How Do I Create a CSV for a User Upload?
Last updated: November 12, 2026
A well-built CSV file is the difference between a clean user upload and a page of errors. The easiest starting point is an export of your current users, but you can also build the file from scratch as long as it follows a few formatting rules.
Required permissions:
The Users: Edit: Can Edit All Users permission is required to export any user from the directory.
The Users: Edit: Can Edit Subordinate Users permission is required to export the users you manage from the directory.
The Users: Create permission is required to upload a user CSV.
Start from a User Export
Go to Admin --> People --> Users. The Directory tab will open.
Optional: If you want to update only a select Group of users, use filters to narrow the list of employees who should be updated.
Click on Actions and select Export CSV. The file will download right away and will include only the users you have access to.
Open the file and update the user information. Delete any columns you don't need, but keep the Email column.
Save the file in CSV format.
Build a CSV from Scratch
Any user upload CSV must follow the formatting rules below:
Header row: The first row must hold a column name for each column, such as First Name, Last Name, Email, Time Zone, Manager, Title, Start Date or Is Active. Names that match an Ambition field will be mapped for you.
One user per row: Every row below the header must be a single user.
Email: Every row needs an email address. Ambition uses it to match each row to a user, and rows without one will be skipped.
Manager: Enter the manager's email address.
True/False columns: Enter True or False for activation and permission set columns like Is Active, Is Manager and Is Org Admin.
Dates: Use the year-month-day format, such as 2026-01-15.
Groups: Enter Group names exactly as they appear in Ambition, under a column for each Group Type (for example, Role Membership).
If assigning both Group members and managers, have a separate column for each of the Group membership assignments and Group manager assignments, such as Nashville HQ Membership and Nashville HQ Manager.
File type and size: Save the document as a CSV file of 10 MB or less.
Remove Leftover Formatting
Any column or row with formatting in it counts as part of the file, even if it has no visible text or column header, and can cause issues with your upload.
Select every column to the right of your last column of user information, right-click and choose Delete. Clearing the cells isn't enough.
Select every row below your last user, right-click and choose Delete.
Save the file in CSV format again. Only the rows and columns that hold user information should remain.