Run csvde -i -f input.csv to import directory objects from a CSV file. The -i switch is essential: without it, CSVDE runs in its default export mode. Your file’s first row names Active Directory attributes, each subsequent row supplies values, and the dn column determines where each object is created.
What CSVDE imports and how the file is interpreted
CSVDE is the Windows Server command-line utility for exporting and importing Active Directory data in comma-separated form. Microsoft describes the format as compatible with Microsoft Excel CSV files and capable of carrying Unicode text.
- The first CSV row is the attribute header, such as
objectClass,dn, andsAMAccountName. - Every later row describes one directory object.
- The distinguished name (DN) identifies both the object name and its target container or organizational unit.
- Attribute order in an exported file is not guaranteed. Microsoft notes that LDAP may return attributes in any order and CSVDE does not impose an order.
Basic CSVDE import command
csvde -i -f input.csv-i selects import mode. If you omit it, CSVDE defaults to export. -f specifies the input or output file.
Useful command options
| Option | Purpose |
|---|---|
-i |
Import mode; required for an import. |
-f <file> |
Names the CSV file. |
-s <domain-controller> |
Specifies the domain controller to contact. |
-j <path> |
Sets the directory used for log files. |
-v |
Enables verbose output. |
-k |
Continues past a limited set of errors, including an already-existing object, a constraint violation, or an already-existing attribute/value. It does not make every import error harmless. |
Build a user-object CSV
Microsoft’s documented sample uses these columns:
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objectClass,dn,sAMAccountName,userPrincipalName,userAccountControl
user,"CN=KMyer,CN=Users,DC=cpandl,DC=com",KenM,KenM@cpandl.com,514This creates a row for a user object whose DN places it in the domain’s default Users container. The domain in Microsoft’s example (cpandl.com) is illustrative; replace it with the DN of your own directory.
Use the DN to select the destination
To place an object in an organizational unit, write that OU into the DN, for example:
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objectClass,dn,sAMAccountName,userPrincipalName,userAccountControl
user,"CN=RLee,OU=Staff,DC=example,DC=com",RLee,RLee@example.com,514The target container or OU must already exist, and the importing identity must be permitted to create the requested object and attributes there. Confirm the DN and schema in the target environment before running a bulk import.
Quote values when CSV syntax requires it
Enclose a value in double quotes when it contains a comma or other CSV-significant characters. Keep the header names identical to the LDAP attribute names expected by the directory.
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Password limitation and account state
CSVDE cannot set user passwords. The Microsoft Learn CSVDE command reference states: “You cannot import user passwords by using csvde because passwords must be sent over an encrypted channel.” Password provisioning therefore has to be a separate, secure operation that meets your organization’s identity and transport requirements.
Microsoft’s sample sets userAccountControl to 514. The same reference states: “Setting userAccountControl to 514 disables the user account.” Treat that value as the sample’s disabled-account behavior, not as a universal account policy. After import, use your approved password-setting and account-activation workflow; do not assume an imported user is ready for sign-in.
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Importing contacts
CSVDE can import directory objects when the CSV supplies a valid object class and the attributes required by the target Active Directory schema. Contacts are not interchangeable with users: they use a different object-class and attribute set.
Confirm the contact schema before writing columns
- Identify the contact object class and required attributes in the target directory’s authoritative schema or product documentation.
- Choose a DN for each contact that points to an existing container or OU.
- Build the header from the exact LDAP attribute names required for that contact class.
- Test one contact in a non-production OU, inspect the result, and only then prepare the full CSV.
Microsoft’s published CSVDE example demonstrates a user object, not a contact-specific schema. Consequently, do not copy the user row and merely rename it as a contact; obtain the contact class and required columns for your directory first.
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Run and verify the import safely
- Prepare a small test file. Use one or a few objects and verify every DN, object class, and attribute name.
- Select the domain controller if needed. Add
-swhen the import must target a particular controller. - Enable logging and verbosity while testing. For example:
csvde -i -f input.csv -s dc01.example.com -j C:CSVDELogs -v - Review the command output and log. Check which rows succeeded and which failed before expanding the file.
- Verify in Active Directory tools or with an LDAP query. Confirm the object DN, class, imported attributes, and— for users—the intentionally disabled state.
- Repeat only after correcting failures. If an object already exists or a value violates a directory constraint, fix the CSV or the destination rather than relying on
-kto conceal unrelated errors.
CSVDE versus LDIFDE
| Consideration | CSVDE | LDIFDE |
|---|---|---|
| Input format | Comma-separated values with an attribute header row. | LDIF entries. |
| Natural fit | Row-oriented bulk creation or exchange of directory objects. | Files that explicitly describe directory changes. |
| Documented change types | Use the CSV row structure and CSVDE command options. | Microsoft documentation shows changetype: add, modify, and delete. |
| Schema requirement | Both still require valid object classes, attributes, DNs, permissions, and constraints in the target directory. | |
Choose based on the file format your source system can produce and whether explicit LDIF change declarations are useful. Validate the exact operation and constraints against your current Active Directory rather than assuming one utility is universally superior.
Version and environment considerations
The principal Microsoft CSVDE command reference used for these syntax and examples is a previous-version page last updated in 2016 and lists Windows Server 2008-era through Windows Server 2012 applicability. Microsoft’s separate CSV script-format guidance is older Win32 documentation. These references establish the command form and CSV model, but they do not provide a release-by-release support matrix for every current Windows Server version or a complete permission model.
Before a production import, verify CSVDE availability, required privileges, schema, naming context, domain-controller selection, and organizational policies on the Windows Server and Active Directory version you actually operate.
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