Importing Data Files in pickAtime

Import Files

Import Files

Student File

The Student File is used to add students to your school account. For multiple PTA events, you only need to import the Student File once. Use the Enrollment File to assign students to specific events.

Required Columns

  1. StudentID – A unique identifier for each student.
  2. First – The student’s first name.
  3. Last – The student’s last name.
  4. SecurityValue
    • A value parents use to identify their child when signing up.
    • Example: The student’s birth date (e.g., mm/dd/yyyy).

File Format

TEMPLATE

StudentID

First

Last

SecurityValue

101

Betsy

Smith

01/15/2010

102

William

Johnson

06/20/2012

Key Points

  1. StudentID:
    • Must be unique for each student.
  2. Recycling StudentIDs:
    • Do not reuse StudentIDs without first removing the old student data.
    • Example:If StudentID 101 was assigned to Betsy Smith last year and is now assigned to William Johnson, Betsy’s parent will log in and mistakenly see William listed as her child.
    • Solution: Remove all contacts before reusing StudentIDs. This can be done via the Global Setup/Contacts Setup page using the Remove All Contacts option.
  3. SecurityValue Type:
    • After importing the file, go to Global Setup/Contacts.
    • Set the Type column for the SecurityValue field to Date.
    • This allows parents to enter a birth date in the format mm/dd/yyyy.

By following these guidelines, you can efficiently import and manage student data in the system.

The Student File adds students to the account. If multiple PTA events are being held, the Student File only needs to be imported once. The Enrollment File will then be used to associate students with each event.

Where to Check Imported Student Data in the Admin UI

Import Files

Teacher File

The Teacher File is used to add teachers to your account. For multiple PTA events, you only need to import the Teacher File once. Use the Class File to link teachers to individual events.

Required Columns

  1. TeacherID - A unique identifier for each teacher.
  2. First - The teacher’s first name.
  3. Last - The teacher’s last name.
  4. Email - The teacher’s email address. Each email must be unique.

Optional Columns

  1. Password
    • Specifies an initial password for the teacher.
    • If not provided, teachers will be prompted to create their own password when logging in.
  2. Room
    • Specifies the physical room where the teacher will be during the event.
    • Useful for generating reports by room number.
  3. VirtualRoom
    • A virtual meeting link (e.g., Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams).
  4. AccessLevel
    • Sets the teacher's access level for the system.
      1. Appointment Viewer (default).
      2. Appointment Maker (can book appointments for parents).
      3. Resource Administrator (can block their own schedule).

File Format

Template:

TeacherID

First

Last

Email

Room

T001

John

Doe

john.doe@school.edu

123

T002

Jane

Smith

jane.smith@school.edu

321

Additional Notes

  1. Unique Rows:
    • Ensure the number of unique rows in your file matches the number of imported rows.
    • Mismatches may indicate duplicates or previously imported data.
  2. Password Reset:
    • Once a teacher creates their own password, re-importing the file will not change it.
    • To reset all teacher passwords, use the Reset Administrative Password button on the Global Setup / Contacts Setup page.
  3. Re-imports:
    • If re-importing the file with old and new teachers, the system will display the total number of rows and newly added rows.

By following these guidelines, you can efficiently import and manage teacher data.

The Teacher File adds teachers to the account. If multiple PTA events are being held, the Teacher File only needs to be imported once. The Class File will then be used to assign teachers to specific events.

Where to Check Imported Teacher Data in the Admin UI

Import Files

Class File

The Class file is essential for creating and associating classes with teachers in the pickAtime event. Below are the detailed instructions for creating a valid Class File.

Required Columns

  1. ClassID
    • A unique identifier for the class.
    • Must be unique per teacher. For example, if one class has multiple sessions taught by different teachers, you’ll need distinct ClassIDs (e.g., "Eng9-869").
    • Ensure the same ClassID is used in the Enrollment File.
  2. TeacherID
    • Links the class to the teacher.
    • Must match the TeacherID listed in the Teacher File.
  3. ClassName (Optional)
    • Provides a descriptive name for the class (e.g., "Math").
    • Useful for display purposes on the CUI legend.
  4. GroupName (Optional)
    • Categorizes teachers into groups (e.g., "Upper School" or "Lower School").
    • Helpful for managing time slots for different teacher groups.
  5. PTAN (Optional)
    • Specifies the number of allowed parent appointments per class. Default is 1 if absent.

