The Participant Import spreadsheet helps Equip create or update participant records during onboarding. Customers complete the Excel template with one row per participant, then send it to their Equip onboarding contact so an Equipper can validate and import the file.
📄 How It Works
Use the Participant Import spreadsheet template provided by Equip.
Keep the header row exactly as provided.
Add one participant per row.
Complete the required columns and any optional columns your Equip onboarding contact asks you to include.
Remove blank rows, examples, notes, and unsupported columns before returning the file.
Send the completed spreadsheet to your Equip onboarding contact for import.
Some accounts use a different participant label, such as Student, Client, Resident, or Member. The spreadsheet still imports participant records into Equip.
💡 Stick with the Template Columns
To help us import your participants quickly and accurately, please keep the spreadsheet columns exactly as they appear in the template. If there’s extra information you’d like us to know, add it in your email when you send the spreadsheet back rather than adding new columns to the file. If you have questions about what can be imported, reach out to your Customer Success Guide.
📎 Templates
📊 Columns Included
Use these column headers exactly as they appear in the template:
name — Required. Enter the participant’s full name as it should appear in Equip.
email — Participant identifier. Enter the participant’s email address. Unless Equip tells you otherwise, include an email address for every participant row.
case_id — Participant identifier. Enter the participant’s case identifier when your program uses case IDs. If multiple case IDs are needed, ask your Equip onboarding contact how to format them.
unique_id — Optional. Enter an organization-specific ID if your team uses one.
dob — Optional. Enter the participant’s date of birth.
ssn — Optional. Enter the participant’s Social Security number only if your Equip onboarding contact has asked for it.
groups — Optional. Add group names if the participant should be placed into groups during import. Separate multiple groups with commas.
residential_address_one — Optional. Enter the first line of the participant’s residential address.
residential_address_two — Optional. Enter apartment, suite, unit, or other second-line residential address details.
residential_address_city — Optional. Enter the residential city.
residential_address_state — Optional. Enter the residential state.
residential_address_zip — Optional. Enter the residential ZIP code.
residential_address_county — Optional. Enter the residential county.
mailing_address_one — Optional. Enter the first line of the participant’s mailing address if it is different from the residential address.
mailing_address_two — Optional. Enter apartment, suite, unit, or other second-line mailing address details.
mailing_address_city — Optional. Enter the mailing city.
mailing_address_state — Optional. Enter the mailing state.
mailing_address_zip — Optional. Enter the mailing ZIP code.
mailing_address_county — Optional. Enter the mailing county.
phone — Optional. Enter the participant’s primary phone number.
office_phone — Optional. Enter an office or alternate phone number when applicable.
sex — Optional. Accepted values are male, female, or undisclosed.
race — Optional. Use one of the accepted race values listed below.
ethnicity — Optional. Accepted values are hispanic_or_latino or non_hispanic_or_latino.
disability_type — Optional. Enter one or more disability type names when your program tracks them. Separate multiple values with commas.
disability_type_other — Optional. Enter additional disability or diagnosis details when applicable.
enrolled_on — Optional. Enter the participant’s enrollment date.
counselor_name — Optional. Enter the participant’s counselor name when applicable.
self_guardianship — Optional. Indicate whether the participant has self-guardianship.
high_school_name — Optional. Enter the participant’s high school name.
high_school_graduation_year — Optional. Enter the participant’s high school graduation year.
status — Optional. Accepted values are active or inactive.
medicaid_id — Optional. Enter the participant’s Medicaid ID only if your Equip onboarding contact has asked for it.
pathway_code — Optional. Enter the pathway step code when the import should create pathway progress.
pathway_start_date — Optional. Enter the pathway start date.
pathway_supporter_email — Optional. Enter the supporter’s email address if a supporter should be assigned to the pathway step.
pathway_counselor_name — Optional. Enter the counselor name for pathway authorization records.
pathway_authorization_number — Required when importing pathway authorization data. Enter the authorization number for the participant’s pathway step.
pathway_authorization_units — Optional. Enter the authorized units. If left blank during pathway import, Equip uses 1 unit.
pathway_authorization_rate — Optional. Enter the authorization rate when it should override the pathway step’s default rate.
pathway_authorization_issue_date — Optional. Enter the authorization issue date.
pathway_authorization_begin_date — Optional. Enter the authorization begin date.
pathway_authorization_end_date — Optional. Enter the authorization end date.
✅ Required Information
name is required for every participant row.
Each row also needs a participant identifier. Use email unless your Equip onboarding contact tells you to use case_id instead.
For pathway authorization imports, include pathway_code and pathway_authorization_number for each pathway row that should create pathway progress.
🔤 Accepted Values
Some fields only accept specific values. Use the lowercase values below, including underscores.
sex: male, female, undisclosed.
race: american_indian_or_alaska_native, asian, black_or_african_american, native_hawaiian_or_other_pacific_islander, white, two_or_more_races, other_race.
ethnicity: hispanic_or_latino, non_hispanic_or_latino.
status: active, inactive.
🧭 Pathway Rows
Use the pathway columns only when Equip is importing pathway progress or authorization information during onboarding.
A participant can appear on more than one row when they need multiple pathway assignments.
For additional pathway rows, keep the participant-identifying information the same and change only the pathway fields that differ.
If non-pathway fields differ across rows for the same participant, the file may need correction before import.
📁 File Requirements
Use Excel .xlsx format and keep the file 5 MB or smaller.
Keep the first row as the column header row.
Do not rename headers or add unsupported columns.
Remove blank rows before sending the file back to Equip.
Make sure emails, case IDs, and unique IDs do not accidentally identify two different participants in the same file.
💡 Best Practices
Start with the required fields — complete name and the identifying field first, then add optional details.
Keep group names consistent — use the same spelling each time so participants are added to the intended groups.
Use accepted values exactly — fields like sex, race, ethnicity, and status should use the accepted values listed in this article.
Leave sensitive fields blank unless requested — include fields like ssn and medicaid_id only when your Equip onboarding contact asks for them.
Ask before using pathway fields — pathway imports need account-specific pathway codes and authorization details.
❓ FAQs
Do customers import this file themselves?
No. During onboarding, customers complete the spreadsheet and send it to Equip. An Equipper validates and imports the participants.
Which column is required?
name is required. Each row also needs a participant identifier, usually email.
Can I add columns that are not in the template?
No. Use the supported columns in the template unless your Equip onboarding contact confirms another column can be imported.
How do I list multiple groups?
Separate group names with commas in the groups column, such as Morning Cohort, Job Coaching.
Can one participant have multiple pathway rows?
Yes. Keep the participant identifiers the same and only change the pathway fields that differ.
What happens if validation finds an issue?
Equip will return the file for correction or reupload a corrected version before completing the import.