shows them in a dropdown for each HealthForms.io field. Where a column name exactly matches a field name, it pre-selects automatically — review and adjust as needed.
For each field, select the matching column from your file, or leave it blank to skip that field.
| HealthForms.io Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| First Name | Yes | |
| Last Name | Yes | |
| Email Address | Yes | |
| Mobile Phone Number | No | |
| Member ID | No | Organization member ID — used to match participants across sessions |
| Attendee ID | No | Session-specific participant ID |
| Group | No | Assigns participants to a named group in this session |
| Form Packet | No | Assigns participants to a form packet |
| Invitation Send On Date | No | Schedules the invitation email; blank = send immediately |
At the bottom of the Map Fields form is a "Delete Missing Attendees" checkbox:
Use "Delete Missing Attendees" carefully — it permanently removes participants and cannot be undone from this wizard.
Clicking "Process Preview" runs a dry-run import: the system processes your file exactly as if it were importing, but makes no actual changes. This lets you review what will happen before committing.
A progress bar shows the dry run progressing from 0% to 100%. The status message updates as records are processed.
When processing completes, a "Go to Preview" button appears.
The preview grid shows every row from your file with the action that will be taken:
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Row # | Row number from your file (sorted ascending) |
| Result | What will happen: Add, Update, Remove, or Skip |
| Reason | Why a row was skipped or has an error |
| Member ID | The member ID value from the file |
| Attendee ID | The attendee ID value from the file |
| First Name | First name |
| Last Name | Last name |
| Email address | |
| Mobile Phone | Mobile phone number |
| Group | Group assignment |
| Invitation Send On Date | Scheduled invitation date |
The header bar shows totals: Add: N, Update: N, Remove: N, Skip: N.
Use the header filters to view only rows with a specific result. If you see unexpected results:
When you're satisfied with the preview, click "Continue Import" to run the actual import.
After clicking "Continue Import," the system performs the actual import. A progress bar shows real-time progress.
When the import finishes (100%), a "Go to Summary" button appears.
The Summary page shows the final results of the completed import.
The header bar shows totals: Added: N, Updated: N, Removed: N, Skipped: N.
The grid shows the same columns as the Preview grid, now with the actual result of each row. Skipped rows show a reason.
Click "Back To Manage" to return to the Participants grid, which now reflects the imported participants.
Make sure your file is a .csv or .xlsx file. Other formats (.xls, .ods, .numbers) are not supported. If the file is very large, the upload may take a moment.
Auto-mapping matches column header names exactly (case-insensitive). If your columns have slightly different names (e.g., "First" instead of "First Name"), you'll need to map them manually from the dropdown on the Map Fields step.
Check the "Reason" column in the Preview grid. Common causes:
"Delete Missing Attendees" was checked on the Map Fields step. Participants in the session but not in the file are flagged for removal. If you didn't intend this, click "Select Another File" to restart without that checkbox.
There is no automatic undo. If participants were incorrectly added, update or delete them individually from the Participants page. If a large number need to be removed, you can run another import with the correct file.
Q: How do I import participants from a spreadsheet? A: On the Participants page, click "Import" in the action menu. Upload your CSV or Excel file, map the columns to HealthForms.io fields, review the preview, then click "Continue Import." The file must include First Name, Last Name, and Email Address as required columns.
Q: What file formats does the import support?
A: CSV (.csv) and Excel (.xlsx) files. The first row must be column headers.
Q: Will the import overwrite existing participants? A: Yes — if a participant with a matching email address already exists in the session, the import updates their record with the new data. It does not create duplicates.
Q: What does "Delete Missing Attendees" do? A: When checked, any participant already in the session who is NOT in the import file will be removed. Leave it unchecked if you only want to add or update participants without removing anyone.
Q: Can I preview the import before it runs? A: Yes — clicking "Process Preview" on the Map Fields step runs a dry run. You can see every row and the action that will be taken (Add, Update, Remove, Skip) before committing. Only clicking "Continue Import" on the Preview page makes actual changes.
See the Glossary of Terms for definitions of terms used in HealthForms.io.