File Format

TEMPLATE of a Simple Class File:

ClassID

TeacherID

ClassName

Math-101

T001

Math

Science-102

T002

Science

TEMPLATE with Additional Columns:

ClassID

TeacherID

ClassName

GroupName

PTAN

Math-101

T001

Math

Upper School

2

Science-102

T002

Science

Lower School

1

PTAN (parent teacher appointment number) is the number of allowed appointments for each student's parent for that class. For example, some schools allow the parent 2 appointments with a home room teacher or an advisor. If the column is not present, 1 is assumed.

The Class File assigns teachers to specific events and their associated classes. Each class must have a unique ClassID, and a TeacherID must match an imported teacher.

Where to Check Imported Class Data in the Admin UI

If you have older classes and enrollments, you can now delete the event’s existing classes and enrollments directly from the Import page before uploading new data. This option will also delete the classes’ associated teacher resources, making it easier to remove bad data without leaving the Importer page. To locate this feature on the Imports page, click the Class file option within the File Type drop-down menu.

Import Files

Enrollment File

The enrollment file is used to assign students to their respective classes. Below are the requirements and formatting details for creating a valid enrollment file.

Required Columns

Important: Ensure the column titles exactly match those listed above.

File Format

Import Options

Option 1: Multiple Rows per Student

Each row lists a single StudentID and one ClassID. If a student is enrolled in multiple classes, they will have multiple rows.

TEMPLATE:

StudentID

ClassID

123

Math

123

English

124

Science

Option 2: One Row per Student

Each student has one row, and their classes are listed in separate columns (ClassID1, ClassID2, etc.).

TEMPLATE:

StudentID

ClassID

ClassID

ClassID

123

Math

English

History

124

Science

Math


The Enrollment File assigns students to classes within a specific event. The students and classes referenced must already exist in the system from the Student and Class files.

Where to Check Imported Enrollment Data in the Admin UI

Import Files

Parent File

The Parent File adds parents to the system. This file is required only if you are using Single Sign-On (SSO) authentication.

The Parent File Columns

This file lists all the parents and must contain the following fields:

File Format

TEMPLATE

ParentID

First

Last

Email

37890

Sarah

Jones

sjones@aparent.com

38750

Bob

Williams

bwilliams@aparent.com

Important Notes

Where to Check Imported Data?

Import Files

Parent Student Relationship File

The Parent-Student Relationship File connects parents to their respective students. It is only required if your organization uses Single Sign-On (SSO).

Required Fields

The file must contain the following fields:

File Format

TEMPLATE

ParentID

StudentID

37890

12345

38750

67890

How to Verify Imported Data

Once imported, the parent-student relationships can be verified in the Contacts page of the Admin UI:

Import Files

People File

The People File is used to import contact records for use in an event. This file can include different types of participants, such as teachers, students, parents, or staff — each row represents a person.

Required Columns

Format Requirements

Sample Table

ID

First

Last

Email

00123

Alice

Martin

amartin@example.com

00456

John

Stevens

jstevens@example.org

00789

Rosa

Delgado

rdegado@example.net

Where to Check Imported Data

Import Files

Appointments File

Importing Appointments

To add Appointments, you first need to import a People file (see "Importing People"). The People file must have a unique identifier for each person. After importing your People file, you can import an Appointment file. The Appointment file must reference the person identifier you previously imported in the People file import.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Appointments can only be imported for Normal event types, not PTA or Simple PTA event types.

1 - Create Your Appointments File

This file lists the appointments to be imported.

Required fields:

Optionally include additional appointment fields by adding columns. Column headers must match the appointment field titles in the event’s Appointment Fields tab.

TEMPLATE:

ID

EventID

Resource

Date

12345

6789

Nurse

3/4/09 10:00 AM

67890

6789

Health Screening

3/5/09 1:30 PM

File Format

2 - Import Your File

  1. Log in at pickatime.com
  2. Select Importer
  3. Select Data Type: Appointments
  4. Select ID for the Field ID
  5. Check Send Confirm Email if desired
  6. Locate and import your file

3 - Confirm the Appointments in the Admin UI

  1. Open the Admin UI
  2. You will see a red Appointments List for the imported appointments
  3. Click an appointment, then click Confirm Appointment
  4. This will remove the red color and finalize the slot booking

Importing Appointments with SMS Reminder

Before beginning, make sure your account is activated for SMS reminders (contact support for activation; additional charges apply).

