Add or update multiple users from a CSV file

Before people on your squad tin can sign in and utilize your system's Google services (for example, Google Workspace or Cloud Identity), they need a user account. If you have many new users, you tin add their accounts all at one time from a spreadsheet.

You tin besides update multiple existing accounts from a spreadsheet.

Before you begin

  • Make certain this is the right selection—Upload users with a spreadsheet if you're adding up to 150,000 users. However, if you have an LDAP server, such as Microsoft Active Directory, or have programming skills, we recommend other options for larger organizations. For details, go to Options for adding users.

    If you're updating user accounts, annotation that a spreadsheet tin include up to 200 existing users that are existence assigned new licenses.

  • (Annual Plan customers) Make sure yous accept plenty licenses—Before you add users, you might need to add together licenses to your account. Larn how to go more than licenses.
  • (Flexible Plan customers) Your subscription cost depends on how many users you take—Adding user accounts automatically increases your monthly payment.
  • (Google Workspace Business edition customers) You tin can add a maximum of 300 users. There is no minimum or maximum user limit for Enterprise plans.
  • Automatic licensing takes precedence—If you add a user to an organizational unit that has automated licensing turned on, the automatic licensing settings take precedence over the license you assign to the user in the CSV file. An error won't exist shown in the log file.
  • There might be unmanaged accounts—Check to come across if anyone you program to add together already has a Google Account. Then follow steps to avoid conflicts with those accounts. Go to Find and add together unmanaged users.
  • At that place might be visitor accounts—If users invite people outside your organization who don't take Google accounts to collaborate on Drive, they'll receive visitor accounts, in the formatvisitor's_username@your_domain.com. If you add together a user with the same username as a visitor business relationship, the account will be converted to a full Google Workspace business relationship. The business relationship will continue its current Drive file permissions. Acquire more nigh sharing documents with visitors.

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Add users from a spreadsheet

If you use a CSV file to create new accounts, the users do not receive a new user welcome email with their credentials. You have to send your new users their account credentials separately.

Tip: If you forget the new user'southward countersign, reset the countersign so email the new one to the user.

Step ane: Download the template file

  1. From the Admin console Home page, become to Users.
  2. At the top of the page, click Majority update users.

    Bulk update users is selected at the top of the user

  3. Click Download blank CSV template to download a comma-separated values (.csv) file.
  4. Open the CSV file in a spreadsheet application, such as Google Sheets or Microsoft Excel.

    The file has columns for the attributes that can announced in each user's profile. Profiles announced in the Admin panel and users' Contacts manager.

Step two: Enter users' information

  1. For each user you want to add together, enter the following required information in these columns in the spreadsheet:
    • Offset Proper noun
    • Last Name
    • Email Address—Use the format username@example.com
    • Password—Must exist at least viii characters.
    • Org Unit Path—Enter / (forward slash) to identify users in your top-level organizational unit. You lot might do this if you haven't set an organizational bureaucracy in the Admin panel.

      For column descriptions and formatting details, review the guidelines below.

      Your spreadsheet should look similar something like this:

      Sample of bulk upload users CSV file with entries in all required columns.

  2. (Optional) To require a user to reset their password when beginning signing in, in theChange Password at Side by side Sign-In cavalcade, enter TRUE. Otherwise, leave the column empty.
  3. (Optional) To specify boosted information, such every bit recovery emails, home addresses, or licenses, enter it in the remaining columns.

Step iii: Relieve the file

After you've filled in the spreadsheet, salvage it every bit a CSV file (.csv).

Notes:

  • Maximum CSV file size is 35 MB.
  • Maximum number of records per file is 150,000.

    If your file is larger or has also many records, open it in your spreadsheet program, split the table into separate files, and save each 1 every bit a CSV file. Make sure you include the column headings row in all CSV files.

  • To upload non-ASCII or double byte usernames, first salve the CSV file in UTF-eight, including BOM.

Pace 4: Upload the file

  1. At the peak of the Users page, click Bulk update users.
  2. Click Attach CSV file.
  3. Scan to the location on your figurer and attach the CSV file.
  4. Click Upload. If in that location's an mistake, enter the missing information in your spreadsheet and upload the file again. For more information, go to Resolve mutual errors below.

    Your Tasks list opens automatically and shows the progress of the upload. In one case processing is consummate, you lot'll receive an email report.

    If there's a processing fault, download the log file from your Tasks list. For more than information, go to Resolve common errors below.

It tin take upwardly to 24 hours for new users to have admission to Google services and appear in the Directory. Learn more than about the Directory.

Follow spreadsheet format guidelines

General guidelines

If you want to... Follow these guidelines...
Enter multiple values in a column For multiple values in a single cavalcade, such as phone numbers and email addresses, separate them with a comma (merely no spaces)—for case: username1@domain.com,username2@domain.com
Enter values that include commas, with line breaks, or double quotes

Enclose the values in double quotation marks—for example, "123 Anystreet, Anytown"

Upload not-ASCII or double byte usernames Be sure to save the CSV file in UTF-8 so the usernames are readable.
Add more than columns You can enter information simply in the columns available in the downloaded file. You can't add new columns, such as those for custom attributes.
Upload existing users If you enter the email accost or email alias of an existing user in the Email Address cavalcade, the existing user'southward business relationship will exist updated with whatever changes you make to their information in the other columns.

