Import Staff
Use Import Staff when an admin needs to create or update many staff accounts from a spreadsheet. The importer validates each row before saving so role, library, email, phone, date, password, and image issues can be corrected first.
The import screen is available from Settings > Staff Accounts > Import Staff.
Add screenshots of the Import Staff popup: upload area, template download, validation preview table, row error list, progress area, and completed report.
Before You Start
Prepare these first:
- Create staff roles in Settings > Staff Roles.
- Create libraries in Settings > Library Manager.
- Confirm the organization country code and date format.
- Prepare optional profile images in a ZIP file.
Download The Template
- Open Settings > Staff Accounts.
- Click Import Staff.
- Click Download sample template.
The template includes supported headers, a guidance row, and one example row. Row 2 is ignored during import.
How Column Headers Are Matched
The first row is the header row. Libcodesk reads each header, normalizes it, and matches it to a supported staff field.
- Column order does not matter.
- Header matching is not case-sensitive.
- Spaces and underscores are handled where supported.
- Supported aliases are detected automatically, so
Photo,Image, andProfile Imagecan point to the same staff image field. - Extra unsupported columns are ignored safely.
- Use clear English headers for import mapping. Data values can still be multilingual.
Supported Header Keywords
| Field | Recommended Header | Accepted Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Staff ID | Staff ID | staff_id, employee id, employee_id, employee no, emp id, emp code |
| Name | Full Name | name, staff name, employee name |
| e-mail, official email, mail | ||
| Dialing Code | Dialing Code | country code, phone code |
| Country | Country | country name |
| Country ISO | Country ISO | iso, iso code |
| Phone | Mobile Number | phone, mobile, contact number, contact no |
| Designation | Designation | job title, title, position |
| Date of Joining | DOJ | joining date, joining_date, date of joining, date_of_joining |
| Role | Role | staff role, role name |
| Libraries | Libraries | library, library name, library access |
| Status | Status | account status |
| Password | Password | temporary password, temp password |
| Photo | Photo | image, profile image, profile photo, photo filename |
Validate And Import
- Select the staff spreadsheet.
- Optionally select the profile image ZIP.
- Choose import mode.
- Click Validate.
- Review the preview table.
- Fix rows with errors and retry validation, or import valid rows.
Rows with multiple errors show them as a numbered list.
Handling Import Errors
Use the preview as the working checklist. Import becomes much smoother when you correct the spreadsheet first, then validate again.
How To Read The Preview
| Preview Status | Meaning | What To Do |
|---|---|---|
| OK | The row passed validation. | It can be imported. |
| Warning | Optional data has an issue. | Review the warning; missing optional images are common. |
| Error | Required or unsafe data is wrong. | Fix the row and validate again. |
Common Errors And Fixes
| Error | Why It Happens | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Missing name | Full Name is blank. | Fill the staff name. |
| Invalid email | Email is blank, malformed, or already used. | Use a valid unique email. |
| Duplicate Staff ID | Staff ID appears twice or already exists. | Use a unique Staff ID or clear it if not required. |
| Duplicate phone | Phone number already exists or appears twice in the file. | Correct the phone number. |
| Phone includes country code | The country code is typed inside the phone number. | Keep the dialing code in Dialing Code and the local number in Mobile Number. |
| Role not found | Role name does not match an existing role. | Create the role first or correct the Role cell. |
| Unmatched library | Library name does not exist. | Correct the name or leave Libraries blank for main library access. |
| Invalid DOJ/date | Date does not match organization date format. | Use the format shown in the import popup. |
| Image missing or invalid | Photo filename is not found, corrupted, or unsupported. | Add a valid JPG, JPEG, PNG, or WEBP image, or clear Photo if optional. |
Smooth Import Workflow
- Create roles and libraries before importing.
- Download a fresh template.
- Test with a small staff file first.
- Validate and fix all blocking errors.
- Retry validation after correcting the spreadsheet.
- Import valid rows.
- Keep the import report for failed rows and retry only corrected rows.
Common Validation Rules
- Staff name and email are required.
- Role must match an existing staff role.
- Blank Libraries gives access to the main library.
- Unmatched library names block that row.
- Dates must match the organization date format.
- If dialing code is blank, the organization country code is used.
- Do not type the country code again inside the phone number.
Do And Don'ts
- Use the template headers exactly when possible.
- Keep role and library names consistent with the app.
- Use Excel for multilingual staff names and addresses.
- Check the import report after completion.
- Don't include unsupported files inside the image ZIP.
- Don't ignore duplicate email, phone, or Staff ID errors.
- Don't mix different date formats in one spreadsheet.
- Don't import staff before creating the roles they need.
FAQ
Can extra spreadsheet columns be included?
Yes. Unsupported columns are ignored safely. Recognized fields still validate and import.
What happens if Libraries is blank?
The staff account receives access to the main library by default.
Can images be inside folders in the ZIP?
Yes. The importer scans nested folders and matches image filenames case-insensitively.
Can I import staff without images?
Yes. Profile images are optional for staff import.