Note: If you still have access to Goals (classic), please refer to the guidance in the Individual Goals (classic) import template article for instructions on how to properly populate your import file.
Overview
Need to import multiple goals at once? Account administrators and Goals administrators can use our goal import template to submit goals in bulk. Just fill out the file and send it to our Product Support Team—we’ll handle the upload for you.
Note: Only Individual delivery and Individual development goals can be imported. Company, Department, and Team goals are not supported.
Before You Begin
To get familiar with how goals appear in Culture Amp, we recommend creating one goal manually in Culture Amp first. This gives you a visual reference for how each field in the template maps to the platform.
Step-by-step: How to Fill Out the Template
1. Download the Template
Start by downloading or copying the goal import template. Your file will include two sheets:
Instructions and Template Example: Contains sample data and field instructions.
Delete this sheet before submitting your file.Enter Your Goals Here: – This is where you’ll add your actual goals.
Column headers are already included—do not change them. Keep the same naming and casing.
Delete rows 2 (instructions) and 3 (dummy goal example) before uploading.
2. Fill Out the Columns
Field | Required? | What to include |
owner_emails | ✅ Always | One or more existing employee emails, separated by semicolons. The first email will be set as the goal creator. Example: |
title | ✅ Always | A clear, descriptive title for the goal. |
description | Optional | Add more context to the goal (if needed). |
visibility | ✅ Always | Choose one: |
specific_people | Required if visibility = | Email(s) of employees who should see this goal. Separate multiple emails with semicolons. |
due_date | ✅ Always | Goal due date in |
created_date | ✅ Always | When the goal was created, in |
status | ✅ Always | Choose one: |
type | ✅ Always | Choose one: |
goal_progress | Required for | Progress as a percentage (0–100). Leave blank or enter 0 if goal is |
archived | Optional | Choose |
Adding Key Results (KRs)
You can include key results by filling in the following columns. To add more, just duplicate the key result columns using 2, 3, etc. Example: key_result_2_title, key_result_2_type, and so on. There’s no limit, but most customers use fewer than 15.
Field | Required? | What to include |
key_result_1_title | ✅ When adding KRs | Title of the key result |
key_result_1_type | ✅ When adding KRs | Choose |
key_result_1_start | ✅ When adding KRs | Starting value of the key result (e.g., |
key_result_1_current | ✅ For | Current value of the key result (e.g., |
key_result_1_target | ✅ When adding KRs | Target value of the key result (e.g., |
key_result_1_owner_emails | Optional | KR owner emails, separated by semicolons if there are multiple |
key_result_1_status | ✅ For | Choose |
3. Submit Your File
Once you’ve filled out your goals:
Delete the example sheet from the file.
Double-check that all required fields are filled out.
Contact our Product Support Team by replying to an open conversation with "Ask a Person" and attach your CSV file.
We’ll review your file and pass it along to our Technical Success Team for upload. Processing can take between 2-3 days.
Limitations
Goal types: Only individual goals are supported. Group goals (Company, Department, Team) cannot be imported.
Goal alignment: Goals can’t be aligned during import. Align them manually in the platform after import.
Bulk actions: The goal import process only creates new goals. Editing or deleting existing goals is not supported via import—you'll need to make those changes manually in the platform after the import is complete.
Hyperlinks: Imported goals do not support links, any URLs included in the file will be imported as plain text.
Goal limit: You can import up to 10,000 goals.
Tips For a Smooth Import
✔️ Make sure every email address belongs to an existing employee in your Culture Amp account.
✔️ Use
YYYY-MM-DDformat for all dates (e.g.,2025-06-30).✔️ Don’t forget to include the
specific_peoplecolumn if your goal visibility is set tospecific-people.✔️ If your goal is
on_trackorcompletedbut doesn’t include key results, make sure you add agoal_progresspercentage.
FAQs
Can I import company, department, or team goals?
No. Only individual-delivery and individual-development goals are supported. Company, department, and team goals must be created manually in the platform.
Can I align goals during the import?
No. Goal alignment can’t be set in the import file. You’ll need to align goals manually after the import is complete.
What happens if I include a goal with missing required fields?
Our team will return the file and ask you to update the missing or incorrect fields before we can process the upload.
Do all emails need to belong to existing employees in Culture Amp?
Yes. All email addresses must match employees already in your Culture Amp account. If any emails don’t match, the import will fail.
What date format should I use in the file?
Use the YYYY-MM-DD format for all date fields (e.g., 2025-06-30).
Can I include hyperlinks in my goal titles or descriptions?
No. Hyperlinks will be imported as plain text and won’t be clickable in the platform.
Can I edit or delete existing goals using the import file?
No. The import process only creates new goals. You can’t edit or delete existing goals through import. Use the platform for those changes.
Related pages:
💬 Need help? Just reply with "Ask a Person" in a support conversation to speak with a Product Support Specialist.