Bulk Manager App - CSV Template for Seats

Modified on Wed, May 22, 2024 at 8:00 PM

Description: The purpose of this article is to provide a detailed overview of the CSV Template for Seats that should be used to operate with the Bulk Manager App.

The Bulk Manager App, an integral component of the Ooma Enterprise system, serves as a powerful tool designed to quickly onboard hundreds of users. Its main objective is to facilitate the creation of Seats in a fast and efficient manner: this app streamlines the process by allowing administrators to create a significant quantity of Seats quickly and efficiently by using CSV files.

Upon logging into the Bulk Manager App, users will be presented with the app’s interface that has the following appearance as the default view.

CSV Template. General Information

By pressing the "Download Template" button and selecting the "Seats" option, you will initiate the download of the CSV Template for Seats file, which is the recommended format for preparing bulk Seats to be uploaded via the app.

All CSV template files provided through this button are regularly updated and maintained by Ooma Enterprise.

You can conveniently modify the CSV template file obtained from the app by using any suitable software such as Microsoft Excel.

When you open the CSV Template file in any editing application (specifically, Excel in our case), it will have the following appearance:

The CSV Template file is structured in a specific manner to arrange information in a tabular format, where each row represents a collection of parameters filled into a series of columns, which will be explained in detail below.

The parameters provided in this file represent the fields that a user completes when creating a Seat through the Seats tab of the Phone System app. However, rather than creating a single Seat individually, employing CSV Templates enables the creation of multiple Seats in bulk.

The file comprises 20 columns of parameters:

Parameter	Description	Is it obligatory to fill out this parameter?	Validation rules
firstname	Set the first name of the configured Seat’s user.	yes	The CSV file must contain a value in this field; otherwise, the seat creation will fail.
lastname	Set the last name of the configured Seat’s user.	yes	The CSV file must contain a value in this field; otherwise, the seat creation will fail.
email	Input an email address of the configured Seat’s user.	yes	The CSV file must contain a value in this field; otherwise, the seat creation will fail. The same email address can be used for several seats.
seat_type	In this section, you are required to specify the seat type of a Seat.	yes	The CSV file must specify the seat type as one of the given values: - Courtesy/Basic - Essentials/Standard - Advanced/Enterprise - Call Center - ATA/Analog/SIP Device - Call Forward - Conference - Demo - eFax - SMS - Voicemail Only - SIP Trunk - Microsoft Teams - Microsoft Teams Virtual Receptionist - Admin If the field is empty, the seat creation will fail.
extension	Set the extension number of the configured Seat.	yes	The CSV file must have a numerical value in this field consisting of several digits, with a minimum requirement of 3 digits; otherwise, the seat creation will fail.
password	Set the password of the configured Seat.	yes	The CSV file must contain a 4- to 6-character value in this field. It can be the same as VM PIN. If the field is empty, the seat creation will fail.
VM_Box	Input the "yes" value if you want a VM Box to be created for the configured Seat	no	—
vmpin	Set the VM Pin of the configured Seat’s VM Box. This pin can be the same as password.	yes if VM_Box = yes	The CSV file must contain a 4- or 6-digit value in this field. Filling out this field is required only if VM_Box is set as "yes".
phone_number	Set the phone number of the configured Seat. The value can be entered with or without the international "country" code.	no	This value can be set in the CSV file. It must be a valid 10-digit number which can be added with or without the "+" sign. If the value is not provided, continue to create the seat without DID.
internal_caller_id_number	Set the internal Caller ID number of the configured Seat.	no	If this field is empty, the default caller id number of the account will be used.
internal_ caller_id_name	Set the internal Caller ID name of the configured Seat.	no	If this field is empty, the default caller id name of the account will be used.
external_caller_id_number	Set the external Caller ID number of the configured Seat.	no	If this field is empty, the default caller id number of the account will be used.
external_caller_id_name	Set the external Caller ID name of the configured Seat.	no	If this field is empty, the default caller id name of the account will be used.
emergency_caller_id_number	Set the emergency Caller ID number of the configured Seat.	no	If this field is empty, the default caller id number of the account will be used.
emergency_caller_id_name	Set the emergency Caller ID name of the configured Seat.	no	If this field is empty, the default caller id name of the account will be used.
timezone	Specify the time zone for the configured Seat in this field. The value of the selected time zone must adhere to a specific format.	no	The value in the CSV file must fall within the range of "GMT-0:00" to "GMT+0:00". The system also accepts a time zones from the predefined list of time zones available here.
location	Specify the location for the configured Seat in this field.	yes	The CSV file must contain a value in this field; otherwise, the seat creation will fail. Location become accessible once administrators have established or created site locations in the Account tab of the Phone System App. Use the location ID of one of the locations enlisted in the Account tab, otherwise input the word "default" that corresponds to the default location ID.
vm_to_email_enabled	Here, you can enable email notifications for voicemail messages received.	yes	This value in this field must be specified by either "yes" or "no", the field cannot be left blank.
fax_to_email_enabled	Here, you can enable email notifications for faxes received.	yes	This value in this field must be specified by either "yes" or "no", the field cannot be left blank.
failover	Here, you can enable the failover feature that allows you to redirect calls	no	Input the "yes" value if you want this feature to be enabled for the configured Seat.
redirect calls to	Here, you can specify the phone number to be used as the redirection destination in the event of a failover.	yes if failover = yes	If failover = yes, then Redirect must be specified. If failover = yes, redirect = blank, the seat creation will fail. This value must be a valid 10-digit number which can be added with or without the "+" sign.
faxes module	You can enable the Faxes module here.	no	The value in the CSV file must be "yes" for the module to be enabled.
myday module	You can enable the Myday module here.	no	The value in the CSV file must be "yes" for the module to be enabled.
meetings module	You can enable the Meetings module here.	no	The value in the CSV file must be "yes" for the module to be enabled.
mac_address	Here, you can set the MAC address for the device assigned to the Seat.	no	The value in the CSV file should be alphanumeric (a,b,1,2,etc). The length of the entry should only be 12 units long The format of a Mac address has to be: XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX (6 sets of 2 units separated by : )
device_make	Here, you can specify the brand of the device.	no	The value in the CSV file can take only one of four possible values: - Cisco, - Grandstream, - Yealink, - Polycom.
device_model	Here, you can specify the model of the device.	yes if device_make = yes	If device_make = yes, then device_model must be specified. If device_make = yes, device_model = blank, the seat creation will fail. The list of supported devices can be found here.

