Import the categories, interests and intents for matchmaking from one CSV file instead of adding them one by one in the admin panel. The file replaces the whole category tree of the event.
Before you start
You need to be an organization admin or an event admin.
Warning: Importing replaces every category and interest the event has. Attendees' interest selections for anything not in the file are permanently deleted. The admin panel deletes the current tree before it sends the file, so a file that fails to import leaves the event with no categories. This also happens when matchmaking is turned off but the data still exists (the start page shows Re-enable matchmaking), and the start page shows no warning first. After attendees have joined, edit on Matchmaking > Overview instead: renaming a category or interest keeps the selections.
Nothing checks the file before the current tree is deleted. Check the format first.
Where to find it
Before matchmaking is turned on: Matchmaking > Import > Import CSV in the admin panel.
After matchmaking is turned on: Matchmaking > Overview > Import CSV.
The Start matchmaking wizard has no import step.
File format
The file has three columns and no header row. Save it as a comma-separated .csv file in UTF-8.
Column A (category) | Column B (interest) | Column C (intents) |
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Download the starter CSV, replace its example topics and save it as UTF-8 CSV.
To make the same starter file by copying text:
Copy the sample text into a plain-text editor.
Replace the example categories, interests and intents with your own. Keep the comma and quotation-mark structure.
Save it as
matchmaking.csvwith UTF-8 encoding. Check that the filename ends in.csv, not.txt.Review the rules that follow before importing.
Copy this starter text:
Marketing,,
,Content marketing,"networking, trading"
,SEO,networking
Funding,,
,Seed round,"investing, mentoring"
Rules:
A category is a row with text in column A. Columns B and C of that row are ignored.
An interest is a row with column A empty, the name in column B and the intents in column C. The interest belongs to the closest category row before it.
Column C holds one or more of these words:
networking,trading,investing,recruiting,mentoring. Capitalization and spaces around the words do not matter.Several intents go in one cell, separated by commas and enclosed in quotes:
"networking, trading". Without the quotes, only the first word is read.An empty column C gives the interest all five intents.
Words that are not in the list are ignored. If no word in the cell is in the list, the interest is imported with no intents, and attendees can't select it.
A category with no interest rows gets one interest named
Interestwith all five intents.Spaces at the start and end of names are removed. Empty rows are skipped.
Names that contain a comma must be in quotes:
"Sales, Marketing".A quotation mark inside a name must be doubled, and the name must be in quotes:
"The ""Best"" Tools".Do not put a space before an opening quote.
, "networking"makes the whole file unreadable.The order in the file is the order attendees see.
The words in column C are not the labels you see in the admin panel.
Word in the file | Label in the admin panel | What attendees choose |
| Networking | Network about this |
| Trading | Explore getting or buying, Offer or sell this |
| Investment | Get investment in this, Invest in this |
| Recruitment | Get a job in this, Offer a job in this |
| Mentoring | Find a mentor, Be a mentor |
Attendees see the labels in the third column when an interest has more than one option. An interest with only networking has one option, so a tap selects it and no label is shown.
Tip: Matchmaking > Settings > Export > Export matchmaking data > Export CSV downloads the current tree as brella-matchmaking-<event name> in this format. Export from an event that works and edit the file.
Import the file for a new event
Open Matchmaking.
Select Import.
Select Import CSV.
Under Matchmaking data, select Select a file or drag and drop here and choose your file. One file at a time.
If you also have an identity file, add it under Identity data (optional). See Set up identity: personas, industries and functions.
Select Import. The button is unavailable until a matchmaking file is chosen.
The message "Matchmaking data imported successfully" confirms the import. Matchmaking is turned on for the event.
Copy from another event
Use this route when the event has no categories yet. If it already has categories, see Troubleshooting.
On the matchmaking start page, select Import.
Select Use an existing event.
Under Choose an event, select the source event in your organization.
Select Import to copy its matchmaking and identity data.
Replace the categories of an event that has matchmaking
Open Matchmaking > Overview.
Select Import CSV.
Read the warning "Importing from a CSV file will override existing information. Click Cancel if this is not the intended action."
Under Matchmaking data, choose your file.
Select Import.
The current categories, interests and attendee selections are deleted, then the file is imported.
What attendees see
During onboarding, the Select your interests step lists the categories and their interests. An interest with one option is selected with a tap. An interest with several options opens a list of them, grouped by intent, and the attendee picks one or more. Attendees must select at least one interest to continue.
Limits
Two levels: categories and interests. Intents are flags on interests, not a third level.
Five intents, fixed by Brella. You can't add your own.
The importer sets no maximum number of categories or interests and no maximum name length.
The import only runs into an event with no categories. The admin panel clears the tree for you, which is what deletes the attendee selections.
A category can't have intents of its own.
Troubleshooting
CSV reading error
The file is not valid CSV. The most common causes are a space before an opening quote (, "networking") and a quotation mark inside a name. Remove the space, or double the quotation mark and put the name in quotes ("The ""Best"" Tools"), and import again.
Missing parent interest for <name>
The first row with text is an interest row (column A empty). Put a category row first.
Update conflict - event already has an interest tree
You selected Use an existing event while this event already has categories, for example because matchmaking was turned off but the data was kept. Export the matchmaking data from the other event (Matchmaking > Settings > Export) and import that file with Import CSV. This replaces the current categories.
Update conflict - event already has identity data
You selected Use an existing event while this event already has identity data. The categories were still copied. For the identity lists, see Set up identity: personas, industries and functions.
Every line became a category, and the names contain semicolons
The file is semicolon-separated. Open it in a text editor, replace every ; with ,, save, and import again. A semicolon-separated file that also contains quotes fails with "CSV reading error" instead.
A category named Category appears first
The file has a header row, which is read as a category. Delete it and import again.
An interest has no intents and attendees can't select it
Column C contained only words that are not in the list, for example Recruitment or Investment. Use recruiting or investing. To fix it without re-importing, open Matchmaking > Overview, select the interest, select intents under Intents, and select Save changes.
Only the first intent was imported
Several intents were written without quotes (,SEO,networking, trading). The second word lands in a fourth column, which is ignored. Put the intents in one quoted cell.
The import failed and Overview is empty
The admin panel deleted the old tree before sending the file. Fix the file and import again. The attendee selections from before the import are gone.