This article explains how to prepare and upload CSV files so you can migrate your existing data into Vincere. You will see the required file format, general import rules, and the step-by-step process for each entity type.

⚠ Important:

CSV import only creates new records. It does not update or overwrite existing data. Existing records that match your CSV rows will be skipped during import.
CSV import is a self-service process. The Customer Support team cannot perform the import for you. If you want a professional team to handle the import, submit the professional services request form from your Vincere account to receive a quote.

📌 Note: Only simple data can be imported via CSV. Geotagging and phone number country codes are not supported.

Import Data Using CSV Files

Convert Your Files to CSV

Open your data file in Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets.
In Excel, click File, then click Save As, then choose CSV (Comma delimited) and save the file.
In Google Sheets, click File, then click Download, then click Comma-separated values (.csv) and save the file.

📌 Note: All files must be in CSV (Comma-Separated Values) format before you import them into Vincere.

Download Templates and Field Guides

Download the official CSV templates for each entity you want to import (Companies, Contacts, Jobs, Candidates, Applications, Tags and others).
Download the matching Field Guides to see the correct field names, formats and allowed values for each template.

📌 Note: You must use the provided CSV templates for each entity. You cannot add custom fields beyond those defined in the template.

General CSV Import Rules

Only simple data can be imported via CSV.
You must use the official Vincere CSV templates for each entity type.
You cannot add custom fields beyond those in the template header row.
External IDs are required to link records across entities (for example, to link Contacts to Companies or Jobs to Contacts).
Geotagging and phone number country codes are not supported via CSV import.
CSV import creates new records only and does not update existing records.
If you link a record to another record that is skipped, the linked record will also be skipped.
You must follow the correct import order, for example: Company, then Contact, then Job and last is Application.

📌 Notes: Please note that this is a process that will be performed by yourself or your team.

Our customer support team will not be able to perform this import process for you. If you need or require a professional team to perform the import process, you can fill up our professional services form to receive a quote below:

Request a quote

Import Companies

Download and open the Company CSV template.
Enter your company data into the template, following the Company Fields Guide for correct formatting and mandatory fields.
Save the file as a CSV file using your spreadsheet tool’s CSV (Comma delimited) or Comma-separated values (.csv) option.
In Vincere, click Settings, then click Data Import, then click Start.
Click Company, then click Upload, and select your company CSV file.
Review the field mapping. The system will auto-map fields if you used the official Company template. Adjust any unmapped or incorrect mappings as needed.
Click Next, then review the preview of the records to be imported.
Click Start Import, then click Yes to confirm.
Monitor the import progress and review any skipped records reported after the import completes.

Import Contacts

Ensure all related Companies have been imported via CSV and are present in Vincere.
Download and open the Contact CSV template.
Enter your contact data into the template and use External IDs to link each contact to the correct company.
Refer to the Contact Fields Guide to ensure correct formatting and completion of all mandatory fields.
Save the file as a CSV file using your spreadsheet tool’s CSV (Comma delimited) or Comma-separated values (.csv) option.
In Vincere, click Settings, then click Data Import, then click Start.
Click Contact, then click Upload, and select your contact CSV file.
Review the field mapping. The system will auto-map fields when you use the official Contact template.
Click Next, then review the preview of contact records.
Click Start Import, then click Yes to confirm.

📌 Note: You cannot import and link contacts to companies that were created using Quick Add or Velocity. You can only link contacts to companies that were created via CSV import. If a contact is linked to a company that is skipped, that contact will also be skipped.

Import Jobs

Ensure all related Contacts have been imported via CSV and are present in Vincere.
Download and open the Job CSV template.
Enter your job data into the template and use External IDs to link each job to the correct contact.
Refer to the Job Fields Guide to ensure correct formatting and completion of mandatory fields.
Save the file as a CSV file using your spreadsheet tool’s CSV (Comma delimited) or Comma-separated values (.csv) option.
In Vincere, click Settings, then click Data Import, then click Start.
Click Job, then click Upload, and select your job CSV file.
Review the field mapping. The system will auto-map fields when you use the official Job template.
Click Next, then review the preview of job records.
Click Start Import, then click Yes to confirm.

📌 Note: You cannot import and link jobs to contacts that were created using Quick Add or Velocity. You can only link jobs to contacts that were created via CSV import. If a job is linked to a contact that is skipped, that job will also be skipped.

Import Candidates

Download and open the Candidate CSV template.
Enter your candidate data into the template, following the Candidate Fields Guide for the correct formats, mandatory fields and supported values.
Save the file as a CSV file using your spreadsheet tool’s CSV (Comma delimited) or Comma-separated values (.csv) option.
In Vincere, click Settings, then click Data Import, then click Start.
Click Candidates, then click Upload, and select your candidate CSV file.
Review the field mapping. The system will auto-map fields when you use the official Candidate template.
Click Next, then review the preview of candidate records.
Click Start Import, then click Yes to confirm.

📌 Note: The Candidate Owner column must contain email addresses of valid Vincere users, not names. This helps ensure candidates are assigned correctly during import.

