Give each person a row and identify who they report to. This guide follows the desktop Studio workspace: upload the file, check the column mapping, then review reporting lines in People.
Org Chart Studio accepts CSV and Excel workbooks.
Import a CSV or Excel file
This is the complete first-import path on a desktop browser:
- On the start screen, choose Choose spreadsheet under Use a spreadsheet, then select the CSV or Excel file.
- If the workbook has more than one data sheet, choose the roster in Choose a sheet to import and select Import this sheet.
- In Map spreadsheet columns, check each source heading and sample value, then choose Confirm & import.
- Studio opens People. Compare the imported names, person count, and reporting lines with the file. Choose Needs manager to find unresolved links, then choose the correct person in Reports to.
Nothing is committed while you are choosing a file, sheet, or mapping. If Studio reports that the file has no valid rows or cannot be imported, correct the source and start the import again. An existing chart does not become a spreadsheet update unless you deliberately choose Update from spreadsheet.
Prepare your spreadsheet
Name is the only required column. To build a connected hierarchy, also include manager names or matching employee and manager IDs. Title and Department are optional.
Name-based example:
| Name | Title | Department | Manager |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alex Rivera | General manager | Management | |
| Casey Lee | Head chef | Kitchen | Alex Rivera |
| Jordan Patel | Line cook | Kitchen | Casey Lee |
| Morgan Chen | Service manager | Service | Alex Rivera |
Download this example as CSV, or download the Excel import template.
Keep 1 header row and 1 person per row. Leave the top person's manager blank. For everyone else, the manager should be another person included in the file. A department-only export may omit the manager above that department; decide who should be at the top of this chart before importing.
If your export separates first and last names, create a Full Name column first. Studio does not automatically combine separate name columns. Check the resulting names before you upload, especially if your source has middle names, prefixes, or preferred names.
Use IDs when names can repeat
Use Manager Name when names are unique and stable enough for the roster. The name-based example above is valid: Jordan's Manager value is Casey Lee, matching Casey's Name value.
Use Employee ID with Manager ID when names can repeat or change. Matching IDs let you distinguish 2 people with the same name. Each employee's ID must be unique, and each Manager ID must match an Employee ID in the same file. Keep IDs as text in your spreadsheet so leading zeros survive.
| Name | Title | Department | Employee ID | Manager ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alex Rivera | General manager | Management | P001 | |
| Casey Lee | Head chef | Kitchen | P002 | P001 |
| Jordan Patel | Line cook | Kitchen | P003 | P002 |
| Morgan Chen | Service manager | Service | P004 | P001 |
Download the ID-based example. These are sample IDs, not records from an HR system.
An ID is a matching key. The ID on a manager's own row and the ID used to refer to that manager must come from the same source field. Don't pair employee numbers with a different system's internal manager IDs.
1. Open the spreadsheet importer
Open Studio in a desktop browser and select Choose spreadsheet under Use a spreadsheet when starting a chart. Select your CSV or Excel file.
For a workbook with several sheets containing data, Studio opens Choose a sheet to import. Check each sheet's name, row count, and column preview. Select the sheet containing your roster, then choose Import this sheet.
Already working on a chart? Use People → Update from spreadsheet to review changes to that chart. A new import and an update are different operations. Read any replacement confirmation before continuing.
2. Check the column mapping
In Map spreadsheet columns, match your file's headings to the fields Studio uses. On desktop, each row has the Studio field and description on the left, a source-column dropdown on the right, and a sample value below that dropdown. Check the sample values as well as the heading names.
Written sequence:
- In Map spreadsheet columns, choose the full-name source column for Name.
- For an ID-based file, choose its employee key for Employee ID and its matching manager key for Manager ID. Leave Manager Name unmapped.
- Choose Confirm & import, then compare the people and reporting lines with the file.
The sample value beneath each dropdown is a preview from the file. It helps you verify the mapping; it does not edit a person's data.
| Your data | Studio field |
|---|---|
| The person's complete display name | Name |
| Their manager's name | Manager Name |
| Their job or position title | Job Title |
| Their team or department | Department |
| Their unique employee key | Employee ID |
| Their manager's matching employee key | Manager ID |
For an ID-based hierarchy, map both Employee ID and Manager ID. You can leave Manager Name unmapped. For a name-based hierarchy, use Manager Name instead. Email is a separate field; mapping a supervisor's email to Manager Name does not make it match the employee's Email field.
