Adding User Accounts in Bulk

User accounts can be added to Lync Online/Office 365 using a comma-separated values (CSV) file. The CSV file must be specifically formatted with the correct column headings to be successfully imported. To facilitate this process, Microsoft provides a sample CSV file with the appropriate column headings that can be downloaded from the Online Portal and then adjusted using a text editor.

The following steps describe the process for downloading the sample CSV file, editing the file, and then importing it into Lync Online/Office 365:

1. Log on to the Office 365 Portal.

2. On the left side of the main page, click Users and Groups.

3. At the Users and Groups page, click on the Bulk add symbol, which is just to the right of the plus symbol above the user list.

4. At the Select a CSV file page, click on Download a sample CSV file.

5. At the File Download prompt, click Save and then choose a local subdirectory to save the file to.

6. Use Excel or a text editor such as Notepad to navigate to the location where the file was saved, and open the file named Import_User_Sample_en.csv.

7. Edit the file, replacing the sample entries with actual user accounts that will be imported into Lync Online.

8. When finished, save the file, and return to the select a CSV file page in the Online Portal. Click Browse, navigate to and select the import file, and then click Next.

9. At the Verification results screen, the results of the import process are displayed. If there are errors, click on the View link to display the log file and determine the cause of the errors. For example, in Figure 22.5 the log file reveals a spelling error in the domain name of one of the user accounts, whereas the other accounts were verified. At this point, it is possible to correct any errors in the CSV file, click the Back button, and then reimport the file.

Figure 22.5. Log file from the bulk user import process.

10. After all user accounts have been verified, at the Verification results screen click Next.

11. At the Settings screen, under Set sign-in status select either Allowed or Blocked to set the initial status of the users when the accounts are created.

12. In the Set user location section, use the drop-down menu to select the user’s location, and then click Next.

13. At the Assign licenses screen, select the check box for the Lync Online plan that the user will be licensed for, along with any other Office 365 services and plans that the organization has a subscription for.

14. At the Send results in email page, keep the default selection of Send email if the username and temporary password for the new account should be sent to an administrator via email, and then enter up to five recipient email addresses separated by semicolons. When finished, click Create.

15. At the Results page, verify that the user accounts have been successfully created, and make note of the temporary passwords automatically generated. Click Close to complete the procedure.