Bulk Import Vendor Relationships from CSV

Bulk Import lets you create a large number of relationships at once, instead of adding each vendor through the relationship wizard individually. You can also import existing relationships with prior assessment data preserved.

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Choosing a template

From Settings → Import Relationships, download one of two CSV templates:

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Upload rules

Before uploading your CSV, review these requirements:

• Do not rename column headers. The importer matches columns by header text (including the (Required) / (Optional) marker). Matching ignores case and surrounding whitespace.
• Complete every column marked (Required)
• You may delete Data Type and Business Context columns you don’t need. A missing column is treated as No for every row.
• The importer rejects columns it doesn’t recognize, with an error naming the unknown column
• Paste values only; formulas are not supported
• Business Unit values are matched case-insensitively and must either match an existing Business Unit in your org or be spelled consistently throughout the file (VISO TRUST creates it on import)
• All Yes/No columns accept Yes, No, or blank; blank is treated as No

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Column reference

Both templates share a common set of columns. The Existing Relationship template adds the legacy assessment columns described below. Header text includes a (Required) or (Optional) marker. Leave it exactly as generated.

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Relationship & contact columns

VISO TRUST records the user who runs the import as the creator of each relationship. Templates downloaded before this column was retired may still include a Client Username column. It’s accepted and ignored.

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Data type columns

The template includes one Data Type - <name> column for every data type enabled in your organization’s data type configuration (for example, Data Type - PCI (Payment Card Industry) Data). This includes custom data types you’ve added, and excludes default data types you’ve disabled. Enter Yes, No, or leave blank for each. Data Type columns are optional. If you delete one, every imported relationship is treated as No for that data type. Templates downloaded before a data type configuration change still upload: disabled and default data types remain recognized.

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Business context columns

The template also includes one Yes/No column for each intake (business context) question configured for your organization. Together with data types, these determine the business cases and controls brought into scope. Like Data Type columns, these are optional: a deleted column is treated as No.

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Legacy assessment columns

The Existing Relationship template adds the following columns to preserve prior assessment data. All are required in that template. These values match the externalAssessment fields on the Create a Relationship API, which the importer uses to record prior assessment data.

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After import

After you upload the file, VISO TRUST validates it and reports any errors before creating relationships. Fix any flagged rows and re-upload if needed. When you start the import, it runs as a background job:

• You can leave the page or close the tab. The import keeps running, and VISO TRUST emails you whether it succeeds or fails. You can turn off both notifications under Notification settings → Relationship Management.
• The import page shows live progress, such as “Imported 120 of 500 relationships”. The History tab also lists in-progress imports with their counts.
• Only one import can run at a time per organization. Wait for the current import to finish before starting another.

If an import stops before finishing, the relationships already imported are created and unaffected. Imports do not resume. To bring in the rest, upload a new file containing only the rows that did not import. If Instant Assessment is enabled at the organization level, VISO TRUST automatically assesses newly imported relationships using publicly available data.