Import Applications

Ensure that all related Candidates and Jobs have been imported via CSV and are present in Vincere.
Download and open the Application CSV template.
Enter your application data into the template and use External IDs to link each application to the correct candidate and job.
Refer to the Application Fields Guide to ensure correct formatting and completion of all mandatory fields.
Save the file as a CSV file using your spreadsheet tool’s CSV (Comma delimited) or Comma-separated values (.csv) option.
In Vincere, click Settings, then click Data Import, then click Start.
Click Applications, then click Upload, and select your application CSV file.
Review the field mapping. The system will auto-map fields when you use the official Application template.
Click Next, then review the preview of application records.
Click Start Import, then click Yes to confirm.

📌 Note: You can only import applications and link them to candidates and jobs that were created via CSV import. If an application is linked to a candidate or job that is skipped, that application will also be skipped.

Import Industry and Sub-Industry Tags

In Vincere, ensure that the Industries and Sub-Industries you want to use have already been created by following the setup steps in your Vincere help centre.
Download and open the Industry tag CSV template.
In Column 1, enter the entity type to tag (for example, candidate, company, or job) using the values defined in the Tag Fields guide.
For each row, get the Record ID (Entity ID) or External ID of the record you want to tag.
Enter the relevant Industry and Sub-Industry values into the last two columns of the template.
Save the file as a CSV file using your spreadsheet tool’s CSV option.
In Vincere, click Settings, then click Data Import, then click Start.
Click Application, then click Upload, and select your Industry tag CSV file.
Review the field mapping. The system will auto-map fields when you use the official tag template.
Click Next, then review the preview of tag records.
Click Start Import, then click Yes to confirm.

📌 Note: If you use the Entity ID (Record ID) column, you do not need to populate the External ID column, and vice versa. You must create the Industry and Sub-Industry values in Vincere before importing tags that use them.

Import Functional Expertise Tags

In Vincere, ensure that the Functional Expertise and Sub-Functional Expertise values you want to use have already been created by following the setup steps in your Vincere help centre.
Download and open the Functional Expertise CSV template.
In Column 1, enter the entity type to tag (for example, candidate, company, or job) using the values defined in the Tag Fields guide.
For each row, get the Record ID (Entity ID) or External ID of the record you want to tag.
Enter the relevant Functional Expertise and Sub-Functional Expertise values into the last two columns of the template.
Save the file as a CSV file using your spreadsheet tool’s CSV option.
In Vincere, click Settings, then click Data Import, then click Start.
Click Application, then click Upload, and select your Functional Expertise tag CSV file.
Review the field mapping. The system will auto-map fields when you use the official tag template.
Click Next, then review the preview of tag records.
Click Start Import, then click Yes to confirm.

📌 Note: If you use the Entity ID (Record ID) column, you do not need to populate the External ID column, and vice versa. You must create the Functional and Sub-Functional Expertise values in Vincere before importing tags that use them.

Best Practices

Keep your CSV imports simple. Use only the fields you need and avoid adding unnecessary columns or complexity.
Maintain a master copy of each CSV file and keep all import files clearly named and organised for future reference.
Always use the official Vincere templates and ensure the header row in your file exactly matches the template for that entity, including field names and separators. Avoid creating header rows manually; instead, download the template and paste your data into it.
Format data fields correctly, especially the Candidate Owner column, which must contain email addresses of valid Vincere users. Double-check that all data matches the format requirements in the Field Guides.
After each import, review Skipped File Reports and any error logs. Check mandatory fields, validate owner emails, remove special characters or extra rows, and, if needed, export your CSV as a new file to remove hidden characters or corruption before re-importing.

FAQs

Q1: What happens if my company data already exists?

Answer: CSV import only creates new records and does not update existing data, so existing company records that match your CSV rows will be skipped.

Q2: What should I check if my company records are skipped during import?

Answer: Check that mandatory fields such as Company External ID and Name are completed correctly in the CSV file.

Q3: Where can I find the External ID for a company?

Answer: If you are importing for the first time, you can create the External ID in your CSV file. If you are linking to existing records, check the CSV file originally used to create them or use the Record ID from Vincere.

Q4: Can I use the Record ID instead of an External ID?

Answer: Yes, you can use Record IDs to link imported data to existing entity records instead of External IDs.

Q5: What happens if the Contact ID is missing when I import jobs?

Answer: The job will not be imported. The Contact ID is mandatory when importing jobs.

Q6: Can I import a job without a contact?

Answer: No, the contact must be created first, and the job must be linked to that contact via the Contact ID or External ID.

Q7: Can I create a new candidate and job at the same time in one import?

Answer: No, candidates and jobs must be imported separately using their respective CSV templates.

Q8: Can I geotag a candidate record via CSV import?

Answer: No, CSV import does not support geotagging for candidate records.

Q9: What format should the Candidate Owner field be in?

Answer: The Candidate Owner column must contain the email addresses of valid Vincere users, not their names.

Q10: What should I do if I get an error during application import?

Answer: Check that all record owners exist in Vincere, confirm that all mandatory fields are completed with valid formats, and remove any special characters or extra rows before running the import again.