Prosper gives you the ability to upload member data directly into the platform. Whether you're onboarding your whole organisation at once via CSV or adding a few new starters individually, this guide walks you through both methods.
Who this is for: Administrators only
Read time: 6 minutes
Two ways to add members
- CSV bulk upload — the fastest way to add or update many members at once. Ideal for initial setup or large onboarding.
- Adding members one-by-one — best for adding individual new starters as they join.
Prerequisites
- You must be an Administrator.
- For CSV upload, you'll need your member data formatted to the Prosper template.
Part 1 — CSV bulk upload
Step 1 — Open the Dashboard
Navigate to People & Skills Finder in the menu and select Add Employees.
Step 2 — Get the CSV template
Import from CSV and either:
- Select example template to follow the correct formatting for populating a new CSV, or
- Download a CSV pre-populated for your organisation by selecting here.
Tip: Downloading the CSV pre-populated for your organisation is the easiest way to update existing members — it already contains your current data in the correct format.
Step 3 — Populate the CSV
The correct formatting must be followed exactly. If these instructions are not followed, the CSV upload will fail.
- Reporting fields cannot be removed or changed. If a field is not relevant, leave it blank — do not populate the field with "N/A".
- Date formatting must be followed exactly: DD/MM/YYYY.
- Mobile numbers must follow the correct format: drop the leading zero (0) and add the area code to the beginning of the number.
Step 4 — Import the members
- Select CSV File.
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Select your populated CSV file and Open, then Add employees.
Note — deleting members: Employees can be deleted from the platform by selecting the checkbox. This will delete any employees who do not exist in the CSV when imported. Use this option carefully — only when your CSV is the complete, definitive list of members you want in Prosper.
The following modal will appear for your confirmation.
A confirmation message will appear in Prosper, and a summary email will be sent when the upload is complete.
Please note: Members must be activated to receive notifications from Prosper. Refer to Filtering by Activation Status and Activating Members.
Part 2 — Adding members one-by-one
Step 1 — Open Add Employees
Navigate to People & Skills Finder, then Add Employees. Populate the member data in the fields.
Mandatory fields: First Name, Last Name, and Email are required for a successful member import.
Step 2 — Choose whether to activate
To activate the new member profile and send a welcome email with login details, check the Send Welcome Email box, then select Add Employees.
If you do not wish to activate and send a welcome email immediately, leave this box unchecked.
Note: Members must be activated to receive notifications from Prosper. Refer to Filtering by Activation Status and Activating Members.
Step 3 — Add multiple employees in one go
To add multiple employees at once, fill out the required fields, select Add Another Employee, and repeat Steps 1 and 2.
Choosing the right method
- Use CSV upload for initial setup, onboarding a whole site or team, or making bulk updates to existing members.
- Add one-by-one for individual new starters joining after your initial setup.
Tips and best practices
- Start from the template. Always populate the provided CSV template — formatting matters, and the template ensures your data imports cleanly. See Step 3.
- Treat the delete checkbox with respect. Selecting it removes anyone not in your CSV. Only use it when the CSV is the complete, intended member list — otherwise leave it unchecked.
- Decide on activation timing. Use the welcome email checkbox to control when members are activated. You might add members first and activate them later in a coordinated batch.
- Check the summary email. After a CSV upload, review the summary email to confirm the import succeeded and catch any rows that didn't import.
- Keep data current. Re-uploading an updated organisation CSV is an efficient way to keep member data in sync as people join, move, or leave.
- Validate before you upload. Double-check mandatory fields (First Name, Last Name, Email) and formatting in your CSV before importing to avoid failed imports.
Troubleshooting
Members didn't import from my CSV.
This is almost always a formatting issue or a missing mandatory field (First Name, Last Name, Email). Check the summary email, and re-upload.
I accidentally deleted members by ticking the delete checkbox.
Leave the checkbox unchecked unless the CSV is your complete member list, as ticking it will remove anyone not included in the imported CSV. When managing users by CSV, we always recommend saving a master copy of the export, then making your changes to a duplicate.
New members aren't receiving notifications.
Members must be activated to receive notifications. Confirm they were activated (welcome email sent and actioned). See the activation guide linked above.
The welcome email didn't send.
For one-by-one adds, confirm the Send Welcome Email box was checked. For members added without activation, send the welcome email later via the activation steps.
A member appears twice.
Duplicates usually result from importing the same person with a different email or slight detail variation. The email address is the key identifier — ensure each member has a single, consistent email across imports.
My CSV won't upload at all.
Confirm you're uploading a CSV file (not another format) and that it's based on the Prosper template. If it still fails, re-download a fresh template from Prosper and re-enter the data.
Can I update existing members via CSV rather than create new ones?
Yes — download the CSV pre-populated for your organisation, update the relevant rows, and re-upload. Existing members are matched and updated rather than duplicated.
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