---
title: "Batch Create & Update User Accounts"
slug: "batch-create-update-user-accounts"
updated: 2026-02-25T23:06:32Z
published: 2026-02-25T23:06:32Z
canonical: "knowledge.technolutions.net/batch-create-update-user-accounts"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://knowledge.technolutions.net/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Batch Create & Update User Accounts

Creating user accounts individually can be time-consuming, particularly when managing a continuous inflow of new users. [Upload Dataset](/v1/docs/upload-dataset-stages) helps by providing a structured and scalable approach for bulk import of [user accounts](/v1/docs/user-accounts).

When you [import a spreadsheet in Upload Dataset](/v1/docs/upload-dataset-stages) that consists of user data, you can select a destination scope of **User.**This****tells the source format or ad hoc file import to create or update **user records.**

Since the general aspects of importing user data are the same as importing any other kind of data, this article focuses specifically on the user destinations. User-scoped destinations include three categories:

- **Account**: This category contains destinations for basic account information.
- **Access Permissions**: This category contains destinations to add or remove realms, roles, and permissions.
- **Field**: User-scoped custom fields appear as destinations under this category.

## Batch importing user accounts with Upload Dataset

To batch import user data:

1. Go to **Database → Sources / Upload Dataset.**
2. Select **Upload Dataset.**
3. Configure the following settings:
  - **File Format:**New Spreadsheet/Data File
  - **Folder:**Keep uploads organized by placing them in an existing folder, or select **Other** to create a new one.
  - **File Type:**Select the type that matches your file.
  - **Destination Scope:**User
  - **Update Only:**Select this option if the imported file should not create new records and should only update existing records.
4. Select **Add Files**and select a file, or drag in a file from your desktop. Repeat as necessary.
5. Select **Upload.**You are redirected to the summary page for the source file.

[![Select_Destination_Scope_User.png](https://cdn.us.document360.io/cd8ea7a6-07f3-4846-a554-627ac016d3e3/Images/Documentation/14884424698523.png)](https://cdn.us.document360.io/cd8ea7a6-07f3-4846-a554-627ac016d3e3/Images/Documentation/14884424698523.png)

## Matching criteria

When importing user-scoped data, Slate attempts to prevent the creation of duplicate records by finding an existing, matching user account. As soon as a user account matches a mapped item, Slate considers the account to be found, and it will stop evaluating subsequent matching criteria. The **order in which these criteria are evaluated** is important:

1. **User GUID (Matching Only):** This is the 36-character unique identifier of the user account. Matching only means that this will not update the GUID; it is used only to find potential matches.
2. **User ID:** This is the ID that the user will use to log in to Slate. If the account does not exist yet, or a match was made from previously evaluated matching criteria, and the user ID does not match, then the user ID will be updated.
3. **User-scoped unique custom fields:** If the unique field value does not yet exist or does not match what was mapped in the source, the value will be updated.

If a matching user account does not exist, and record creation is not disabled for the source, then a new user will be created. The following items are required for user account creation: User ID, First Name, Last Name, and Email Address.

## Access Permissions

### Adding and Removing Realms from User Accounts

A user can be associated with multiple realms. To add new realms to a user account, simply map the ***Realm***destination.

One way to associate a user with more than one realm in the same import is to use a single, delimited list of realms within a single column mapped to this destination:

![](https://cdn.us.document360.io/cd8ea7a6-07f3-4846-a554-627ac016d3e3/Images/Documentation/image(270).png)

Alternatively, the ***Realm***destination can be mapped for multiple source columns:

![](https://cdn.us.document360.io/cd8ea7a6-07f3-4846-a554-627ac016d3e3/Images/Documentation/image(271).png)

Similarly, realms can be removed from the user account via the import. The ***Realm - Clear All*** destination will remove all realms from the user account that are not explicitly added via the import.

The ***Realm – Remove*** destination targets specific realms for removal from a user account. Realms may be removed individually or in bulk, either by using a single delimited column or by mapping multiple columns to ***Realm – Remove***. Each realm mapped to the ***Realm – Remove*** destination will be removed from the user account.

