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Import athletes to a division's seed list

You can import athletes or teams into one division’s seed list by uploading a spreadsheet. To import all divisions in an event at once, see Importing your athlete list or Importing your teams list for team events.


Must knows

  • Name is the only required column. You’re importing into one division, so you don’t need a Division column.
  • Team divisions need a team column. Team divisions are available for Surfing and Surf Life Saving only.
  • Add an Email column to link entries to accounts. Each athlete is linked to that user, who can then follow and manage their entries.
  • Use a parent or guardian’s email for athletes under 13. Athletes under 13 can’t hold their own Liveheats account.
  • You’re responsible for the data you import. Make sure you’ve collected athlete details with consent, including a parent or guardian’s consent for athletes under 13.


How to format your spreadsheet for import


Individual divisions

Field

What to include

Name

One “Name” column, or separate “First Name” and “Last Name” columns


Team divisions (Surfing and Surf Life Saving only)

Field

What to include

Name

One “Name” column, or separate “First Name” and “Last Name” columns

Tag team name (Surfing)

The name of the tag team

Team (Surf Life Saving)

The name of the relay team


Optional columns

You can also include these, in any order:

Field

What to include

Email (recommended)

The athlete’s email, or a parent or guardian’s email for athletes under 13. Links the entry to their Liveheats account.

DOB

Date of birth in yyyy-mm-dd format (e.g. 1995-07-04). How to change the date format in Excel

Seed

Seed number. You can also add seeds in Liveheats later

Nationality

The athlete’s nationality

Team (Club for Surf Life Saving)

Shown under the athlete’s name on public pages. More about the Team field

Bib

The athlete’s bib number. You can also add bibs in Liveheats later

Custom fields

Any custom fields you have active


Click here to copy a template file with optional fields. You can delete any columns that are not relevant to your seed list.



How to use the import athletes feature


To import athletes to a division's seed list:


  1. Go to the division, then Seed list.
  2. Select Import athletes (or Import teams for a team division) to open the import wizard.
  3. Click Select file and choose the spreadsheet you prepared.
  4. Select your spreadsheet’s header row, then select Next.
  5. Match each column in your spreadsheet to its Liveheats field using the dropdowns. Some may be matched for you.

Surf Life Saving organisations: match your club column to Club. Everyone else selects Team.

  1. Select Next, then review the data carefully.
  2. Select Confirm, review the final message, then select Import entries.



Common questions


Do athletes get notified when I include their email?

Yes. They get an email letting them know they can manage their profile on Liveheats. If they don’t have an account yet, they’re invited to set one up.


I imported an under 13 athlete with their own email. What now?

If the athlete tries to set up an account from the invite, they’ll get a link to send to their parent or guardian instead. You can also link their parent or guardian’s email. See Linking a user to an athlete as a Director.

Updated on: 23/10/2026