Articles on: Setting up your event

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.


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.


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 for individual divisions only. For mixed divisions, see the Mixed divisions: team & individual 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 or Team divisions Surf Life Saving 



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 or Team & Individual divisions Surf Life Saving 


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


Download our advanced import template CSV file here, 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.

  1. Click Select file and choose the CSV file you prepared.
  2. Select the header row of your CSV file and click Next.
  3. 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.

  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.


Can I update entries I’ve already imported?

Yes. See Updating existing athlete entries via an import.


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