Column reference

Required columns

Column Description/Format
Kickoff Name / Final Proper name A commencement name and concluding proper noun can each have upwards to sixty characters.
Email Accost The user's sign-in proper name. Enter the full email address: username@example.com
Password Passwords are instance sensitive. By default, a countersign must accept at least 8 characters. You can alter password requirements for your organization.

If you're updating existing users and you don't want to change their passwords, enter **** (4 asterisks).

If a Password Hash Part is likewise specified, the password column must contain the hashed password. For case, if you apply SHA-i and the hash of password abc is xyz, enter xyz in the Countersign column.

Org Unit Path

For placing users in an organizational unit.

If you haven't however set up an organizational hierarchy: Enter / (forwards slash) just to place all users in the top-level parent organizational unit. You tin can move users to other organizational units you create afterwards.

If yous've already ready an organizational hierarchy: Use the format in the following examples to place each user in an organizational unit—in either your elevation-level parent organizational unit of measurement or a child organizational unit below information technology.

Examples:

  • /(for the top-level parent– don't enter your domain proper name)

  • /Sales (for a child below the top-level parent)

  • /Students/First Grade

Optional columns

Column Format
Password Hash Function [Upload Only]

Specify one of the following supported hash functions:MD5, SHA-1, or crypt.

The Password column must contain the hashed password. For example, if you utilize SHA-1 and the hash of countersign abc is xyz, enter xyz in the Password column.

Tip: Y'all can find utilities on the web to generate hashed passwords using the supported hash functions.

Recovery Email and Recovery Phone

For providing recovery data used for login challenges.

  • Recovery email—An email address exterior of your domain.
  • Recovery phone—Must exist in the E.164 format. They must outset with the plus sign (+), followed by the country code, area lawmaking, and telephone number. Entries tin have a maximum of 15 digits. Case: +16505551212.

    Note: Recovery phone should exist unique for each user. If the same recovery phone number is used by multiple users, that number is automatically blocked for security reasons.

  • Employee ID—Some login challenges inquire users to enter their employee ID. The ID can contain numbers, letters, and symbols. For details, go to Add together employee ID equally a login challenge.
Work/Home Address If you include commas or line breaks in an address, enclose the address in double quotation marks—for case,"123 Anystreet, Anytown"
New Chief Email [Upload Only] For editing existing user accounts just. Specify a new primary e-mail address (username).
Building ID, Flooring Name, and Floor Section To enter this information, follow these guidelines.
Change Password at Side by side Sign-In To require a user to change their password the adjacent fourth dimension they sign in to their business relationship, enter TRUE. Otherwise, leave the column empty or enter FALSE.
New Status [Upload Only] For editing existing user accounts just. To archive or append a user, enter Archived or Suspended. To unarchive or restore a suspended user, enter Active.
New Licenses [Upload Simply]

For editing existing user accounts only. To assign a different license to a user, enter the SKU ID for the license. Separate multiple license IDs with commas—for instance:1010020020,Google-Bulldoze-storage-20GB,1010330002

A spreadsheet can include up to 200 users that are existence assigned a new license.

Resolve common errors

Errors when y'all upload your CSV file

Error Cause/Solution
File is empty Your file doesn't comprise whatsoever information.
Incorrect file format or unknown column name The columns in your file should exist titled First Proper noun [Required], Last Name [Required], E-mail Address [Required], Countersign [Required], and Org Unit Path [Required].
File must have the "column name" column A required column is missing.
Empty "cavalcade name" in row nn A column that requires information is empty in a specific row.

For example, you lot'll run across the error Empty "Org Unit of measurement Path [Required]" in row ii if you lot didn't enter the organizational unit in which you desire to place a user'south business relationship. Become to Org Unit Path higher up.

File is too large to upload The CSV file is over 35 MB or there are more than 150,000 records in the file. Open the file and divide the tabular array into separate files. Save each 1 as a CSV file. Make sure y'all include the column headings row in all CSV files.
Wrong number of columns in the row nn A column is missing for a specific row.
"E-mail Address [Required]" contains reserved username in row nn Certain accounts are reserved and can't be created—for instance, corruption and postmaster.
Action_Failed: User_LIMIT_EXCEEDED You reached the limit to add licenses to your Google Workspace edition, and then some users in your CSV file did non get a license.

Annotation: Starting from the tiptop row of your CSV file, Google Accounts are added until no more licenses are available.

