Must Haves

A Bridge CSV must have:

1. A field to be used as the Unique Identifier (UID). This data point also serves as the user login.
   • This field must not contain any duplicates.
   • Can be any string of characters (including spaces) or numbers.
2. The UID should:
   • Not recycle a string to represent another user.
   • Not change.
3. UTF-8  encoding. Most data software like Excel, Google Sheets, and others export using UTF-8, while some HRIS systems may compile reports in a  format other than UTF-8. Though, settings sometimes can be adjusted to export in UTF-8.
   • For companies that have employees with names containing special characters (é, ñ, ç, ł, etc.), this requirement is essential. Bridge will accept CSVs not encoded with UTF-8, but the characters will not appear.
4. The date and Time Format for csv import will be MM-DD-YYYY; you can also include an optional time of day in date fields e.g. MM/DD/YYYY 12:00.

Should Haves

Bridge user CSVs should have:

1. An email address. This string must be in email format (like abcd@xyz.xy or abcd@xyz.xyz)

• This string cannot contain any invalid characters, like spaces.
• Bridge will not upload a line that contains invalid emails.

Any data on top of the two fields listed above is awesome to create Smart Groups from. Here are some thoughts on things you should bring into Bridge from your HR data.

Organizational Data

• Manager UID
• Department/division/team
• Cost center (if different than Department)
• Product delineations
• Employee status (FT/PT/contractor/temp/intern, etc.)

Geographic Data

• Country/state
• Names of company locations
• Location codes (if easily understood/referenced by Admins)
• Corporate or geographic regions

Job Function Data

• Position or Job Role - There is a standard field in Bridge called Job Title, but currently, it cannot be used to create Smart Groups. It is recommended that you only use the Job Title field if using Bridge Perform.
• Job function
• Required job certifications
• Jobs requiring any compliance training (animal handling/noise/biohazard, etc.)

Bridge recommends against uploading sensitive or private data (Social Security numbers, health data, home addresses, etc.). However, some personal  data to consider:

• Name
  • This can appear as:
    • First (as a single column)
    • Last (as a single column)
    • First Last
    • Last, First
• Email
• Language
  • Bridge allows you to define what language the learner will experience in all user interface interactions with Bridge (emails, the language in Bridge navigation, but not course content unless the course has been translated by the author). The CSV should be formatted with the corresponding language indicator:

• A  default password. The Bridge team can enable password upload for your account if your users cannot set a password through the Welcome to Bridge email. This is not usually recommended as the file has the password in plain text.

• How do I add or update learners to my account with a CSV file?
• Auto CSV Documentation - For those planning to use SFTP to automate CSV uploads.