Guidelines for updating the bulk import file

When you update a bulk import file, you must follow some guidelines and meet certain requirements for the bulk updates to proceed.

The bulk import file must be a CSV file, which you can update using a spreadsheet tool, such as Microsoft Excel, or a text editor, such as Notepad. The tool you use to update the file determines how you see each command line:

In a text editor, the whole command is a single line with each value separated by a comma (with no blank spaces).
In a spreadsheet tool, each value for a single command is included in its own cell.

In either case, consider the following list of requirements for the file:

Start every command on a new line.
Start every command with the appropriate command name.
Include all information for a command on a single line.
For the create command, the middle name is the only optional variable. If the user doesn't have a middle name:
- When using a spreadsheet tool, leave the cell empty.
- When using a text editor, omit the value leaving two consecutive commas.
If you're working in a text editor, include a comma after every value except the last value in a row.
If you're working in a text editor, remove all spaces, including spaces before and after commas for every command.
If you start from a sample file, remove all angle brackets (<>).
To know how to download a sample file see Download a bulk import sample file.

For more details and examples on the commands you can include in a bulk import file, see Commands available to include in a bulk import file.