You can use the CSV upload feature to add multiple users to your Pencil Spaces institution at once. This saves time when youâre setting up a new institution or adding a large group of students, teachers, or admins.
The process has two main steps: first, prepare your CSV file with the required user information, then upload it through Profiles in Pencil Spaces.
Creating your CSV file
Before uploading users in bulk, youâll need to prepare a CSV file that contains their account information and roles.
đĄ Pro tip: Weâve created a Google Sheets template with the required columns to make this process easier for you! You can use the template as a starting point, rather than creating the spreadsheet structure from scratch.
To use the template:
Click Open Template below.
In Google Sheets, make your own copy by going to File â Make a copy.
Add your usersâ information to your copy of the template.
When youâre finished, export the spreadsheet as a CSV file by selecting File â Download â Comma Separated Values (.csv).
Youâll then be ready to upload the CSV to Pencil Spaces by using the instructions below.
What information should the CSV contain?
Your CSV should include the following information for each user.
Required fields:
Name: The userâs full name.
Email: The email address the user will use to access Pencil Spaces.
Role: The role you want to assign to the user. You can select from:
Institution Admin: Can manage users within your institution, access analytics, recordings, reports, and manage admin-level institution settings.
Teacher: Can start and attend calls and access teacher-level features within the institution.
Student: Can attend calls and view their Schedule. Cannot create their own Spaces.
Ensure that you assign each user the appropriate role, as different roles provide different levels of access within your institution.
For more information about altering roles or removing users from your institution after theyâve been added, see our guide: How do I manage the people in my institution?
Optional fields:
Password: The password that you want to assign to the user.
Passwords must contain at least 8 characters.
If you leave this field blank, the user will be prompted to create their own password when they sign in for the first time.
Sites: The site or sites you want to assign to the user, if your institution has Sites enabled.
You can assign multiple sites by separating them with commas.
Institution Admins do not need to be assigned to a site.
All other users must have a site assigned if Sites are enabled for your institution.
For more information about setting up Sites for your institution, read our guide: How do I set up and use Sites?
Export your spreadsheet as a CSV
Once youâve entered all the required information, export your spreadsheet as a Comma Separated Values (.csv) file.
If youâre using Microsoft Excel, see Microsoftâs guide to saving a workbook in CSV format. Alternatively, if youâre using Google Sheets, see Googleâs instructions for downloading a spreadsheet as a CSV file.
Once your CSV file is ready, you can upload it to your institution.
Uploading your CSV file
Once your CSV is prepared, you can upload it through the People section of your institution.
1. Open People
From the Pencil Spaces home screen, click People.
Note: If you donât see People, you may not have the permissions or subscription required to manage users. Contact your Institution Admin or Pencil Spaces Support if youâre unsure.
2. Open the user invitation options
Click Invite User in the upper-right corner of the screen.
Note: If you donât see the Invite User button, you may not have the permissions required to invite users. Contact your Institution Admin to check your role and permissions.
3. Upload your CSV
Click Upload CSV, then select the CSV file you prepared earlier.
Pencil Spaces will check the information in your file before the users are added.
4. Review any missing or incorrect information
If your file is missing required information or isnât formatted correctly, Pencil Spaces will prompt you to provide or correct the necessary information.
Review the information carefully and fill in any missing fields before continuing.
5. Invite the users
Once all required information has been provided, click Invite to add the users to your institution.
Before completing the process, you can also choose whether to send the new users an automated welcome email with information about getting started with Pencil Spaces.
Once youâve clicked Invite, the users will be added to your institution.
Need more help?
If you have trouble preparing your CSV file or uploading users to your institution, please contact our Pencil Spaces Support team. Weâre available 24/7 and will be happy to help.
For more details on how to access our live support team, see our guide: How to access 24/7 live support.