How-To Format the Students Template for Upload

You must have school or tech-admin level access to add students to your school. 

1. Download Closegap's students template.  
2. Open the Closegap students template.  The columns highlighted purple are required.  

Note: Do not edit or delete the first-row column titles — your upload will fail without them.

3. Use the guide below to format each column correctly.

✅ Required = must be provided

⚡️Recommended = can leave blank, but can save you time if provided

 ❌ Optional = can be left blank

Column	Field	Required	Format & Notes
A	First Name	✅	--
B	Middle Name	❌	--
C	Last Name	✅	--
D	Birthdate	✅	Accepted formats: mm/dd/yyyy or mm-dd-yyyy If password column blank:  default password in MMDDYY format for 1st login.
E	Grade	✅	Dropdown or accepted format: PK, K, 1-12, HEd
F	Gender	✅	Dropdown or accepted format:  F for female, M for Male, NB for Non-binary, T for Trans, O for Other & those we have not listed here
G	Email	⚡️	Recommended for login.  If provided:  students use to log into Closegap and receive email alerts for check-in reminders and new messages. If blank:  Closegap auto-generates usernames from first/last name, grade, and school ID.  See How-To Help Students Log In.
H	Classrooms	⚡️	Recommended to create Classrooms automatically for teachers to see the students specific to their classroom level access. This is usually a homeroom, advisory period, morning meeting, or mentoring class where students complete check-ins regularly. If provided:  Classrooms automatically created and students sorted into them.
I	Password	❌	If blank:  default password in MMDDYY format for students' 1st login. If provided:  password for students' 1st login.
J	Race/Ethnicity	❌	Dropdown or accepted format:  American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, Black/African American, Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, White/Caucasian, Hispanic/Latinx, Two or more races, Other
K	Living Situation	❌	Dropdown or accepted format: Homeless / Foster Care
L	ELL	❌	Dropdown or accepted format: Yes / No
M	IEP	❌	Dropdown or accepted format: Yes / No
N	504	❌	Dropdown or accepted format: Yes / No
O	Free/reduced price meals	❌	Dropdown or accepted format: Yes / No
P	Graduation Year	⚡️	Recommended to move students between correct grade level each year. Accepted format: high school graduation year in YYYY
Q	Preferred Language	⚡️	Recommended to set language of student's check-in.  Dropdown or accepted format:  English / Spanish If blank:  student's preferred language and check-in defaults to English.

4. Review your file to ensure that it includes all required information (purple columns), and does not include data underneath your last row.

Tip:  Sometimes, filling a whole column leads to extra data beyond your last row. Delete any information in columns beyond the last row.

5. Save your completed file as a CSV (.csv).
6. On the Register Student page, drag and drop your CSV file or click to upload it from your files.
7. If successful, you'll be redirected to the Manage Students page to see your roster.

Note:  If there are errors, a message will appear in the upload area describing the issue and row where the problem can be found.  Please make corrections to your students CSV and try uploading again.  Still having trouble?  Check the FAQ below.

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FAQ

I read the details above and I'm still having trouble with uploading the Students Template CSV file. What can I do?

Take a screenshot of the error message that appears above the uploader and of your CSV file.  Submit a support request here and attach both images.  This will help our team get to the bottom of the problem quickly! 

Why is it important to include each student's birthdate?

A student's birthdate -- in MMDDYY format -- is their default password if you left the Password column blank when uploading the student roster template.  When a student's password is reset, it will default to their birthdate in MMDDYY format as well.

Why is it important to include each student's grade level?

The grade level associated with each student in the student roster template upload determines which check-in the student has access to.

Can the student roster template help me create classrooms and sort students into them?

Yes!  We recommend that you enter the name of the classroom where students will be completing check-ins.  When you upload, the classroom listed in the Classrooms column will be created and students will automatically be sorted into it. 

Can I add a student individually instead of uploading the students template?

Yes!  See the FAQ of How-To Roster/Add Students for guidance.