This guide outlines the primary requirements and recommended practices for preparing student and employee data files for import into Guardian through SFTP.

TABLE OF CONTENTS


Import Templates

Always use the designated Guardian Student Records and Employee Records templates.


Do not rename, remove, reorder, or otherwise modify any of the standard columns or column headers. All standard columns must remain in the file, even when your institution is not providing information for some of them.


The current templates, available fields, and example formats can be found in the following hyperlink:

Guardian User Data Import Field Options and Instructions


Required Information

Only four fields are required to create a student or employee profile:
  • First name
  • Last name
  • ID number
  • Campus email address

All other fields are optional and may be populated according to the institution’s needs.


If information is unavailable or will not be imported, leave the corresponding cells blank. Do not enter values such as NULL, N/A, or other placeholders unless they are intended to appear as actual profile data.


File Format and Naming

For imports that do not include profile photos, prepare the files as CSV files using the following naming conventions:
  • Student records: students-YYYY-MM-DD.csv
  • Employee records: employees-YYYY-MM-DD.csv

The date in the filename must match the date the file is uploaded to the SFTP server. This is important because the scheduled importer runs after midnight and looks for a file containing the previous day’s date.


For example, files uploaded on September 3, 2026, should be named:

  • students-2026-09-03.csv
  • employees-2026-09-03.csv

Full-Roster Imports

Full roster files may include individuals who already have profiles in Guardian. Guardian uses the Student or Employee ID number and campus email address as unique identifiers when matching imported records to existing profiles. Each individual must therefore have a unique ID number and email address.


If one identifier changes while the other remains consistent, Guardian can use the unchanged identifier to locate the existing profile and update the changed value. If both identifiers change simultaneously, Guardian will be unable to match the record to the existing profile, which could result in a duplicate profile.


Institutions may determine an import schedule based on how frequently their data changes. As a general starting point, Guardian recommends submitting a complete roster approximately once per week and using smaller delta files containing only new or updated records between full imports.


Full rosters may be processed more or less frequently when necessary. However, submitting a large full roster every day may increase processing time and affect platform performance. Delta files should be used for routine changes when appropriate, or the frequency of full imports should be adjusted accordingly.


Students Who Have Graduated

The standard student template includes fields for student status and anticipated graduation year, but it does not include a field specifically indicating whether a student has graduated.

If an institution wants to track this separately, a custom column may be added immediately after the final standard column. The name of the column should follow the format of other column headers. For example: GRADUATED

The institution can then enter Yes or No for each student.

Custom column names should be written in capital letters, remain consistent across future files, and must always be added after the final standard column in the template.

The existing STUDENT_STATUS field should generally be reserved for values such as Active or Inactive. This status may be relevant to future data-retention or user-cleanup processes. The CLASS_YEAR field may be used to record the student’s anticipated graduation year.

Individuals Who Are Both Students and Employees

Each person should ideally be included in only one import file because Guardian maintains one profile per individual, designated as either a student or an employee.


If the same person is included in both files, the result depends on the environment’s automatic user-conversion setting:

  • If the display setting Auto Conversion of Users is disabled, the second record will generally produce an import error because the person already exists under the other profile type.
  • If automatic user conversion is enabled, the later import may change the person's primary profile type.

To prevent unintended conversions or import errors, determine which primary profile type each person should have before preparing the files.


If someone requires elevated Guardian access to assist with case management, they should generally be included in the employee file. Additional custom fields may be used to document that the employee is also a student without including the individual in both files.


Student Class Schedule Files

Student class schedules use a separate template and import process. Name the file according to the designated class-schedule naming convention 'schedules-YYYY-MM-DD.csv'


Class schedule data is associated with student profiles and should only be uploaded after confirming that the corresponding student records are available in Guardian. Otherwise, the schedule record will be rejected with the error stating the student profile does not exist in the platform.


Class start and end times must use the 12-hour hh:mm AM/PM format. The hour must contain two digits, and AM or PM must be capitalized. For example, enter 02:00 PM rather than 2:00 PM.


Import Start Times

Student, class schedule, and employee files may each have different configured import times. These times indicate when each import process begins, not necessarily when it will finish.


Import schedules are specific to each Guardian environment. Contact Guardian Support to confirm the configured start times before establishing an automated file-delivery process. Generally the import times are set from 12 AM - 4 AM.


SFTP Access

Files should be uploaded to the institution's assigned Guardian SFTP location.


Because SFTP credentials contain sensitive connection information, Guardian Support can provide the credentials to an authorized super administrator through a one-time secure link.


Before uploading a complete roster:
  1. Download the current Guardian templates.
  2. Confirm that all standard columns and headers remain unchanged.
  3. Verify that every record contains the four required fields.
  4. Confirm that unused cells are blank.
  5. Check for people included in both the student and employee files and ensure they are imported in only one file, either student OR employee.
  6. Confirm that existing users retain the same ID numbers and campus email used in previous imports.
  7. Verify that custom columns appear only after the final standard column.
  8. Confirm that the filename contains the upload date.
  9. Upload the approved full files to SFTP before the scheduled import time.

Common Causes of Import Errors

Common issues include:
  • Renamed, removed, or reordered standard columns
  • Missing required profile information
  • Entering "null" in unused fields
  • Using an incorrect filename or date
  • Including the same person in both student and employee files
  • Placing custom columns between standard template columns
  • Uploading a file after midnight with the prior calendar date
  • Saving the file in a format other than CSV
  • Incorrect formatting of dates, times, or other controlled fields
Following the standard templates and submitting a sample file for review are the best ways to prevent delays or import errors.