Below we've listed the most common Importer error messages, their meanings, and your next steps. Additional resources are linked (as relevant) within next steps for more information.
This is not a complete list of possible errors, so if you encounter an error not listed, feel free to reach out to Support!
Errors by file type:
Users File
Error |
Meaning |
Next Steps |
| "Attempted to update email_address from oldemail@university.com to newemail@university.com"} | You attempted to update a sensitive field value but this option was not enabled on your import job. |
Manual Imports: Select "This job changes identifier data" when creating the job. AWS/Upload: auth_identifier and username can no longer be changed via automatic/AWS syncs. More info on sensitive fields can be found here, Importer: What are Sensitive Fields and How do I Change Them?. *Please note that when a student self-registers for Handshake, their email_address and username in-app are both populated with the email address they entered during registration. |
|
{"email_address":["can't be blank"]} {"username":["can't be blank"]} {"first_name":["can't be blank"]}
|
You attempted to update or create a user but did not include an email_address, username, or first_name value |
Please review the required fields for student uploads here, Importing Student Data. To create or update a student, you must always include email_address, username, and first_name for that student. |
|
{"auth_identifier":["has already been taken"]}} {"card_id":["has already been taken"]}} |
You attempted to create a new user but auth_identifier or card_id has already been taken by another account. |
Ensure that you actually intend to create a new user, rather than updating an existing one. Note: If you update email_address and username for someone at the same time, it will attempt to create a new user with the information in that row. These two fields must be updated separately for existing users. This student may exist under a different user/email. Make sure to look up their record in Handshake to confirm. |
|
{"email_address":["is already in use"]}}: |
You attempted to create a new user but the email_address is already in use on an account with a different username. |
email_address must be unique to all of Handshake, so importer will reject when it is imported with a different username. To fix, resubmit the failed rows manually and switch the primary identifier column from "username" to "email_address". This will search for accounts using the email address rather than the username. Alternatively, search for the student's account in Handshake and manually update the username. |
| {"primary_education.end_date":["must be a date on or after primary_education:start_date"]}} | You attempted to set an end_date that was before the student's current start_date. Example: You are only providing primary_education:end_date on the file and the student's profile has a start date after the end date included in the student upload. |
primary_education:end_date should have a value of **CLEAR** rather than <blank> if you do not have a new end_date for this student. When using **CLEAR** the analysis will say it is an invalid date value, but will accept it nonetheless when the job is processed. Alternatively, set a valid projected end_date that is after the student's current start_date. |
| "exclude_from_sync":true,"errors":["User is marked as excluded from sync and cannot be updated."]} | You attempted to update a user via import but they have an "Exclude from Syncs" option selected on their profile in-app. |
Verify first that you do want to manage this specific user via syncs (rather than in-app). Go to this user's account in Handshake, then the "Account Tab". Uncheck "Exclude from Automatic Syncs" about halfway down the page. |
| {"mobile_number":["is invalid"]}} | You used a mobile number that is more or less than 10 digits |
Please only use valid domestic 11-digit phone numbers, or leave the field blank at this time. This value is used for text message verification for the mobile application, and eventually newer features. |
| {email_address":["has already been taken","conflicts with another primary account"]}} | There is another student account with the same email address on Handshake. |
Add the student by email in the Manage Students tab on the Handshake app.
|
Contacts File
Error |
Meaning |
Next Steps |
| {:status=>"invalid", :error_code=>"email_account_invalid", :error=>"Email account invalid", :http_status=>200, :request=>"email@email.com", :valid=>false} | This contact email failed validation (or test bounced/invalid email address) | All contacts are validated during import, and any emails that bounce or are flagged as invalid will result in this error. In these cases, you should update any addresses you can, and double-check for any typos in the address, then re-upload. |
Appointments File
| Error | Meaning | Next Steps |
| "student":["can't be blank"]: | An existing student with this email address was not found in Handshake. | This student needs to be created in Handshake and associated with your institution prior to adding this appointment. |
| "staff_member":["can't be blank"]: | An existing staff member with this email address was not found in Handshake | This career services user needs to be created in Handshake and associated with your institution prior to adding this appointment. |
| "time_zone":["is not included in the list"]: | Erroneous Error Message. Usually comes before student or staff_member "Can't be blank" error, but does not actually indicate an issue. | Ignore this part of the error message. |
| " |
This import_identifier was used for another appointment in the same import file, or was used in a previous 'appointments' import. |
Import_identifier has to be completely unique to a single appointment, and is later used to attach notes to the appointment (via 'Notes' file import) Suggestions for unique identifier: * (school)(file type)(date)(number) |
Notes File
Error |
Meaning |
Next Steps |
| {"Could not find identifiable"} | The identifier or identifiable_id used in this row could not be matched to any existing id in Handshake. |
If using identifiable_id, make sure this is the correct ID from the URL of the event or appointment in Handshake. If using identifier (for previously imported events or appointments), make sure this matches the respective import_identifier from your previously imported Events or Appointments file. If using identifier (for users), make sure to include the user_type field, and specify 'Students' or 'Career Services'. For users or contacts, identifier is their email_address value(user must already exist in Handshake prior to importing notes) Review Importing Notes for further detail. |
CSV Format Errors (and other misc. messages)
| Error | Meaning |
Next Steps |
 |
A special character was found in your CSV file, but the file was not in UTF-8 format. | Special characters are supported in imports, but your file must be saved in CSV UTF-8 format before submitting to the importer. Please review Importer App: CSV Rules and File Requirements for info on correcting this with manually generated files. |
|
"This job has users with email addresses not associated with your school. These users will be skipped. If you feel this is an error and this domain belongs to your institution, please contact support." |
You are attempting to import users with email_address values containing domains not listed in your importer settings. |
If the email domains listed in the warning (further down the import job page) should be associated with your school, please open a new support request to add these. If the email domain is associated with another institution, please find an alternate/personal email for these students. These emails and domains should be managed by the respective institution (the student may have another existing account with their previous institution). More info about this here, Handling Students with .ac.uk Emails Associated with Other Institutions |
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