The CSV file accepts values as either yes/no or TRUE/FALSE.

A correctly filled-out example of the CSV file will appear as follows:

Updating Seats. General Information

The Bulk Manager App lacks a direct feature for editing Seats. Instead, there are two options of how to do it:

using the CSV file.
using the CSV template.

Let’s explore each of these options separately and in details.

Updating Seats by using the CSV File

First, you should export the CSV file containing the current Seats. To do so, simply press the "Export CSV" button.

Open then the downloaded file using a compatible program, such as Microsoft Excel.

Make then the desired changes to the fields, and save the file. Afterward, within the Bulk Manager App, select the "Update by CSV" button and navigate to the file's location using your PC's file system to upload it.

After uploading the updated CSV file into the Bulk Manager App, it is possible to encounter backend or validation errors. If such an issue occurs, you will receive an error message indicating the problem, and you will need to make the necessary corrections in the file accordingly.

Updating Seats by using the CSV Template

To do so, download the CSV template by pressing the "Download Template" button and selecting the "Seats" option to download the CSV template for Seats.

To simplify the updating procedure, it's designed so that you don't have to input all the fields of the Seat you want to update in this file. In addition to the fields of a particular Seat you want to modify, you are only required to fill out  two fields: 
- extension.
- any field from this short list of options: firstname, seat_type, VM_Box, caller_id_number, or caller_id_name.

Entering an extension along with any other field from the list is the minimum amount of information the Bulk Manager App needs to recognize the specific Seat registered in the system and update it with all the new data you have included in the CSV template.

Open then the downloaded file using a compatible program, such as Microsoft Excel.

Add the required fields, make the desired changes, and save the file. Afterward, within the Bulk Manager App, select the "Update by CSV" button and navigate to the file's location using your PC's file system to upload it.

After uploading the completed CSV template for Seats into the Bulk Manager App, it is possible to encounter backend or validation errors. If such an issue occurs, you will receive an error message indicating the problem, and you will need to make the necessary corrections in the file accordingly.