Messenger: Upload Contacts

Scope

Steps to import contacts with a spreadsheet.

Instructions

1. Go to Tools > Contacts > Upload Data.

   • Note: This tool is not available with any User Profile and requires the Upload Data role. Read our guides for further information: Messenger: User Roles and Profiles / Messenger: Edit User Roles.

2. This page shows a list of previous uploads with the following data:

• • Date: The date and time of the upload.

  • Status: Whether the upload was Processed, Uploaded, or Failed.

  • Size: The number of kilobytes (KB) the file used.

  • FileName: The name of the file that was uploaded (including the unique identifier applied by the system).

3. Go to Click here to download the file template and instructions.

4. This will download a spreadsheet containing three sheets - Contacts, Relationships, and Instructions – and default examples of students, parents, and staff.

   • Note: Do not rename, move, or delete these sheets.

5. The Contacts sheet is where you add the data for the students, parents, and/or staff you are adding into Messenger. It contains the following columns:

• • ID: This is a unique ID for the contact. This can be any number format you wish, and we recommend including letters as well as numbers. It is mandatory.

    • Note: If you upload any contacts with the same ID in this or future uploads, one contact will be overwritten by the other.

  • Surname: This is the last name of the contact. It is mandatory.

  • Forename: This is the first name of the contact. It is mandatory.

  • Mobile-Phone: This is the mobile phone number of the contact. This will be used when sending messages via SMS to Mobile/Voice to Mobile.

  • Home-Phone: This is the home telephone number of the contact. This will be used when sending messages via Voice to Home.

  • Work-Email: This is work email address of the contact. This will be used when sending messages via Email.

  • Home-Email: This is the personal email address of the contact. This will be used when sending messages via Email.

  • Language: This is the home language of the contact.

  • ContactType: This is whether the contact is Student, Parent or Staff. It is mandatory.

    • Note: Ensure that you enter these contact types exactly as above i.e., do not include spaces and use the same capitalisation.

  • Gender: This is the gender of the contact. Use M for Male or F for Female.

  • Group-Reg: This is the registration group of the contact. If you enter a registration group that already exists in Messenger then the contact will be added to it when uploaded, otherwise it will create a new one.

  • Group-Year: This is the year group of the contact. If you enter a year group that already exists in Messenger then the contact will be added to it when uploaded, otherwise it will create a new one.

    • Note: Do not move or remove any of the columns or change the column headers.

6. Fill in the columns for each contact you need to add into Messenger.

   • Parent Example:

• • Student Example:

• • Staff Example:

7. The Relationships sheet is where you link together students with the parental contact related to them. It contains the following columns:

• • ParentID: This is the ID of a parent from the first sheet.

  • StudentID: This is the ID of the student related to that parent from the first sheet.

  • Relationship: This is the nature of the relationship type between the parent and the student e.g., Mother or Father.

  • Priority: This is the priority number of the parent in relation to the student e.g., the Primary Parental Contact will be 1.

    • Note: If you are uploading Staff, or students without parental contacts, you can leave the Relationships sheet blank.

8. Fill in the columns with each relationship in a separate row. A parent can have a relationship with more than one student and vice versa.

9. Save the file.

10. In Upload Data, click Browse > select the Excel file > Upload.

11. The new file will appear in the list with the status Uploaded.

12. These uploaded contacts will now be available for sending messages.

    • Note: You cannot retrieve copies of your previous uploads from Messenger, so we recommend keeping the original version saved for future reference or changes.

13. To update or delete these contacts, read our guide for further information: Messenger: Manage Contacts. However, the Group-Year and Group-Reg can only be updated with a new upload: Messenger: Update Year and Reg Groups for Uploaded Contacts.