How do I upload a student roster using a CSV file? | Advice and Answers from the RocketLit Team

Need to add a group of students to an existing roster? You can upload them all at once using a CSV file instead of adding each student individually. This guide will walk you through how to format your student data, create your CSV, and upload it to your roster.

Before you start: you'll need a roster already created. If you haven't made one yet, see How do I create a new class roster?

💡 Using Clever or ClassLink? Your rosters are auto-populated — no manual setup needed. Using Google Classroom? See Rostering Students with Add Codes.

Step 1: Tell us what data you have

1. Click the "Rosters" tab.

2. Find the roster you want to add students to, then click "Add Students".

3. Select the Paste or "upload student names and emails option".

4. Indicate what data you'll include in your CSV.

Step 2: Format your CSV

You’re now ready to create your CSV. You can use Google Sheets, Microsoft Excel, or Apple Numbers to create and export your file as a CSV.

There are two CSV formatting methods. We recommend Method 1.

Method 1: Enter one value per column (Recommended)

Enter each student's information across the appropriate columns, with one student per row, using the field order from Step 2.

Example Breakdown:

This example shows a teacher who selected:
- student names
- student emails
- students are not all in the same grade
They did NOT select usernames or passwords — so those columns are left blank and will be auto-generated (username from first+last name, password defaulting to the school ID).

⚠️ Delete your header row. Column labels (Last Name, First Name, Email) help while you're entering data, but they must be removed before uploading — otherwise the header gets uploaded as if it were a real student.

Method 2: Enter comma-separated values in one cell

Enter each student's information in a single cell. Each value must appear in the same order as your columns, separated by a comma.

Example Breakdown:

This example shows a teacher who selected:
- student names
- student emails
- students are not all in the same grade
They did NOT select usernames or passwords — so those spots are shown as empty commas, with nothing typed between them and the next comma.

⚠️ No matter which method you use, you must account for every field in the CSV, even if you aren’t providing information for it.

Method 1: Leave the cell blank.

Method 2: Add an empty comma as a placeholder.

👀 View Sample Format

Double-check formatting

Grade needs the ordinal suffix — 5th, not 5
No header row — your file should start directly with student data

Step 3: Choose "Upload Data with a CSV"

You'll be asked how you want to add your data. Choose "Upload Data with a CSV".

(The other option, "Paste Data into a Textbox," skips the file entirely — that's a different process, not covered here.)

Step 4: Upload your CSV

1. Export your sheet as CSV

For example, in Google Sheets: File → Download → Comma Separated Values (.csv).

2. Select "Upload Data with a CSV"

3. Select your file and confirm

Your students will now appear in the roster. Auto-generated passwords default to your school ID — share that with students, or send them the sign-in link.

Troubleshooting

A student is missing

Check your CSV file for the following:

Make sure there is no header row.
Confirm that the fields appear in the same order shown in Step 2.

A student's grade is incorrect

Make sure the grade uses the expected format.

Example: Use 5th, not 5.

A student's data is split or scrambled

This can happen when a value already contains a comma, such as a student name.

If a value contains a comma, place the entire value in quotation marks so it is treated as one field.

Example: "Garcia, Jr."

Without quotation marks, the comma may cause the value to be read as two separate fields.

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