This process lets you import appointments and send SMS reminders.

1 - Create Your Appointments File

Required fields:

TEMPLATE:

ID

EventID

Resource

Date

Phone

TimeToRemind

12345

6789

Nurse

3/4/09 10:00 AM

1234445577

60

67890

6789

Health Screening

3/5/09 1:30 PM

(123)4445577

120

File Format

2 - Import Your File

  1. Log in at pickatime.com
  2. Select Importer
  3. Select Data Type: Appointments
  4. Select ID for the Field ID
  5. Check Send Confirm Email if desired
  6. Locate and import your file

3 - Confirm the Appointments in the Admin UI

  1. Open the Admin UI
  2. You will see a red Appointments List for the imported appointments
  3. Click an appointment, then click Confirm Appointment
  4. This will remove the red color and finalize the slot booking

Importing Appointments with Price

Before starting:

1 - Create Your Appointments File

Required fields:

TEMPLATE:

ID

EventID

Resource

Date

Price

12345

6789

Nurse

3/4/09 10:00 AM

20

67890

6789

Health Screening

3/5/09 1:30 PM

15.5

File Format

2 - Import Your File

  1. Log in at www.pickatime.com
  2. Select Importer from the navigation bar
  3. Select Data Type: Appointments
  4. Select ID for Field ID
  5. Check Send Confirm Email if desired
  6. Locate and import your file

Tip: To encourage participants to log in and pay, mention payment instructions in the confirmation/reminder emails. This can be enabled during the import process by checking Send Confirm Email.

Import Files

Slots File

The Slot File is used to define appointment availability (slots) for an event. Each row represents a time block for a resource (e.g., Nurse, Health Screening). Slots are assigned to a specific event and resource.

If your event does not use time-based appointments (such as a Roster event), this file should not be used.

1 - Create Your Slots File

Required Columns:

TEMPLATE

EventID

Resource

Date

StartTime

EndTime

Duration

Max

373933

Health Screenings

03/18/2025

09:00 AM

12:00 PM

15

1

373937

Nurse

03/18/2025

01:00 PM

03:00 PM

20

2

Key Points

EventID:

Resource:

Time Format:

Max:

Unsupported Fields:

Additional Optional columns:

When importing your Slots file, you can also define both Slot Type and Appointment Type directly within the Slots Import file. 

image.png

File Format

2 - Import Your File

  1. Go to pickatime.com and log in from the Login section
  2. On the left navigation bar, select Importer
  3. Set the Data Type to Slots.
  4. Browse your computer and select your prepared tab-delimited file.
  5. Click Import.

Where to Check Imported Slot Data in the Admin UI

After importing:

  1. Go to Event Management → Open the Event.
  2. Click on Time Setup or Schedule Setup.
  3. Select a Resource and a Date to confirm the slots appear as expected.
Import Files

Events File

The Events File allows you to import either Normal Events (with appointment slots) or Roster Events (registration-style events) into pickAtime. This document outlines the required format and instructions for both types.

File Format

Importing Normal Events

1 – Create Your Event File

Each row represents one set of time slots for an event.

Required Columns:

2 – Import Your File

  1. Go to pickatime.com and log in.
  2. From the left-hand menu, select Importer.
  3. Choose Data Type: Events.
  4. Choose Event Type: Normal.
  5. Locate your file and import it.

Important Notes

Importing Roster Events

1 – Create the Roster Event File

Each row defines one registration-type event (not based on appointment slots).

Required Columns:

2 – Import Your File

  1. Log in at pickatime.com
  2. From the left-hand menu, select Importer.
  3. Choose Data Type: Events.
  4. Choose Event Type: Roster.
  5. Locate your file and import it.

Important Notes

Import Error Messages

Import Error Messages

Student File Error Messages

"The file does not have a column labeled 'First' or 'First Name'"

This error occurs when the system cannot locate the required First column in your Student file. The column title may be missing or incorrectly labeled.

