Importing Users and Organizations via CSV into Zammad

Importing Users and Organizations via CSV into Zammad

High-level points

• Zammad CSV import for users and organizations was simplified in Zammad 6.4. Upgrading to the latest version is recommended.
• For frequent or continuous synchronization, consider using LDAP instead of repeated CSV imports.

Users — key features and guidance

• Unique identifier
  • Zammad normally uses email as the unique identifier; login name also works.
  • You only need one unique identifier per user.
• IDs
  • Avoid using numeric IDs when possible — they add complexity.
  • Leave the ID blank when creating new users.
• Roles
  • You can overwrite or set user roles via import.
  • Multiple roles for a user are separated by three tildes: ~~~.
• Input methods
  • Upload a properly formatted CSV file or paste CSV content into the import text field in the UI.
• Validation
  • The import action triggers validation and reports how many entries will be created or updated.
  • Lines with errors are flagged so you can correct them before proceeding.
• Common errors
  • Wrong column delimiter (make sure your delimiter matches the sample or chosen settings).
  • Wrong file encoding — Zammad expects UTF-8.

Organizations — key features and guidance

• Example file
  • The management UI provides a downloadable sample CSV that shows all available attributes, including any custom fields.
• Update vs create
  • To update organization data you can provide either the organization ID or the organization name.
  • To rename an organization you must use the organization ID (name alone won’t safely rename).
  • To create a new organization, omit the ID and provide the name.
• Members
  • You can set organization members via import; Zammad looks up users by email.
  • If a member is not present in the import for that organization, they will be removed from that organization.
  • Multiple members are separated by three tildes: ~~~.
  • The membership assigned via import becomes the user’s primary organization, even if they belong to other organizations.
• Input methods and validation
  • Same as users: upload or paste CSV, Zammad validates and shows create/update counts.
  • Common errors: incorrect delimiters and non-UTF-8 encoding.

Practical tips / troubleshooting

• Download and inspect the provided sample CSV to match expected columns (the sample includes custom fields).
• Ensure correct column separators and save/export the file as UTF-8.
• Use email or login as the identifier and omit IDs when creating new records.
• Prefer LDAP for regular automated synchronization when possible.

Main speaker / source

• Unnamed video narrator (author of the Zammad how‑to video); content based on Zammad’s import functionality (Zammad 6.4+).