### Adding and Removing Roles and Permissions with Populations

Roles and permissions have the same destination options as described above for realms: add, remove and clear all.

#### Grant users permissions or roles only if they reside in a given population

The ***Population for Permission/Role***destination adds or removes a given role or permission, but only if a user is associated with a specific population. For example, a user might be granted the **Lookup - Person** permission, but only if they are a part of the **Chemistry**population.

To add a given permission only to users within a specified population:

1. Upload a file using **Upload Dataset** that specifies:
  - A **user**,
  - A **permission or role**to be granted, and
  - A **population** to be affected.

[![Example_Population_for_Permission_or_Role_File.png](https://cdn.us.document360.io/cd8ea7a6-07f3-4846-a554-627ac016d3e3/Images/Documentation/15134229923611.png)](https://cdn.us.document360.io/cd8ea7a6-07f3-4846-a554-627ac016d3e3/Images/Documentation/15134229923611.png)

1. Select **Build Import.**You arrive at the **Field Mappings** stage.
2. Map the fields to their respective destinations:
  - For Population, select **Access Permissions > Population for Permission/Role**.
  - For Permission, select **Access Permissions > Permission**or **Role**

[![](https://cdn.us.document360.io/cd8ea7a6-07f3-4846-a554-627ac016d3e3/Images/Documentation/15134666020763.png)](https://cdn.us.document360.io/cd8ea7a6-07f3-4846-a554-627ac016d3e3/Images/Documentation/15134666020763.png)

1. Select the next stage, **Prompt Value Mappings**.
2. Select **Refresh Values.**
3. Select a value. A pop-up appears.
4. Select the corresponding **Destination Value** from the list.
5. Select **Save.**Repeat for the other destination values.
6. Select the stage **Review & Run Import.**
7. Select **Run Import.**

[![](https://cdn.us.document360.io/cd8ea7a6-07f3-4846-a554-627ac016d3e3/Images/Documentation/15134526983963.png)](https://cdn.us.document360.io/cd8ea7a6-07f3-4846-a554-627ac016d3e3/Images/Documentation/15134526983963.png)

After selecting **Force Process Import**in the **Database**section of the main navigation, check the **Population**tab of the user record from your imported file to confirm the user record has been granted the permission you specified in the file.

![](https://cdn.us.document360.io/cd8ea7a6-07f3-4846-a554-627ac016d3e3/Images/Documentation/image(272).png)

#### Assign permissions or roles to more than one population with groups

The previous section describes adding a single permission to a user within a given population. If you want to add (or remove) permissions or roles from a user that exists in multiple populations, you can use **groups.**In the **Value Mappings** stage, you can map unique population groups as needed to the desired populations, granting corresponding permissions or roles for just that population.

[![pop_groups.png](https://cdn.us.document360.io/cd8ea7a6-07f3-4846-a554-627ac016d3e3/Images/Documentation/pop_groups.png)](https://cdn.us.document360.io/cd8ea7a6-07f3-4846-a554-627ac016d3e3/Images/Documentation/pop_groups.png)

Let's say you want to grant Alexander Hamilton, a chemistry advisor, the roles and permissions associated with the Chemistry Department (as represented by the population *Chemistry*) as well as the roles and permissions associated with their role as an advisor (represented by the population *Advising Staff)*.

By default, any **Access Permissions** destination starts in group 1, so we can leave the **Chemistry**population fields alone. As we set destinations for the **Advising**population, we enter **"2"** in the **Group**field. See the following example, which shows the mappings for the fields ***Role for Population 1*** and ***Role for Population 2****.*

![](https://cdn.us.document360.io/cd8ea7a6-07f3-4846-a554-627ac016d3e3/Images/Documentation/image(273).png)

A single population can be applied to any number of ***Role, Role - Remove, Permission*, and *Permission - Remove*** destinations by mapping each of them with the same **Group**number as the corresponding *P****opulation for Permission/Role*** destination.

> [!CAUTION]
> 🔔 Important!
> 
> The ***Role - Clear All****and****Permission - Clear All*** destinations cannot be grouped. These destination options will remove all roles (Role - Clear All) or all permissions (Permission - Clear All) for the user, regardless of the population with which they may be associated.