Historical Data Import - FAQ
Common issues and solutions for importing historical survey data into the EngageRocket platform.
Importing historical survey data into EngageRocket is a powerful way to bring past results onto the platform, enabling trend analysis, dashboard reporting, and consolidated people analytics across multiple survey cycles.
However, because the import process involves several interconnected components org structure, template formatting, question configuration, and response data, small mistakes at any stage can lead to missing results, incorrect trends, or upload errors.
This troubleshooting guide is designed to help platform administrators and HR teams quickly identify and resolve the most common issues encountered during a historical data import. Whether you're seeing missing unit results, validation errors, or dashboard discrepancies, the answers below will walk you through what went wrong and how to fix it.
Before diving in, keep these three golden rules in mind:
- Always upload your org structure first before importing any survey data.
- Always upload surveys in chronological order (oldest to newest) to ensure correct trend sequencing.
- Never modify column headers or leave sample data in unused template tabs, as both will trigger upload errors.
Org Structure Issues
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Why are some unit results missing or not showing on the dashboard? | This usually happens when a unit name in your import file does not exactly match the name in the EngageRocket org structure. Unit names are case-sensitive, differences in capitalisation, punctuation, or spacing will cause results to be unlinked. To fix this: (1) Go to Organisation Chart and verify the exact names of all units. (2) Update your import file so every unit name matches exactly. (3) Re-upload your corrected file. |
| I uploaded the org structure, but results are rolling up to the wrong level. What went wrong? | Results roll up when a unit referenced in the Responses tab cannot be found in the org structure. The system pushes the response up to the nearest valid parent. Double-check that every unit name in your Responses tab (Level 0, Level 1, etc.) exists in the org chart with identical spelling and formatting. |
| Do I need to upload the org structure before importing historical data? | Yes, uploading the org structure is a mandatory precondition. If you import survey data before the org structure is in place, results will not be correctly mapped to units and may not appear on the dashboard at all. Always complete the org structure upload first. |
Survey Project Setup Issues
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| My trend chart is showing data in the wrong order (e.g., 2024 before 2023). How do I fix this? | The platform determines trend order based on the sequence in which surveys are uploaded, not by the survey date in the file. To correct this, delete the incorrectly ordered surveys and re-upload them in chronological order, oldest first, newest last. |
| Why does my historical survey not appear as the first survey in the trend chart? | When you create a new project, the platform auto-generates a blank default survey. If you imported historical data without deleting this first, the blank survey will appear before your data in the trend sequence. Go to the Surveys tab within your project, delete the auto-generated default survey, then re-import. Your historical survey will then be the first in the project. |
| Should I create a new project or use an existing one for historical imports? | Creating a new project is recommended for historical imports, especially when establishing a clean trend baseline. Use an existing project only if you are adding data that complements a current survey series, or re-uploading data for regrouping or stakeholder access purposes. |
Template Filling Errors
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| I'm getting an upload error. What are the most common causes? | The most common causes are: (1) Column headers have been edited or renamed, do not modify any headers in the template. (2) Sample data was left in tabs that are not being used (e.g., example rows in Option_Multiple_Choices when the survey has no multiple-choice questions). (3) Duplicate question text with the same question type in the Survey Questions tab. (4) Required fields such as submission date or unit name have been left blank. |
| How should I format the submission date in the Responses tab? | Dates must follow the DD/MM/YYYY format. Any other format (such as MM/DD/YYYY or YYYY-MM-DD) will cause a validation error. Ensure all date cells are formatted consistently. |
| I have a survey with no multiple-choice questions. Do I need to fill in the Option Multiple Choice tab? | No, leave that tab completely empty except for the column headers. Do not leave any sample or example data in unused tabs, as leftover rows will trigger an upload error. The same applies to the Option Single Choice tab if your survey has no single-choice questions. |
| My survey used a 1–5 rating scale. How do I fill in Tab 4 (Option Rating Scale)? | Enter only two rows: one for the minimum value (e.g., "1 – Strongly Disagree") and one for the maximum value (e.g., "5 – Strongly Agree"). This scale applies to all rating-type questions. Do not add any additional rows beyond these two. |
| Can I have two questions with the same wording in the Survey Questions tab? | Duplicate question text with the same question type will be rejected during validation. If two questions use similar phrasing but are different types (e.g., one Rating Scale and one Open-Ended), they can coexist. Otherwise, rephrase one to make it distinct. |
Responses Tab Issues
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| How many rows should my Responses tab have? | One row per respondent per question. If your survey had 10 questions and 50 respondents, the tab should contain 500 rows (excluding the header). If you see fewer rows than expected, check whether any respondents or questions were accidentally omitted. |
| Do I need to include both a Unique ID and an email for each respondent? | No, provide one or the other. Use a Unique ID to mask respondent identity. Use an email address if respondent identity needs to be tracked. Whichever you choose, the identifier must be consistent for the same respondent across all rows. |
| A respondent skipped a question in the original survey. Should I include a blank row? | Intentionally skipped questions can be omitted entirely, no need to include a blank row. Avoid leaving fields blank for questions that were answered, as this may affect scoring on the dashboard. |
Dashboard & Verification Issues
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| The dashboard shows fewer respondents than expected. What should I check? | Hover over the trend chart to verify the respondent count for the imported period, then drill into individual unit dashboards. Common causes: (1) Unit names in the Responses tab did not match the org structure, causing those responses to be dropped. (2) Confidentiality thresholds — if a unit has fewer respondents than the threshold set for the project, results for that unit will be hidden to protect anonymity. |
| How long does the import take for large files? | For files with 15,000–25,000 respondents, validation and import can take up to 60 minutes. Do not close the browser or navigate away from the import screen during this time. If it takes longer than 60 minutes, contact EngageRocket support. |
| I imported data successfully but demographic filters (e.g., gender, department) are not showing on the dashboard. Why? | Demographic filters only appear if they were included as columns in the Responses tab. Verify that your demographic attributes (such as Gender, Tenure, Seniority, or Age Band) were filled in for each respondent row, and that the column headers were not renamed or modified. |
eNPS-Specific Issues
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Can I include more than one eNPS question in a single survey import? | No, only one eNPS question is allowed per survey. If your original survey included multiple eNPS-type questions, designate one as eNPS in the Survey Questions tab and reclassify the others as a different type (e.g., Rating Scale or Open-Ended). Including more than one eNPS question will result in a validation error. |
If you experience any technical issues or need assistance during the survey process, please don’t hesitate to reach out to support@engagerocket.co
We’re committed to making your experience as smooth and secure as possible!