How to import historical survey data, a step-by-step guide

The Historical Data Import feature lets you upload survey results that were collected outside of EngageRocket, or previously collected inside it, so they appear on your dashboard and contribute to trend comparisons alongside your live surveys. This article walks you through the full six-step process.

When to use this feature

You can use the Historical Data Import feature when:

• You want to import past survey results so that upcoming surveys can show historical trends.
• You need to reconfigure existing data — for example, to regroup questions, change dimension assignments, or update demographic views.
• You want to duplicate past data for training, testing, or separate stakeholder access.

⚠️ Critical rule - upload in chronological order: Always upload historical surveys from oldest to newest. The platform trends survey results based on upload order. If you upload a 2024 survey before a 2023 survey, the trend will show 2024 → 2023 instead of the correct direction. This cannot be undone.

Step 1  Prepare your org structure first (mandatory)

Before importing any survey data, make sure your latest and accurate organisational chart has been uploaded to the platform. This is a mandatory precondition — without it, results tied to units that are missing from the org structure will not appear correctly on the dashboard.

1. Go to Employees > Organisational Chart > Bulk Actions > Import Units.
2. Upload your full org structure (Level 0 through to the deepest level).
3. Check unit names carefully: every unit name in your import file must match your org structure exactly — including capitalisation, punctuation, and spacing. A single character difference will cause results to disappear or roll up incorrectly.

Step 2  Choose where to upload the survey

You have two options for where to import your historical survey data:

1. Create a new project (recommended for historical imports)

   1. Go to the Projects section and click 'Create New Project'.
   2. Name your project clearly — for example, 'Employee Engagement Survey'.
   3. Select 'One-off survey' as the project type.
   4. Set the confidentiality threshold to match what dashboard users should see, then click 'Create Project'.
   5. Delete the auto-generated blank survey: after creating the project, navigate to the Surveys tab within the project and delete the default survey the platform creates automatically. This step is essential — your uploaded historical survey needs to be the first survey in the project to maintain correct trend sequencing.
2. Use an existing project: Use this option if you want to add historical data that complements an existing survey series, or if you are re-uploading data for reconfiguration or accessibility purposes. Navigate to the existing project and proceed to Step 4.

Step 3  Choose how to trend your historical data

After clicking 'Import Historical Survey' inside your project, the platform will ask how you want to trend your data. This is a critical decision.

1. Trend using a historical org chart - Choose this if your organisation has undergone restructuring since the survey was taken (units were renamed, merged, or removed), and you specifically need to view past data by those old unit names. This option requires you to accurately map every respondent to their historical unit in the Excel template — any unit name mismatches will cause validation errors.

2. Trend without an org chart (recommended) - Choose this if your primary goal is high-level historical comparisons (such as overall eNPS from 2023 vs 2024), or if your org structure has not changed significantly. This is the fastest option — you can skip filling in the unit columns in the template entirely, and the file is much less likely to encounter validation errors.

Step 4  Download and fill in the import template

1. Inside your chosen project, click the 'Import Historical Survey' button at the top right of the page.
2. Click 'Download template' to get the Excel file.
3. Fill in the required tabs. The template contains 7 tabs — see Article How to fill in the historical survey import template for a detailed tab-by-tab guide.

💡 Good to know: Always read the Instructions tab inside the template before filling in anything else. It contains the most up-to-date guidance for completing each sheet correctly.

Step 5  Upload, validate, and import

1. Return to the Import Historical Survey screen in your project.
2. Click 'Browse files' and upload your completed Excel template.
3. The system will validate the file. If there are errors, an error message will appear, fix the issues in the template and re-upload.
4. If validation passes, review the summary and click to confirm. The system will show a success message and begin importing.

💡 Large files: For files with 15,000 to 25,000 respondents, validation and import may take up to 60 minutes. Do not close the browser tab while the import is in progress.

Step 6  Verify your dashboard results

1. Once the import is complete, open the dashboard and hover over the trend chart to verify the respondent count per survey period.
2. Drill down into individual unit dashboards to confirm respondent counts, check key metrics (favourability scores, eNPS), and validate that demographic filters are working correctly.
3. Repeat Steps 4 to 6 for each additional historical survey, always uploading in chronological order.

Something not working?

• Units are missing from my imported dashboard results — A unit name in your import file does not match your org structure. Check for exact differences in spelling, capitalisation, or spacing. Even a single extra space can cause a mismatch.
• The trend is showing in the wrong chronological order — Historical surveys trend based on upload order. If surveys were uploaded out of sequence, contact our support team — reordering may require re-importing.
• Validation keeps failing with no clear error — See Article How to fill in the historical survey import template for a detailed checklist of the most common causes per template tab. The most frequent issues are date format errors in the Responses tab and leftover sample data in unused option tabs.
• The import is taking longer than expected — Large files (15,000–25,000 respondents) can take up to 60 minutes. Keep the browser open and do not re-upload until the current import completes.

Still Need Help?

If you are having trouble importing your historical survey data, Reach out to us at support@engagerocket.co and we'll be happy to assist!