Errors in the log file

Error Cause/Solution
ACTION FAILED: Validation An entry contains unsupported characters. For help, go to Username and grouping proper noun guidelines.
Activeness FAILED: UNKNOWN ERROR Most likely, a temporary error occurred. Endeavor uploading the CSV file once more, or uploading items in smaller batches. This error can besides occur if you've entered an incorrect domain name in a user'south email address (after the @ sign) in the Email Address column.
Activity FAILED: Bereft LICENSES Your arrangement's Google Account doesn't take enough licenses for all the new users in your CSV file. Accounts are added starting from the top row until there are no more than licenses bachelor. You lot tin buy more licenses and and then upload the remaining users in the CSV file.
ACTION FAILED: OU INVALID

This fault usually means ane of the following formatting errors:

  • The Org Unit of measurement Path column isn't formatted correctly.
  • One or more than organizational units you entered don't exist in the Admin panel. Brand sure the organizational unit of measurement names lucifer those in your organizational hierarchy in the Admin console.
ACTION FAILED: USER Proper name INVALID The e-mail accost (username) in the Electronic mail Address column isn't formatted correctly. Make sure you enter the user's full email address. Also check for spaces in the address.
Action FAILED: PERMISSION DENIED The user's email address in the Email Address cavalcade includes a domain name (after the @ symbol) that'south not associated with your organisation's Google Account. Brand certain y'all entered the domain name in the email address correctly.
ACTION FAILED: PASSWORD HASH FUNCTION INVALID The Password Hash Function column contains an incorrect hash function name.
ACTION FAILED: UPDATE USER LICENSES FAILED I or more SKU IDs in the New License cavalcade couldn't be updated for the user. Ensure that the SKU IDs are correct and the cavalcade is formatted correctly for multiple SKU IDs.
ACTION FAILED: ONLY VFE ALLOWED The user currently has a Vault Former Employee (VFE) license, but the New License column contains a SKU ID for a license other than the VFE. You can't add another license blazon to a user with a VFE license.
Activity FAILED: UNASSIGNABLE LICENSE The New License column contains a SKU ID for a production for which you don't take a subscription.
Activeness FAILED: MULTIPLE LICENSES IN Same Product The New License column contains multiple SKU IDs for the same production—for example, multiple Drive storage SKUs.
Activeness FAILED: REPEATED SKU ASSIGNMENTS FOR USER The New License column contains the same SKU ID 2 or more than times.
Activeness FAILED: SKU SWITCH RESTRICTED The New License column contains a SKU ID for a product that your current subscription doesn't let you upgrade or downgrade to.
ACTION FAILED: UPDATING DELETED USER The New License column contains a SKU ID, but the user account is deleted.

If you add a user to an organizational unit that has automated licensing turned on, the automatic licensing settings accept precedence over the license you assign to the user in the CSV file. An error won't be shown in the log file.

Update existing user accounts

Edit accounts with a spreadsheet

You tin can relieve time when you need to edit multiple accounts by downloading a list of accounts from the Admin console.

Before y'all begin

  • Any data in columns you can edit replaces existing data in the Admin console when you upload the file.
  • For columns y'all don't want to change, yous tin can either delete them (if the column isn't required), get out their information in the file, or delete their data.
  • If y'all delete all information from a cavalcade that'south not required, but leave the column in the spreadsheet, the existing information is non removed from the user'southward business relationship when you upload the file.
  • If y'all don't want to change a user's countersign, make certain the Password cavalcade contains the symbols **** (iv asterisks).
  • If you lot don't want to edit a specific user'southward information, you tin leave their row in the spreadsheet or remove it. If you remove all of a user's information in the file, their account is not deleted.
  • To change a user'due south username, enter the new email accost in theNew Primary E-mail cavalcade.
  • If y'all've changed the primary domain for your Google Workspace account, meet Rename user addresses in bulk later changing your principal domain for specific instructions.

To edit several user accounts

  1. From the Admin console Home page, go to Users.
  2. At the top of the page, click Bulk update users.

    Bulk update users is selected at the top of the user

  3. Click Download User Info In CSV File to download a comma-separated values (.csv) file with all user accounts.

    Your Tasks list opens automatically and shows the progress of the download.

  4. Under Your Tasks, click Download CSV.
  5. Open the CSV file in a spreadsheet awarding, such as Google Sheets or Microsoft Excel.

    The file has columns for the attributes in each user'south contour.

  6. Edit the information in the file.
  7. Later yous've filled in the spreadsheet, salvage it as a CSV file.
  8. At the meridian of the Users page, click Majority update users.
  9. Click Adhere CSV file.
  10. Browse to the location on your computer and adhere the CSV file.
  11. Click Upload.
  12. If at that place's an error, enter the missing information in your spreadsheet and upload the file again. For more data, go to Resolve common errors.

    Your Tasks listing opens automatically and shows the progress of the upload. Once processing is complete, you'll receive an email written report.

  13. If there'due south a processing error, download the log file from your Tasks list. For more information, go to Resolve common errors.

Sync user information with your LDAP server

If you have an LDAP server, such as Microsoft Active Directory, you tin can utilise Google Cloud Directory Sync to synchronize your Google users, groups, and shared contacts to lucifer the information in your LDAP server.

Want someone to do this for you? Get professional help with setup.

Related manufactures

  • Reset a user's password
  • Set password recovery for users
  • Individually add user accounts


Google, Google Workspace, and related marks and logos are trademarks of Google LLC. All other company and product names are trademarks of the companies with which they are associated.

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