Title: [Plugin: Import Users from CSV] Import Existing Users with Multisite
Last modified: August 20, 2016

---

# [Plugin: Import Users from CSV] Import Existing Users with Multisite

 *  Resolved [nityac](https://wordpress.org/support/users/nityac/)
 * (@nityac)
 * [14 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-import-users-from-csv-import-existing-users-with-multisite/)
 * I have seven sites set up in a Multisite scenario. If I use the plugin to import
   users to Blog 1, when I try to use the CSV file to import an overlapping batch
   of users across Blogs 2 – 7 it says, “No user was successfully imported.”
 * Is it possible for me to just import the usernames? If so, how? I don’t need 
   to reset passwords or emails every time, just need to get sometimes overlapping
   batches of users added.
 * [http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/import-users-from-csv/](http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/import-users-from-csv/)

Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 20 total)

1 [2](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-import-users-from-csv-import-existing-users-with-multisite/page/2/?output_format=md)
[→](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-import-users-from-csv-import-existing-users-with-multisite/page/2/?output_format=md)

 *  Moderator [Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ipstenu/)
 * (@ipstenu)
 * 🏳️‍🌈 Advisor and Activist
 * [14 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-import-users-from-csv-import-existing-users-with-multisite/#post-2298144)
 * Are you trying to import them per site or on the Network Users page?
 * The plugin may not be multisite capable.
 *  Thread Starter [nityac](https://wordpress.org/support/users/nityac/)
 * (@nityac)
 * [14 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-import-users-from-csv-import-existing-users-with-multisite/#post-2298197)
 * Trying to add them per site. I’d be game to add them to the network users page,
   though. Is there a plug-in you know of that would allow me to assign users across
   Blogs 1 – 7 after I’ve added them to network users?
 * The thoughts of typing out some 800 users per blog makes me want to cry.
 *  Moderator [Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ipstenu/)
 * (@ipstenu)
 * 🏳️‍🌈 Advisor and Activist
 * [14 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-import-users-from-csv-import-existing-users-with-multisite/#post-2298220)
 * Assign all of them the same role to all sites?
 * That is everyone is a …
 * subscriber on Blog 1
    editor on Blog 2 Admin on Blog 3 subscriber on Blog 4
 * etc etc?
 * Because THAT, yes.
    * [http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/multisite-user-management/](http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/multisite-user-management/)
 *  [Ulrich Sossou](https://wordpress.org/support/users/sorich87/)
 * (@sorich87)
 * [14 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-import-users-from-csv-import-existing-users-with-multisite/#post-2298225)
 * Well, it is not optimized for use on a multisite. Since the users already exist
   in the database, they will not be added again.
 * But there is a solution.
    If you add fields like ‘wp_5_capabilities’ with the
   value ‘a:1:{s:10:”subscriber”;s:1:”1″;}’ e.g. in your csv file the user will 
   be added to the corresponding blogs. My example will give the user the role subscriber
   for the blog which ID is 5. Just add one field per blog, so wp_3_capabilities,
   wp_20_capabilities, etc.
 *  Moderator [Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ipstenu/)
 * (@ipstenu)
 * 🏳️‍🌈 Advisor and Activist
 * [14 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-import-users-from-csv-import-existing-users-with-multisite/#post-2298226)
 * > Since the users already exist in the database, they will not be added again.
 * Wait … what? *rereading*
 * >  If I use the plugin to import users to Blog 1, when I try to use the CSV file
   > to import an overlapping batch of users across Blogs 2 – 7 it says, “No user
   > was successfully imported.”
 * OH! OH OH!
 * Duh. I’m an idiot. Sorry.
 * Get [http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/multisite-user-management/](http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/multisite-user-management/)
 * That will let you add them as subscribers to all sites.
 *  Thread Starter [nityac](https://wordpress.org/support/users/nityac/)
 * (@nityac)
 * [14 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-import-users-from-csv-import-existing-users-with-multisite/#post-2298252)
 * Thanks so much for the feedback.
 * Ulrich, I’m about to attempt what you’ve outlined: if that’s the case, where 
   can I do the CSV import from? Any of the blogs?
 *  Thread Starter [nityac](https://wordpress.org/support/users/nityac/)
 * (@nityac)
 * [14 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-import-users-from-csv-import-existing-users-with-multisite/#post-2298267)
 * Actually, just tried this and it did the trick.
 * HOORAY! Thank you, Ulrich. No tears over adding 800 users x 7 blogs.
 *  Thread Starter [nityac](https://wordpress.org/support/users/nityac/)
 * (@nityac)
 * [14 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-import-users-from-csv-import-existing-users-with-multisite/#post-2298279)
