Arlo allows you to import and schedule multiple courses at once. This is useful if you are on setting up a large schedule of new courses, as many of the columns in the import file will use the same information.
Courses are imported in a draft state and need to be approved before they are published on your website.
- Read our tips and tricks for importing data.
- Course templates must exist before you can import courses. Learn how to import course templates.
- Course settings from the course template will be copied to the courses you import.
The active communications on the template are not copied to the course.
- The course importer has a limit of 200 courses at a time.
- You cannot update existing courses using the course importer, only create new courses.
- The following types of courses cannot be imported:
- Private courses
- Courses with optional extras
- Elearning activities
- Courses with multiple sessions where:
- The sessions do not have the same presenter.
- The sessions do not have the same venue and room for each session.
- The sessions do not have a consistent schedule structure (e.g. sessions every Monday for 3 weeks).
- It is best to copy these courses instead (including all sessions and options).
- Open the Courses menu item.

- Press More... and select Import courses.

- Click Download the template file and fill it in with the information you would like to import. Ensure you review the columns and rules for using the importer.

- Add your completed CSV import file to the wizard by pressing Browse.
- Press Upload Courses to begin the import. If any errors are detected they will be displayed on-screen.
Events will be imported in a Draft state and be visible from the Draft tab within the courses menu.
You can import multi-session courses using the importer, but only where they have a consistent schedule, the same presenter and venue for each session, and do not contain optional extras or a choice of sessions, e.g. conference-style courses.
Where the importer can't create your multi-session courses, you can copy course sessions and options across to new courses.
Example: A multi-session course that has a session every Tuesday 2-5pm for 5 weeks
- CourseSchedule: Advanced
- NumberOfSessions: 6
- Session Days: Tue

Example: A multi-session course that has sessions Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at 2-5pm for 2 weeks
- CourseSchedule: Advanced
- NumberOfSessions: 6
- Session Days: Mon,Tue,Wed

The following table provides a list of columns that can be included in your import file. The table also includes any additional rules that must be followed for an import to be successful.
- Column headings are not case sensitive.
- Each of the fields listed must be activated on your platform before they are visible when editing a course. Learn more about configuring your fields.
- All fields have a maximum number of characters that they will accept. Typically this is either 63 or 127 characters.
- If an import fails with an 'Inner Exception' error, look for a field in your import file that exceeds this character limit then edit it down.
COLUMN HEADING | REQUIRED | VALUE | NOTES |
---|---|---|---|
TemplateCode | Yes | Single line of text | Mandatory field. |
CourseSchedule | Yes | Single line of text | Options: Basic, Advanced |
CourseCode |
No | Single line of text | If you need your own course codes, you can add this column to the import file |
StartDate |
Yes | Date format: d-mmm-yyyy |
e.g. 1-Mar-2020. Learn about formatting dates for import. |
EndDate |
Yes | Date format: d-mmm-yyyy |
e.g. 1-Mar-2020. Learn about formatting dates for import. |
StartTime |
Yes | Time format: XX:XX AM/PM | e.g. 8:00 am |
EndTime | Yes | Time format: |
e.g. 5:00 pm |
NumberOfSessions |
Only if CourseSchedule is Advanced. | Numerical | e.g. 8 |
SessionDays | Only if CourseSchedule is Advanced. | Three characters comma separated | e.g. Mon,Tue,Wed,Thu |
VenueName |
Only for in-person training, not for webinars (live online) | Single line of text | Venue must already exist in Arlo. Remove column or leave field empty for training where the 'IsOnline' field is True |
VenueRoom |
No | Single line of text | Room must already exist on the venue. |
PresenterFirstName |
If one of the other presenter fields are present. | Single line of text |
|
PresenterLastName |
If one of the other presenter fields are present. |
Single line of text | |
PresenterEmailAddress |
If one of the other presenter fields are present. |
Single line of text | |
RegistrationMethod |
Yes | Single line of text |
Options: OrderProcess, QuickRegistration, CustomURL OrderProcess for paid courses (where orders need to be generated) or QuickRegistration for free courses that do not require orders CustomURL to direct registrants to another website when they click register (not managed by Arlo) Learn more about registration methods. Imported courses will always use the course template's registration form. |
RegistrationURL |
Only if the Registration Method is set to CustomURL |
Single line of text | The URL you would like to direct users to when they click 'register' (e.g. if registration is not being managed by Arlo). |
RegistrationMaximum |
No | Numerical | e.g. 25 |
DisplayOnWebsite | No | True/False | Defaults to True |
Regions | Only for multi-region platforms | Single line of text | Enter the shortcodes of the regions the course should be available in separated by a comma (,). Note: Courses cannot be created in regions that the template is not available in. If regions for the course are added to the import file but the template is not available in those regions, the course will be created in the template's regions. |
IsOnline | Only for webinars (live online) | True/False | True for Custom URL, live, online webinars |
GuestUrl | No | URL | Character limit of 256 |
GuestInstructions | No | Plain text | Character limit of 4000, plain text |
PresenterUrl | No | URL | Character limit of 256 |
PresenterInstructions | No | Plain text |
Character limit of 4000, plain text |
Custom course fields can be imported with your courses. If your custom fields do not exist, you will need to create them first.
- Open the Settings menu item.

- From the Platform setup section, select Fields.

- Select Courses (maybe under another name e.g. Events).
- Find the custom field you would like to import and press Edit.
- Copy the System Name and paste it into your import template as a new column.
- Fill in the information you would like to import into the fields, in the new column.
- Repeat for other fields, as required.