How to Fix:

  1. Open your Student file in a spreadsheet application.
  2. Verify that the first row contains a column labeled First (case-sensitive, no spaces).
  3. Correct any discrepancies, such as using "First Name" instead of "First."
  4. Save the file in a tab-delimited format and re-import it.

"The file does not have a column labeled 'StudentID'"

This error occurs when the system cannot find the mandatory StudentID column. This column is used to uniquely identify each student.

How to Fix:

  1. Open your Student file and check that the first row contains a column titled StudentID (case-sensitive, no spaces).
  2. If the column is missing, add it and populate it with unique IDs for each student.
  3. Save the file in a tab-delimited format and re-import it.

"The ID field is empty for XX"

This error indicates that one or more rows in the Student file have an empty StudentID value. Every student must have a unique identifier.

How to Fix:

  1. Open your Student file and locate the row(s) where the StudentID is missing (indicated by XX in the error message).
  2. Add a valid, unique StudentID for the affected rows.
  3. Save the file in a tab-delimited format and re-import it.

"SecurityValue is empty for StudentID = XXXX"

This error occurs when the SecurityValue field is blank for a specific student. The SecurityValue is required for parents to identify their child when signing up.

How to Fix:

  1. Open your Student file and locate the row with the StudentID mentioned in the error message (XXXX).
  2. Verify that the SecurityValue column is populated with the appropriate value (e.g., date of birth in the date format i.e. mm/dd/yyyy).
  3. Correct any missing or invalid data in the SecurityValue column.
  4. Save the file in a tab-delimited format and re-import it.
Import Error Messages

Parent File Error Messages

The file does not have a column labeled "First" or "First Name."

This error occurs when the Parent file is missing the required column for the parent's first name. The column must be labeled First or First Name, exactly as specified.

How to Fix:

  1. Open your Parent file.
  2. Check the column headers to ensure you have a column labeled First or First Name.
  3. Update the column header if it does not match the required label.
  4. Re-import the file.
Import Error Messages

Parent-Student Relationship File Error Messages

Could not find Parent with ID 'XX' or Student with ID 'YY', as this parent/student was not imported

This error indicates that the ParentID or StudentID listed in the Parent-Student Relationship File does not match any record in the imported Parent File or Student File.

Example:

How to Fix

  1. Verify the Parent File - open the Parent File and confirm the ParentID XX exists and was correctly imported.
  2. Verify the Student File - open the Student File and ensure the StudentID YY exists and was correctly imported.
  3. Update the Relationship File - correct any mismatched or missing ParentIDs or StudentIDs in the Parent-Student Relationship File.
  4. Re-import the corrected files - import the Parent File and Student File first, followed by the Parent-Student Relationship File.
Import Error Messages

Teacher File Error Messages

"Found contact with teacherID of ABC and a different contact with email of betsy@noemail.com"

This error occurs when the Teacher file contains a row where the TeacherID and Email combination conflicts with existing records in the Admin UI. Specifically:

For example:

Import File:

TeacherID

Email  

ABC

betsy@noemail.com

 
Admin UI Records:

TeacherID

Email  

ABC

annie@noemail.com

DEF

betsy@noemail.com

How to Fix:

  1. Log in to the Admin UI and search for the conflicting contacts.
  2. Identify whether the conflicting contact is outdated or incorrect.
  3. If the contact is no longer valid, delete the old contact from the Admin UI.
  4. Ensure that the Teacher file has accurate and consistent information for each TeacherID and Email.
  5. Re-import the updated Teacher file.

Important Note:
During the import process:


"The ID field is empty for XX."

This error indicates that one or more rows in the Teacher file have an empty TeacherID. This field is required to uniquely identify each teacher.

How to Fix:

  1. Open your Teacher file in a spreadsheet application.
  2. Locate the row(s) with the empty TeacherID (indicated by XX in the error message).
  3. Add a unique TeacherID for each affected row.
  4. Save the file in a tab-delimited format and re-import it.

"The password field should be 6 characters or more for XX"

This error occurs when the Password field for one or more teachers contains a value shorter than six characters.