 * One last question: I just added a CSV of users to a particular blog. The blog
   is showing that there are (2) editors, but not listing the editors I added. (
   The whole section is just blank.)
 * Additionally, the users DO show up in the network admin.
 * Any thoughts?
 *  [Ulrich Sossou](https://wordpress.org/support/users/sorich87/)
 * (@sorich87)
 * [14 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-import-users-from-csv-import-existing-users-with-multisite/#post-2298292)
 * [@ipstenu](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ipstenu/): No problem!
 * [@nityac](https://wordpress.org/support/users/nityac/): what value did you use
   to add the editors?
    ‘a:1:{s:6:”editor”;s:1:”1″;}’?
 *  Thread Starter [nityac](https://wordpress.org/support/users/nityac/)
 * (@nityac)
 * [14 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-import-users-from-csv-import-existing-users-with-multisite/#post-2298355)
 * Thanks, Ulrich.
 * Not to be totally stupid here but: is that a string I need to add somewhere in
   the code for the blog or a string I need to add to the CSV file?
 * I added a column ‘wp_5_capabilities’ and set everyone in that column to ‘Author’
   via text.
 * Thanks,
    Nitya
 *  Moderator [Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ipstenu/)
 * (@ipstenu)
 * 🏳️‍🌈 Advisor and Activist
 * [14 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-import-users-from-csv-import-existing-users-with-multisite/#post-2298356)
 * The s:6 in that bit is string length.
 * If you add them as author, it should be the same though…
 *  [Ulrich Sossou](https://wordpress.org/support/users/sorich87/)
 * (@sorich87)
 * [14 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-import-users-from-csv-import-existing-users-with-multisite/#post-2298368)
 * You should set the column content to ‘a:1:{s:6:”editor”;s:1:”1″;}’ instead of‘
   Author’.
 * And , as Ipstenu wrote, s:6 bit is a string length (the length of the string ‘
   editor’ is 6). So, for subscribers, you would set it to ‘a:1:{s:10:”subscriber”;
   s:1:”1″;}’.
 *  [mrmjct](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mrmjct/)
 * (@mrmjct)
 * [14 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-import-users-from-csv-import-existing-users-with-multisite/#post-2298435)
 * Hi there, I really like the plugin but I’m also having trouble batch uploading
   users to a WP network.
 * I am trying to upload a number of users as subscribers to one blog only on a 
   network install.
 * Going to the dashboard for the blog in question, I tried uploading the following
   test CSV:
 *     ```
       user_login,user_email,user_pass,first_name,last_name,role
       username,fnsn@gmail.com,pass,Fn,Sn,'a:1:{s:10:"subscriber";s:1:"1";}'
       ```
   
 * This does appear to create a user:
    - the subscriber count for that blog shows (1)
    - I can also log in with that user’s details
 * But
    - the username does not appear in the list of all users (or of subscribers) 
      for that blog.
    - and that user cannot access their profile to change it.
 * Any ideas what I’m doing wrong?
 * Thanks
 * Matthew
 *  [Ulrich Sossou](https://wordpress.org/support/users/sorich87/)
 * (@sorich87)
 * [14 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-import-users-from-csv-import-existing-users-with-multisite/#post-2298440)
 * [@mrmjct](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mrmjct/): You should name the role
   field ‘wp_5_capabilities’ instead of ‘role’. where 5 is the blog_id. So ‘wp_10_capabilities’
   if the blog_id is 10.
 *  [mrmjct](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mrmjct/)
 * (@mrmjct)
 * [14 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-import-users-from-csv-import-existing-users-with-multisite/#post-2298446)
 * Thanks Ulrich. My mistake – you had mentioned that in this list that’s fixed 
   it now.

Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 20 total)

1 [2](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-import-users-from-csv-import-existing-users-with-multisite/page/2/?output_format=md)
[→](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-import-users-from-csv-import-existing-users-with-multisite/page/2/?output_format=md)

The topic ‘[Plugin: Import Users from CSV] Import Existing Users with Multisite’
is closed to new replies.

 * ![](https://ps.w.org/import-users-from-csv/assets/icon-256x256.png?rev=2320381)
 * [Import Users from CSV](https://wordpress.org/plugins/import-users-from-csv/)
 * [Frequently Asked Questions](https://wordpress.org/plugins/import-users-from-csv/#faq)
 * [Support Threads](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/import-users-from-csv/)
 * [Active Topics](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/import-users-from-csv/active/)
 * [Unresolved Topics](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/import-users-from-csv/unresolved/)
 * [Reviews](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/import-users-from-csv/reviews/)

 * In: [Networking WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/multisite/)
 * 20 replies
 * 6 participants
 * Last reply from: [Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ipstenu/)
 * Last activity: [14 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-import-users-from-csv-import-existing-users-with-multisite/page/2/#post-2298482)
 * Status: resolved