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# Importing your athlete or teams list

Not using Liveheats for registration? You can import your whole event’s athlete or team list in one go by uploading a spreadsheet (CSV, XLS or XLSX). To import into a single division instead, see [Import athletes to a division’s seed list](https://help.liveheats.com/en/article/import-athletes-to-a-divisions-seed-list-1azldmc/).

**Must knows**
* **Name and Division are required.** Division names must exactly match the divisions in your Liveheats event.
* **Team divisions need a team column.** Team divisions are available for Surfing and Surf Life Saving only.
* **Import before you draw.** The **Import entries** option is available before the draw is created.
* **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.
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## How to save your athlete list as a CSV

To import your athletes into Liveheats, you'll need to upload a CSV (Comma Separated Values) file.

If you have your athlete data in a spreadsheet, save it as a CSV file. You can typically do this within your spreadsheet application (like Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets) by going to the **File** menu and selecting "Export as .CSV" or "Download as .CSV."

## How to format your CSV file for import

### Individual divisions

See: [Importing your athlete list](https://help.liveheats.com/en/article/importing-your-athlete-list-1hqvbgi/) for individual divisions only. For mixed divisions, see the [Mixed divisions: team & individual](#4-mixed-divisions-team-individual-available-for-surfing-and-surf-life-saving-only) section below.

### Team divisions (Surfing and Surf Life Saving only)

Your file needs these columns as a minimum:
| Field | What to include |
| ---- | ---- |
| Name | One “Name” column, or separate “First Name” and “Last Name” columns |
| Tag team name (Surfing only) | The name of the tag team |
| Team (Surf Life Saving only) | The name of the relay team |
| Division | Spelling of the division must exactly match the division name in your event |
| _(For Club / Event team name, see optional information below)_  |  |

| **Download Team division basic templates:** [Team divisions Surfing](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TWeH-M79JGfauu77wA9ZVaKb4cofMFJ_/view?usp=drive_link) or [Team divisions Surf Life Saving](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vLAWjrxhhcYY2RZ8sM-EPtwiks4O8Hsx/view?usp=drive_link) 


#### **Mixed divisions: team & individual** **_(Available for Surfing and Surf Life Saving only)_**

Use the same columns as above. Fill in the team column (Tag team name or Team) for team divisions and leave it blank for individual divisions.

| **Download our Mixed division basic import templates:** [Team & individual  divisions Surfing](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SdH8qKOEchkmaW76NyhowRd1TDfoZ_9l/view?usp=drive_link) or [Team & Individual divisions Surf Life Saving](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wnDtVWdwPSbhb0vYs7Ne040NFizMnGxC/view?usp=drive_link) 

#### 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](https://www.extendoffice.com/documents/excel/3289-excel-convert-date-to-yyyy-mm-dd-format.html) |
| 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](https://help.liveheats.com/en/article/displaying-additional-information-with-each-athlete-on-an-event-by-using-the-team-field-1sswzem/) |
| Bib | The athlete’s bib number. You can also add bibs in Liveheats later |
| Custom fields | Any [custom fields](https://help.liveheats.com/en/article/creating-custom-fields-10xsble/) you have active |

|| [Download our advanced import template CSV file here](https://res.cloudinary.com/liveheats-com/raw/upload/v1574297676/Advanced_event_import_n2wgsg.csv), which includes all optional fields. You can delete any columns that are not relevant to your athlete data.

## How to use the import feature

1. Go to the **Event Dashboard**.
2. In the **Divisions** section, before you draw, open the **three-dot** menu in the top right and select **Import entries** to open the import wizard.
![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/4/8/7/1/48714ddcbf925400/image_j2nw5y.png)
4. Click **Select file** and choose the CSV file you prepared.
5. Select the **header row** of your CSV file and click **Next**.
6. Match the columns from your CSV file to its Liveheats field using the dropdowns. Some may be matched for you.
**_Please note:_** _Surf Life Saving organisations: match your club column to_ _**Club**. Everyone else, select_ _**Team**._
![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/4/8/7/1/48714ddcbf925400/image_eghuii.png)
7. Select **Next**, then review the data carefully.
8. Select **Confirm**, review the final message, then select **Import entries**.

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# 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.

###### Can I update entries I’ve already imported?
Yes. See [Updating existing athlete entries via an import](https://help.liveheats.com/en/article/updating-existing-athlete-entries-via-an-import-including-bib-number-team-seed-bbm8av/).

###### 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](https://help.liveheats.com/en/article/linking-a-user-to-an-athlete-as-a-director-via-import-or-manual-link-1en5dxm/).