Common headings are recognized, but check the result. An unfamiliar heading may need a manual mapping. Only bring across the information you want in this chart; you don't need payroll or other sensitive HR fields to draw reporting lines.
Studio can offer an unfamiliar column as a custom field when the chart has an available custom-field slot. Check the proposed field label and sample value before keeping that mapping. Choose the unmapped option when the column does not belong in the chart. A chart can have up to 5 custom fields, so an extra source column may remain unmapped when those slots are already in use.
Select the field's source-column dropdown to open the list, then choose the heading from your spreadsheet that belongs in that Studio field. If the source heading is Full name, map it to Name. Mapping chooses where Studio reads; it does not edit the spreadsheet.
For an ID-based file, scroll within the desktop mapping dialog to check Employee ID and Manager ID. Map the employee key to Employee ID and the matching manager key to Manager ID.
Edit people in People after import. The mapping screen only chooses which source columns Studio reads.
3. Confirm the import and check the people
Read the row counts in the mapping dialog, then choose Confirm & import. Open People and compare the imported names and reporting lines with your spreadsheet.
The mapping summary identifies rows that need manager review and rows that will be skipped. A chart appearing on screen is not proof that every relationship is correct. Check the top person, a manager with several reports, and the total number of people.
Use Needs manager to find people with unresolved reporting links. Choose the correct person under Reports to. Studio can suggest likely name matches, but a suggestion is not a confirmed reporting relationship.
Fix common import problems
| What you see | What to check |
|---|---|
| Only first names appear | Create a complete Full Name column and map it to Name. |
| Someone needs a manager | Include their manager in the file, then check the name or matching ID. |
| Duplicate names are hard to distinguish | Use unique Employee ID values with matching Manager ID values. |
| A manager's ID becomes a custom field | Map that source column to Manager ID. |
| The reporting line is wrong | Check the source row, then change Reports to in People. |
| A person reports to themselves, or a loop forms | Correct the source relationships. A reporting hierarchy cannot contain a cycle. |
| An ID loses its leading zeros | Format the source ID columns as text before saving the file. |
If some rows are skipped, Studio can still import the valid rows and reports how many were left out. Read that warning before relying on the people count. A file with no valid rows is not imported. A file that exceeds the chart's current person limit is blocked rather than shortened.
An error before Confirm & import has not changed the chart. Correct the file, reopen it, and check the mappings again. Do not assume a repaired file kept every choice from the previous attempt.
If the file came from BambooHR, Workday, or ADP Workforce Now, use the relevant guide to prepare its fields. The file's actual columns matter more than which system exported it.
Export a roster from an HR system
Studio imports a file; it does not connect to an HR system or watch one for changes. Ask someone with the right HR permissions to export a CSV or Excel roster containing the fields approved for this chart. A useful file has a complete name plus either a manager name or a matching employee-ID and manager-ID pair. Titles and departments are optional.
Report names, menu paths, permissions, and available columns vary by vendor and account. Use the guide that matches the source you can actually export:
Those guides separate vendor documentation from Studio's mapping steps. They do not promise that every tenant exposes the same report. Leave payroll, compensation, and other fields out when they are not needed for the chart.
Update and share the chart
Use People → Update from spreadsheet when you have a newer roster. Review the proposed changes before applying them. This is a file update, not a live connection to your HR system.
Choose Themes to set the chart's appearance and Layout to adjust its presentation. Choose Export to review the available formats, preview, limits, and any pass required. Check the displayed price before paying.
Questions about CSV import
Do I need Name, Title, and Manager columns?
Only Name is required. Manager names or matching employee and manager IDs supply the reporting relationships. Title and Department are optional.
Does Studio automatically fix misspelled manager names?
Studio can suggest likely matches. Review the suggestion and choose the correct manager; it does not automatically approve every possible match.
Can I import an Excel workbook instead of CSV?
Yes. Studio accepts Excel workbooks and lets you choose a sheet when the workbook contains several sheets.
Will importing connect Studio to my HR system?
No. Import reads the file you provide. Use Update from spreadsheet when you want to review a newer roster against an existing chart.