Add or update many speakers at once from a CSV file, and export the current speaker list as a CSV file sent to your email.

Before you start

You need to be an organization admin or an event admin.
The Speakers feature must be active. If Content > Speakers shows Speakers feature is not active, select Activate.
Save the file as CSV with UTF-8 encoding. The admin panel reads the file in your browser and detects the column separator.
The CSV can't set Highlight order, custom fields or session links. Set those in the speaker profile or in the session editor.

Where to find it

Content > Speakers in the admin panel. The Import speakers and Export speakers buttons are in the page header.

Prepare the CSV file

The import reads these columns. Only First name is required. Column order does not matter when you map the columns.

Column	What it does	Default
`Id`	Brella's speaker ID. Leave empty for new speakers. Fill it to update an existing speaker.	empty
`External Id`	Your own ID for the speaker, for example from a registration system. Unique within the event. Also used to find an existing speaker.	empty
`First name`	Required.	—
`Middle name`		empty
`Last name`		empty
`Honorific`		empty
`Job title`	Shown as Title in the profile.	empty
`Company name`		empty
`Bio`	Plain text. A Brella export contains rich-text data here; both are accepted.	empty
`Photo URL`	Link that returns the image file itself, not a web page. JPG, PNG, GIF or WebP, up to 5 MB.	empty
`Position`	Number for Speaker order. 0 or higher. Used in the apps only when Display order in apps is Custom order.	empty

For Photo URL, use Get a direct link to an image. Open the link in a private browser window. It must show the image without asking you to sign in.

Two ways to get a file with the right headers:

CSV template: the link in the import window downloads speakers_template.csv. It lacks the Position column, so the admin panel does not map its columns automatically. Add a Position column to the file, or map the columns by hand in Map columns.
A Brella export: contains all 11 columns, so its columns map automatically. Use it to update existing speakers.

Import speakers

Open Content > Speakers and select Import speakers.
Upload file: select Click or drag a file to this area to upload and choose the CSV. Select Next step.
Map columns: for each speaker field, choose the CSV column that holds it. Fields from a matching file are already mapped. Select Next step.
Preview: check the row count and the table. Keep Exclude CSV header row from imported data ticked if the first row is the header.
Select Import.

Map columns step with the Id row locked and the Position row visible

Preview step with the row count, the Exclude CSV header row checkbox and the preview table

The import runs in the background. The message Import started. Speakers will be added shortly. appears, then Speakers imported successfully when it finishes. The speaker table reloads on its own.

If some rows fail, a Failed to import speakers dialog lists each error. Brella also sends you an email with the subject Speaker import for <event name> and a link to the import's result page. Rows without errors are still imported.

Failed to import speakers dialog showing “First name can't be blank.” and OK

How rows are matched

A row with an Id updates that speaker. If no speaker in this event has that ID, the row fails with Speaker not found with ID <id>.
A row without an Id but with an External Id updates the speaker with that external ID, or creates a new speaker if none exists.
A row with neither creates a new speaker.
In Map columns, the Id row is locked (padlock icon). A Brella export maps it automatically. For other files, select the padlock to unlock the row, then choose the column.
Two rows with the same Id or External Id in one file: the second row fails.
On an update, the photo is downloaded again only when the file name in Photo URL changed.

Export speakers

Open Content > Speakers.
Select Export speakers. The message Your export will be delivered by email shortly. appears.
Open the email from Brella with the subject Brella admin report. The attached ZIP file contains <event-name>-speakers.csv.

The export has these columns, in this order: Id, External Id, First name, Middle name, Last name, Honorific, Job title, Company name, Photo URL, Bio, Position.

To update speakers in bulk: export, edit the rows you want to change, delete the other rows, save as CSV and import the file. Keep the Id column so the rows update existing speakers.

Limits

First name is the only required column.
External Id must be unique within the event.
Position must be a whole number, 0 or higher.
Photos: JPG, PNG, GIF or WebP, up to 5 MB, reachable by direct URL.
Not in the CSV: Highlight order, custom fields, session links. Set Highlight order in the profile or through the Core API field highlight-position. Link sessions in the session editor.

Troubleshooting

The columns are not mapped after uploading the CSV template
The template has no Position column, and automatic mapping needs all 11 headers. Map each field by hand in Map columns, or add a Position header to the file.

Speaker not found with ID <id>
The Id value is not a speaker of this event. Clear the Id cell to create a new speaker, or use the ID from a fresh export.

A row with External ID <value> has been processed in this import already.
The file has two rows with the same External Id. Keep one.

First name can't be blank.
The row has no First name. Fill it in or remove the row.

Photo content type <type> is not allowed
The Photo URL does not point to a JPG, PNG, GIF or WebP file. Use a direct link to the image file.

Couldn't upload the CSV file. Please, check that is formatted correctly.
The file is not a CSV the browser can read. Save it again as CSV (UTF-8) from your spreadsheet program.

Import and export speakers