Understanding the User Data Uploader
Category: User Data | Type: Overview & Data requirements | Part 1 of 3 in: Using Hive's User Data Uploader
What you'll find in this guide:
💡 Ready to get started? Skip straight to - User Data Uploader - Step-by-step
What is the User Data Uploader?
The User Data Uploader lets you add or update your employee data in Hive directly , no need to contact our support team or wait for a scheduled sync. Whether you're onboarding a new cohort, updating reporting lines, or tidying up your employee list, this guide will walk you through everything you need to know.
What Data Can I Upload?
The uploader accepts employee contact and reporting information. This data is used to ensure the right people receive surveys and that managers see the right insights.
Required fields
🚩 Every file you upload must include all of the below fields and your existing attributes.
|
Field |
Description |
|
Unique Identifier |
e.g. Employee ID or payroll number — must be unique per person |
|
First Name |
Employee's first name |
|
Last Name |
Employee's last name |
|
Email Address |
Used to send surveys and log in to Hive |
|
Telephone Number |
Use international format, e.g. +441234567890 |
|
Status |
Either 'active' or 'inactive' (lowercase) |
|
Locale |
Language preference, e.g. en, fr |
|
Roles |
One of: Administrator, Manager, or Employee |
Optional (but recommended) fields
The more reporting data you include, the more powerful your insights will be. These fields help segment survey results by team, location, or other attributes.
|
Field category |
Examples |
|
Structural attributes |
Directorate, Division, Department, Location |
|
Demographic attributes |
Gender, Age Group, Length of Service, Contract Type |
🗒️ If these already exist in your platform they need to be included in your upload file. If not you can add attributes, learn more here.
‼️ A note on sensitive data:
Avoid including attributes like salary in your upload file.
For sensitive information such as ethnicity or religion, use Results Segmentation instead.
All data is handled in line with Hive's confidentiality commitments.
Full upload vs partial update - which should I use?
Every time you use the uploader, you'll choose between two modes. Understanding the difference is important — choosing the wrong one can result in employees being accidentally removed from Hive.
| Upload Type | When to use it and what it does |
|
Full upload |
Replaces your entire employee list in Hive. Use this when you want to replace everything — for example, at the start of a new year or after a major restructure. If 'Delete users not in the CSV' is ticked, anyone not in the file will be permanently removed from Hive. ⚠️ Only tick 'Delete users not in the CSV' when you are certain your file contains your complete employee list. |
|
Partial update |
Adds or updates employees without removing anyone. Use this for day-to-day changes — adding new starters, updating a manager's name, correcting a segment. Anyone not included in the file remains untouched in Hive. ⚠️ Leave 'Delete Users not in the CSV' unticked for all partial updates. Any attributes (columns) you are not updating, this MUST have {NO_UPDATE} to ensure nothing is changed. |
💡 Not sure which to use?
If in doubt, use a partial update. It's the safer option — it can't accidentally remove employees. You can always do a full upload separately if you need to clean up your employee list.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the segment name matter so much?
Segment names (like Department or Location values) must match exactly across every upload. Hive is case sensitive, so 'Marketing', 'marketing', and 'MARKETING' would all be treated as three separate segments. Inconsistencies can affect how survey results are grouped and displayed to managers.
Who can see the demographic data I upload?
Administrators, Managers, and Hive's Delivery Team can access demographic data within the platform. All data is handled in line with Hive's confidentiality commitments. Managers only see data for the segments they're authorised to access, this is controlled through Authorised Attribute Segments. Hive support can help you with setting up this access.
Glossary
Here's a quick reference for the key terms you'll come across when using the uploader.
|
Term |
What it means |
|
Unique Identifier |
A field that uniquely identifies each employee across uploads — e.g. Employee ID or Payroll Number. Must never be blank or duplicated. |
|
Full Upload |
Replaces your entire employee list in Hive. Anyone not in the file will be removed if 'Delete users not in the CSV' is ticked. |
|
Partial Update |
Adds or updates employees without removing anyone from Hive. Useful for smaller, ongoing changes. |
|
Status |
Indicates whether an employee is currently active or inactive in Hive. Must be entered as 'active' or 'inactive' (lowercase). |
|
Locale |
A language preference code that controls the language of surveys sent to the employee, e.g. en for British English. |
|
Segment |
A grouping attribute used to filter survey results, such as Department, Location, or Contract Type. |
|
Structural attributes |
Segments that reflect your organisation's structure — e.g. Directorate, Division, Department, Location. |
|
Demographic attributes |
Segments that relate to individual employees — e.g. Gender, Age Group, Length of Service, Contract Type. |
|
Authorised Attribute Segment |
Controls which segments a Manager can view insights for. For example, a London Head of Department might only see data for Department: IT, Location: London. |
|
HRIS |
Human Resource Information System — the HR software your organisation uses to store employee data (e.g. Workday, BambooHR, HiBob). |
|
Results Segmentation |
Collect sensitive demographic data via question within your survey and use them for reporting purposes (e.g. disability, religion) |
|
Delete Import |
A button on the review screen that cancels the current upload so you can fix your file and start again. No changes are made until you click Confirm and Sync. |
|
Confirm and Sync |
The final step that applies your upload to Hive. Changes appear in User Settings within 15 minutes for large files. |
|
◀ Previous Main Contents - Using Hive's User Data Uploader
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Next ▶ Preparing your file for Upload
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🎓 Other Useful Information
📖 Confused by a term? View our full Data uploader Glossary for a complete breakdown of Hive data terminology.
Require further technical assistance? Contact Our Support Team