How to Fix:

  1. Open your Teacher file and locate the row with the TeacherID mentioned in the error message (XX).
  2. Ensure that the Password column contains a value with at least six characters for all teachers.
  3. If no password is provided, consider leaving the field blank. In this case, teachers will be prompted to create a password when they first log in.
  4. Save the file in a tab-delimited format and re-import it.

These detailed explanations and steps should help you resolve any errors encountered when importing the Teacher file.

Import Error Messages

Class File Error Messages

"Could not find teacher with teacherID XX"

This error occurs when the Class file references a teacherID that is not present in the Teacher file. The system matches each class to a teacher using the teacherID. If the teacher has not been imported from the Teacher file, the class cannot be imported.

How to fix:

  1. Open your Teacher file and check for the teacherID listed in the error message (XX).
  2. If the teacher is missing, update your Teacher file to include the correct teacherID and re-import it.

"Class 'Math' already exists with a different teacher than '123'"

This error indicates that your Class file includes a row with the ClassID “Math” and the TeacherID “123,” but “Math” has already been assigned to another teacher.

The ClassID must be unique for each teacher. Duplicate ClassID entries for different teachers can cause conflicts, particularly when importing Enrollment files, as the system cannot distinguish which students belong to which teacher.

Example:

TeacherID

ClassID

123

Math

456

Math

The system will flag the second row as an error because the ClassID “Math” is already assigned to teacher 123.


How to Fix

To resolve this issue:

TeacherID

ClassID

123

123_Math

456

456_Math

Prior to fixing your import files and importing again, you will want to remove ClassID Math. 

You can remove an individual class by going to the ClassEditor, selecting the 'Show only Classes', locating and then clicking the red X next to the name, or you can select all of the affected classes and then click delete.

You can also delete all of the event's resources, classes, and enrollments from the Import page. To do this, on the Imports page, click the Class file option within the File Type drop-down menu, then click 'Remove existing Classes'.


Important Note

If the ClassID (e.g., “Math”) has already been imported with teacherID 123, you must first remove it before re-importing your corrected Class file.

If the errors you got through the import are related to the teachers/classes who will not participate in the conference event, then you can ignore these errors and move forward to the Enrollment file import.

Import Error Messages

Enrollment File Error Messages

"Student ID not found."

This error occurs when the Enrollment file contains a StudentID that does not exist in the Student file. The Enrollment file relies on the StudentID to match with a corresponding student already imported.

How to Fix:

  1. Ensure that the Student file has been imported before the Enrollment file.
  2. Check the Enrollment file for the StudentID listed in the error message.
  3. Verify that the StudentID exists in the Student file. If it’s missing:
    • Add the missing student to the Student file.
    • Re-import the updated Student file before importing the Enrollment file again.

"Class XX not found."

This error indicates that the ClassID in the Enrollment file does not exist in the Class file and was not imported on the previous step.

How to Fix:

  1. Verify that the Class file has been imported before the Enrollment file.
  2. Check the Enrollment file for the ClassID listed in the error message.
  3. Confirm that the ClassID exists in the Class file. If it’s missing:
    • Add the missing class to the Class file.
    • Re-import the updated Class file before re-importing the Enrollment file.

Note: If the class in question (e.g., Study Hall) does not require conferencing, you can ignore this error.


"No class ID found for student XX"

This error occurs when a row in the Enrollment file has a StudentID but does not contain any ClassID.

How to Fix:

  1. Open your Enrollment file and locate the row with the specified StudentID.
  2. Add the missing ClassID for that student.
  3. Save the file and re-import it.

"Student XX not in class YY."

Description:
This error appears when you attempt to delete an enrollment, but the specified student (XX) is not currently enrolled in the specified class (YY).

How to Fix:

  1. Verify the Enrollment file and confirm the student's current class enrollment status.
  2. Remove or correct the row in the Enrollment file attempting to delete the enrollment.

"Class XX has reached maximum enrollment. Student XX has been skipped."

Description:
This error occurs when a class has reached its maximum allowed enrollment, and additional students cannot be added.

How to Fix:

  1. Go to the Class Editor page in the Admin UI.
  2. Select the teacher and then the class.
  3. Review the "Maximum" column to check the current limit.
  4. If necessary, increase the maximum enrollment number for the class.
  5. Re-import the Enrollment file.

