Note: The following article shows the NextGen user interface. If the steps and/or screenshots do not match what you see in your organization's Betterworks instance, try this article that shows the same feature in the Classic user interface.
Contents
Overview
The Goals Mass Upload feature is designed for administrators to bulk import goals and milestones using a structured .csv file. This is ideal for migrating existing goals or setting up goals for many employees at once. The key features are:
Ownership: Goals can be assigned to individual users, teams, or departments.
Hierarchy: Listing milestones under their corresponding goal row establishes a clear parent/child relationship.
Error Handling: The Betterworks application provides error handling and the ability to cancel the import.
Administrator Control: The bulk import functionality is controlled from the Admin module.
Configuration
To use the Goal Mass Upload feature, a Super Admin must first access the feature and download the required template (addressed in more detail later).
Accessing the Import Feature
Navigate to Admin → Program Management → Goals.
Click the Bulk Import tab at the top of the page.
File Requirements & Template
This template must be filled out using the prepopulated field/column headers.
File Format: The goals must be submitted in a .csv file format.
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Hierarchy: A milestone row must be listed directly beneath the goal row it is related to.
Note: Goals cannot be aligned using the upload capability, meaning that a goal cannot be directly beneath another goal to establish a parent/child relationship during upload.
Notifications: Unless your organization has disabled notifications, users will be notified by email that they've been assigned a goal or milestone once the file is uploaded.
Required & Optional Fields
The following fields should be included in your .csv file. Required fields are those that cannot be left blank for the respective entry type.
Usage
Performing the Import
Once your CSV is complete and formatted correctly:
Navigate to Admin → Program Management → Goals.
Click the Bulk Import tab at the top of the page.
Click the Import Goals button in the top-right corner of the page.
Select your prepared .csv file and follow the prompts to upload it.
Your file import will run asynchronously, meaning you can continue to work elsewhere in Betterworks whilst the import is finishing. An in-app notification will display once import is complete.
Reviewing & Correcting Errors
There are a number of statuses which may display on the bulk import;
Uploading – File is currently uploading.
Ready for Processing – Upload complete, awaiting processing.
Processing – Import in progress.
Completed – All rows successfully imported.
Completed with Errors – Valid rows imported; invalid rows skipped.
Failed – No rows imported (all invalid).
Reverted – Import successfully reverted/undone.
Each import record displays the following actions:
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View Import Summary
Shows a timestamped history of the import, including: Uploader name, upload timestamp, processing timestamp, status, and number of rows imported (e.g. 95/100 rows imported).
Within the Import Summary, there is also the option to Download Error Report which prompts the download of a CSV listing all invalid rows and specific validation issues.
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Also within the Import Summary is the option to download the original file.
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Re-process File
If you made corrections directly in Betterworks, or want to retry the same file without re-uploading, you can select Re-process File. For example: your Goals CSV contained Goals with 'Category ABC' but this did not yet exist in Betterworks. You are able to add the Category in Betterworks, and re-process the file.
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Download Original File
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Retrieves the originally uploaded file.
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Revert Import
Reverting your import will remove goals/milestones created from that upload.
Any new goals/milestones created after import remain.
Alignment of newly created items is removed if tied to reverted goals.
FAQs
Can I upload nested goals?
No, the goal upload capability does not support nested goals. The structure only supports goals and a direct level of milestones underneath them.
Can I remove goals in bulk if I made a mistake?
Yes - use the revert import button to revert the creation of all Goals & Milestones within that CSV file.
Will goal progress be automatically calculated for the uploaded goals?
For goals with associated milestones, the progress will be milestone-based. Progress updates for milestones will automatically roll up to the parent goal. If a goal does not have milestones, its progress will be tracked manually.