Only for administrators with Remind Hub rostering via CSV format 1.0, 2.0, or OneRoster. Use this resource if you are adding people directly. 

CSV sync via SFTP is a simple, powerful option for SIS syncing your school or district. By automatically creating accounts and classes with data from your SIS, you can expand reach and drive adoption across your entire community. 

Before you begin:

1. You are a district administrator. Here are directions on how to add administrators if you want to create an account for the right person. If you don't have access to your district's dashboard, contact support. 
2. Your organization has the ability to set up an SFTP transfer from your SIS or other data source to Remind.
   
3. Decide if you want SIS rostering enforcement enabled for your district. SIS rostering enforcement allows you to remove the option for SIS-linked students, parents, and teachers to leave your organization on Remind.

Setting up a CSV sync

Step 1: Export CSVs

The first step to setting up your CSV sync is determining which CSVs need to be exported from your SIS. Your CSVs should include only the data required to create the accounts and classes you need.

Data can be exported directly from your SIS or through a SQL query. If you’re unable to produce the required CSVs, please contact your SIS directly; Remind is unable to troubleshoot data exporting from your SIS and SQL for CSV syncs at this time.

Step 2: Format CSVs

A CSV sync can contain up to six CSV files. Be sure to include all required fields in your CSVs. Your files should always include a full snapshot of active school data; Remind will handle necessary additions, deletions, and updates for recurring syncs that sync to Remind at least once every 90 days.

Please review the following guidelines before exporting your CSV files:

• Header rows are required and must match the formatting requirements exactly.
• An account will be created for every parent/guardian contact included in your files. We strongly recommend excluding any emergency contacts as well as any individuals prohibited from contacting students.
• Every user must have a different point of contact. Students and parents cannot share contact information.  
• Remind classes will be created for every section included in your files. We strongly recommend excluding any sections that should not be created in Remind.
• As a CSV file, fields like IDs and names should not incorporate commas ",".

How to format CSV files for a CSV sync:

• Remind CSV format 2.0
• OneRoster CSV format 

Step 3: Transfer CSVs to Remind

Once your CSV files are prepared, it's time to transfer your data to Remind via SFTP. You can set up an automatically recurring sync, or transfer your data manually whenever you need to update SIS sync information in Remind. All required CSV files must be transferred at the same time in a batched upload (not zipped, .zip, etc).

For static syncs, we recommend using an SFTP client like Cyberduck to transfer CSV files to Remind at least once every 90 days. See this walkthrough on How to CSV sync with Cyberduck here.

First, you will need to receive your SFTP credentials. Go to your district administrator SIS sync report and select Start SIS sync setup.

Next, select your rostering format - Remind CSV 2.0 or Switch to OneRoster. Or, can choose sync with Remind CSV format 1.0. Then click Continue on the bottom left corner of the dashboard.

Then, click SFTP credentials which is located on the top right. 

You can choose whether to transfer data directly from your SIS or SIS syncing service (e.g. ClassLink), or by uploading files using an SFTP client. You’ll need the information from your sync details in your administrator Remind account to complete the CSV sync upload. 

• Upload URL*
• Port #
• Username and password credentials

*Upload URL can be found in your SFTP client under different terminology (i.e. Host)

SFTP sync details

A. Refer to the help center article for information on how to set up your SFTP sync. Include students and parents, teachers, classes, and enrollments. 

B. Enter these SFTP credentials: 

C. After you set up SFTP sync and upload CSVs, check the SIS sync report for instructions to finish SIS syncing your schools. 

Remind can receive your transferred files at any time. If you would like to set up a recurring SFTP sync, we recommend scheduling your data transfer between 7pm and 10pm PST. Files cannot be sent in a zip folder. 

Step 4: Match your schools

After your transfer your data to Remind, you’ll receive a confirmation email with details of your sync and next steps. The initial upload can take several hours to process. Follow the instructions provided to match your schools in Remind to your schools from your CSV files. If you’d prefer not to SIS sync a school with CSV sync, deselect the school.

Make sure that Remind schools match the corresponding SFTP schools. Review the list and correct any discrepancies. Initial syncs can take anywhere from 20 minutes to 24 hours. For subsequent syncs, processing time should not exceed 8 hours.

Classes will remain in a pending state until the teacher logs into Remind and claims their account. As classes become live in Remind, administrators will be able see those classes from the 'Classes' tab in their admin dashboard. Please note that teachers who are already active Remind users will gain access to their SIS-linked classes immediately.

Once the initial sync is complete, you’ll receive a confirmation email with details of your sync and next steps. Please note the first CSV sync can take several hours to process. 

Step 5: Send teacher, student and parent notifications 

After the CSV sync is complete, you’ll need to notify teachers, students, and parents about their new accounts. Any district or school administrator can manually trigger notifications from each school’s SIS sync report. You can learn more about the first teacher, student and parent notifications here.

Troubleshooting a CSV sync

To ensure accurate data is transferred via SFTP, Remind has several safeguards in place. Reference the articles below for information on addressing CSV file format errors, sync holds and errors/alerts.

• CSV file format errors: If your files have format issues, your sync will not proceed. You will be notified via email if your files have any format errors. Learn more about CSV file format errors.
• Sync holds: A school's sync will be placed on hold if Remind suspects a data configuration issue in your files. You will be notified via email when a sync is placed on hold. Learn more about sync holds.
• Sync errors and alerts: Errors are issues in your SIS that prevent teacher or student accounts from being created. It's critical that you address these as soon as possible. Alerts are minor data errors in your SIS that, if fixed, would make Remind more useful and productive to use for your school community. Learn more about sync errors & alerts.