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Application Importing
Application Importing
Jackson Clarke avatar
Written by Jackson Clarke
Updated over a week ago

Use the Application Import feature to solves the following goals:

  • Make it easy to spot check data entry issues and fix them

  • Support for CSV and Google Sheets (Allowing you to collaborate with your OpenWater Support Team to create, update and confirm data is clean)

  • Import and update complete or incomplete data and let users complete

  • Bulk Import Large Files (e.g. for events filmed in person that need to be uploaded to our content gallery)

This Import feature is available to admins with the "Import" permission.



Import Applications

To import applications, first navigate to your program.


Under the Program Settings drop down menu, click Import Applications.

Click Generate CSV Template to open a popup that will allow you to select which fields you'd like to include in the Import.

The popup will allow you to choose the fields from the submission form to import to and allow you to deselect fields that are not required.

Please note that if the fields in the CSV need to match exactly with the fields in the system. For example, if you are using a phone number field note that the required format for the number is `+X XXX-XXX-XXXX.

And if you are using a multi select checkbox list, the required format is {{value1}},{{value2}}.

Additionally, if you are going to be updating previous submissions you must include the Application Code field and any required file upload fields. Other required submission form fields, if updating only, can be included or not in the CSV import at your discretion.

If you are inserting applications, do not include anything in the Application Code field. The system will assign the applications new codes when they are imported.

Once you've made your selections, click Download CSV Template at the top of the popup.

Once downloaded, open the template in a CSV Editor like Excel or Google Sheets. The template will include 2 lines, neither should be updated in the template directly, they can be updated while building your submission form.

The first line are your Field Aliases, these are how the backend of OpenWater refers to the fields.

The second line are your Field Labels, these are how applicants and reports see the fields.

Each subsequent line will be populated with a single entry's data.

It's recommended to add a single application's data to test your configuration. Once you've successfully imported a single application you can return and enter the rest of your data.

When your template is ready you can choose to upload it or enter the publicly accessible Google Sheet link (remove public access once the import is complete).

You can still collaborate with your OpenWater Support Team in a private sheet, you'll just need to export it to from Google Sheets and upload it directly.

By default, when importing Submissions as Finalized confirmation emails will be suppressed. If you'd like your applicants to receive these emails you can uncheck Suppress Emails.

From there you can choose to Insert New, Update Existing, or do a mix of both. You can also choose if you want to update the submitter / user data in the process (based on a user's email).

You're now ready to click Process. The system will detect errors and allow you to clean up to 50 rows. If you have more than 50 invalid rows, we suggest going back to the source data and cleaning it up.

The system will detect errors and allow you to clean up to 50 rows. Invalid rows will be highlighted in red. Hover over these fields for a more details error message.

From there you can choose to Insert New, Update Existing, or do a mix of both.

You're now ready to click Process.

If you have more than 50 invalid rows, we suggest going back to the source data and cleaning it up.

Once any errors have been corrected clicking Save will replace the Save button with a Finish Import button.

You can also import the following types of data:

  • Applicants

  • Judges / Reviewers

  • Judge Assignments

  • Sessions

  • Session Assignments (Sessions assigned to abstracts)

  • Categories

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