How to Import Users from Google Workspace or Microsoft Entra ID into AllowNow

The AllowNow CSV format

AllowNow accepts a CSV with up to six columns. Only email is required. All other columns are optional but recommended for complete audit records.

1. 1

   Open the Admin Console

   Go to admin.google.com → Directory → Users. Make sure you are signed in as a Super Admin or a user with the User Management privilege.

2. 2

   Download the user list

   Click the Download icon (↓) in the top-right of the user list. Select All columns and choose CSV. Google will email you the file once it is ready (usually under a minute).

   Tip: If your org has more than one OU, run a separate export per OU or select All organisational units before downloading.
3. 3

   Map the columns

   Open the downloaded CSV in Google Sheets or Excel. Rename (or add) columns to match the AllowNow format:

   Google Workspace column	AllowNow column
   Email Address [Required]	email
   First Name [Required] + Last Name [Required]	display_name (combine into one column)
   Department	department
   Job Title	job_title
   Employee ID	employee_id
   Manager Email [READ ONLY]	manager_email

4. 4

   Merge First Name + Last Name

   Google exports first and last name in separate columns. In your spreadsheet, add a new column called display_name and use a formula to combine them:

   =TRIM(A2&" "&B2)

   Where A2 is First Name and B2 is Last Name. Copy down the column, then paste-as-values before saving.

5. 5

   Remove extra columns and save as CSV

   Delete all columns that are not in the AllowNow format (Status, Phone, Recovery Email, etc.). Keep only: email, display_name, department, job_title, employee_id, manager_email. Save as CSV UTF-8.

1. 1

   Open Entra ID Users

   Go to portal.azure.com → Microsoft Entra ID → Users → All users. You need at least the User Reader role.

2. 2

   Download the user list

   Click Download users at the top of the list. Entra will export all properties for every user as a CSV. The file is delivered instantly.

3. 3

   Map the columns

   Entra exports a file with 40+ columns. Rename the relevant ones to match AllowNow:

   Entra ID column	AllowNow column
   userPrincipalName	email
   displayName	display_name
   department	department
   jobTitle	job_title
   employeeId	employee_id
   manager	manager_email (see note below)

   Note on manager: Entra exports the manager's display name, not their email. If you want to populate manager_email, do a VLOOKUP or INDEX/MATCH to replace the name with the manager's UPN from the same export. Alternatively, leave manager_email blank — it is optional.

4. 4

   Filter out guest and disabled accounts

   The export includes guest users (userType = Guest) and disabled accounts (accountEnabled = False). Remove both before importing — AllowNow tracks active internal users only.

5. 5

   Remove extra columns and save as CSV

   Delete every column except the six AllowNow columns. Save as CSV UTF-8. Make sure the header row uses the exact AllowNow column names (lowercase, underscores).

Uploading the CSV into AllowNow

1. 1

   Sign in to AllowNow as the organisation owner and go to Users in the left sidebar.

2. 2

   Click Import CSV in the top-right corner of the Users page.

3. 3

   Drag and drop (or browse for) your prepared CSV file. AllowNow validates each row before importing — emails that already exist are updated, new ones are created.

4. 4

   Review the preview table. Any rows with missing required fields or invalid emails are flagged inline. Fix them in your spreadsheet and re-upload if needed.

5. 5

   Click Import. You will see a summary of created, updated, and skipped rows.

What makes a clean import

• Header row uses exact AllowNow column names (email, display_name, department, job_title, employee_id, manager_email)
• Every row has a valid email address in the email column
• Suspended / disabled / guest accounts are removed before upload
• First and last name are merged into a single display_name column
• No extra columns beyond the six AllowNow columns
• File is saved as CSV UTF-8 (not Excel .xlsx)
• No blank rows at the bottom of the file

Common mistakes to avoid

• ❌ Column headers have different capitalisation or spaces (e.g. "Display Name" instead of "display_name")

  → AllowNow matches headers exactly. Use lowercase with underscores as shown in the format table above.

• ❌ Saving the file from Excel as .xlsx instead of .csv

  → File → Save As → CSV UTF-8 (Comma delimited). AllowNow only accepts .csv files.

• ❌ Including the manager's display name in manager_email instead of their email address

  → The manager_email column must be a valid email. Use a VLOOKUP to swap names for emails, or leave the column blank.

• ❌ Importing guest accounts or service accounts

  → Filter your export to active, internal users only. Guest and shared accounts should not be imported as AllowNow users.