These explanations and solutions should help you resolve common errors when importing Enrollment files.

Import Error Messages

Appointments File Error Messages

"Event not found. EventID: XX"

This error occurs when the EventID in your Appointments file does not match any existing event on your account. This could mean the EventID is incorrect or the event has been deleted.

How to Fix:


"Resource not found. Resource: XX"

This message indicates that the Resource name in your Appointments file does not match any existing Resource in the event.

How to Fix:


"There is no person with ID: XX."

This message appears when the Appointments file includes a person ID that was not previously imported in the People file.

How to Fix:


"There are no slots at 'date' for person with ID: XX."

This error means that the system could not find an available appointment slot at the specified date and time for the given person.

How to Fix:


"Incorrect phone number"

This message indicates the phone number provided for SMS reminders is not in a valid format.

How to Fix:


"Person with ID: XX has an appointment at this time."

This message indicates a conflict - this person already has an appointment scheduled at the specified time.

How to Fix:


"Person with ID: XX can't create an appointment in the past."

You cannot import appointments set in the past.

How to Fix:


"Person with ID: XX too many appointments per event."

The person has already reached the maximum number of appointments allowed for the event.

How to Fix:


"Person with ID: XX too close to previous appointment."

 This error appears when two appointments for the same person are scheduled too close together.

How to Fix:

Import Error Messages

Slots File Error Messages

"Event not found. EventID: XX"

This error occurs when the EventID in your Slots file does not match any existing event on your account. It may be due to an incorrect ID or a deleted event.

How to Fix:


"Cannot create a slot for this type of event. EventID: XX"

This error appears when you attempt to import time slots into a Roster event. Roster events do not support time-based appointments.

How to Fix:


"Resource not found. Resource: XX"

This error means the resource listed in your file does not match any existing resource in the event.

How to Fix:


"Resource: XX has a slot at this time."

This message indicates that the resource already has an existing slot at the specified time. The system does not allow overlapping or duplicate slots.

How to Fix:


"Cannot create a slot for the specified time interval for resource XX. Error code - 103."

This error appears when the duration of a slot in your file does not match the time interval settings of the event.

Example:
 If the event uses 15-minute intervals but your file specifies a 20-minute duration, this error will occur.

How to Fix:

Import Error Messages

Events File Error Messages

"Event not found. EventID: XX"

This message indicates that the Event ID is either incorrect or the event has been deleted.

How to Fix:

Go to Event Management /Settings/ UI Setup /Scheduling Link and copy the correct Event ID from the URL shown in the Scheduling Link for the selected event. Use that ID in your import file.


"Could not find based event with ID XX"

This message means the baseEvent ID listed in your file does not match any existing event, or the referenced base event has been deleted.

How to Fix:

Locate the correct Event ID in the same way as above, and ensure the base event still exists in your account. Update the basedEvent column with the correct ID.


"Cannot create a slot for EventID: XX. Date column contains an invalid value. Error code = 107."

This error occurs when the Date field contains an improperly formatted or unrecognized value.

How to Fix:

Verify that the Date is in a valid format, such as MM/DD/YYYY (e.g., 10/23/2020). Ensure there are no extra characters or missing values in the date cells.


"Cannot create a slot for EventID: XX. The start time / end time column contains an invalid value. Error code = 108."

This message indicates that either the StartTime or EndTime fields have incorrect or missing values.

How to Fix:

Ensure that time values are in a supported format, such as 9:00 AM or 2:30 PM. Avoid 24-hour clock times or missing AM/PM markers. Confirm that StartTime is earlier than EndTime.


"Could not find the timezone with name XX."

This error means the value entered in the TimeZone column does not match a recognized time zone name.

How to Fix:
 Use a valid time zone from the IANA time zone database, such as:

NOTE: Double-check spelling and capitalization. Avoid abbreviations like "EST" or "PST".

Import Error Messages

General Error Messages

"The file does not match the 'X' File type to import or has an incorrect file type. 

Your file must be a tab - delimited text file (MS Excel -> *.txt (Tab delimited); Google Sheets -> *.tsv (Tab delimited))."

Make sure your file is one of the two allowed file types listed in the error message.