Troubleshooting Census Upload

Census upload is one of the most important steps in creating a Proposal. This guide covers the most common issues and how to resolve them.

Supported File Formats

Monark accepts the following census formats:

| Format | Extensions | Notes | | ------ | ----------------- | ------------------ | | Excel | .xlsx, .xls | Recommended | | CSV | .csv | Widely supported | | PDF | .pdf | AI extraction used | | Images | .png, .jpg, .jpeg | AI extraction used |

If your file is in a different format (e.g., .numbers, .ods), export it to Excel or CSV first.

Census Template Changes (July 2026)

The official Monark census template has been updated:

Tier columns removed — Rate tier columns have been removed from the template. Existing census files that contain tier columns can still be uploaded; Monark will prompt you to map or ignore those columns during the review step.
Critical Illness per-unit rating — CI plans now use per-unit benefit rating. If your group includes CI coverage, the census accepts a per-unit benefit amount for enrolled members rather than a tier designation.

Census Template Changes (August 2026)

The Monark census template has been redesigned with improved structure for groups with dependents:

Dependent guidance — The updated template includes clearer column labeling and instructions for entering dependent information, making it easier to correctly record spouse and child members alongside the employee subscriber.
Coverage tier fields — The template now includes enrollment tier fields indicating which household coverage tier (Employee Only, Employee + Spouse, Employee + Children, Family) applies to each enrolled member, enabling more accurate premium calculations when the file is processed.

Existing census files in the previous template format remain fully supported. The redesigned template is available for download from the census upload screen.

Common Issues & Fixes

"Some rows were skipped" or validation errors

Monark validates every row during upload. Rows with errors are flagged but don't block the rest of the upload.

Most common causes:

Missing required fields — Family ID, First Name, Last Name, Date of Birth, Gender, ZIP Code, and Relationship are all required
Date of birth format — must be MM/DD/YYYY (e.g., 04/15/1985, not 1985-04-15)
Invalid gender values — must be M or F
Invalid ZIP code — must be a 5-digit U.S. ZIP
Unrecognized relationship type — valid values are: employee, spouse, child, domestic_partner

Fix: After upload, review the preview table. Rows with errors are highlighted in red. You can edit them inline before saving.

Messy or inconsistent column headers

Monark automatically maps column headers to the correct fields, even if they don't match exactly. You don't need to rename columns or use a specific template.

If Monark can't confidently map a column, it will ask you to confirm the mapping before proceeding.

Unrecognized columns are now blocked, not silently dropped. If your file contains columns Monark can't map, they are flagged before you can advance. You'll need to either assign them to a known field or confirm they should be ignored. This prevents census data from disappearing during upload without your knowledge.

File exported from an AMS (e.g., PACOM, Applied, Ease)

AMS exports often include extra rows, merged cells, or non-standard formatting. Monark is built to handle these — just upload the file as-is. The AI extraction layer will clean and map the data.

If specific rows are still failing after upload, edit them inline in the census preview table.

PDF or image census isn't extracting correctly

For PDF and image uploads, Monark uses AI to extract member data. Results are shown for review before saving — always review the extracted data carefully.

If extraction is incomplete or inaccurate:

Check that the document is legible and not heavily compressed
Try uploading a higher-quality scan if available
Manually correct any misread fields in the preview table
As a fallback, manually enter members using + Add Member

Dependent plan names don't match available plans

When your census includes a Current Plan Name column for dependents, Monark validates that those plan names match the plans configured in the RFP. If a dependent's plan name doesn't match any recognized plan, the affected rows are flagged with a plan mismatch warning before you can proceed.

What to do:

Review the flagged rows in the census preview table
Update the plan name to match an available plan option, or clear the field if the plan name isn't needed
If the plan isn't listed yet, configure it in the coverage settings before re-uploading the census

I uploaded the wrong file

You can re-upload the census at any time from the Census tab of your Proposal. Uploading a new file will replace the existing census data — review carefully before confirming.

I need to add or edit individual members after upload

Open the Census tab from your Proposal
Click any member to edit their details
To add a new member, click + Add Member
Make sure new dependents share the same Family ID as their employee

Family groupings look wrong

Each employee and their dependents should share the same Family ID. If dependents are appearing as separate employees, or families are split:

Open the Census tab
Locate the affected members
Update the Family ID so that dependents match their employee's ID

No Family ID column in your file? If your census doesn't include a Family ID column at all, Monark automatically derives family groupings from the subscriber/dependent relationship structure in the file. Employees are treated as the primary subscriber and their dependents are grouped under them. You do not need to add a Family ID column — Monark handles this during census processing.

Blank fields on dependent rows

Monark automatically fills in missing values for dependents when the same field is populated on the subscriber (employee) row. For example, if a dependent row is missing a ZIP code but the employee's ZIP code is present, Monark will inherit that value during upload.

An Inheritance Summary panel appears during census review when this occurs, listing exactly which fields were auto-filled. Review it carefully — if an inherited value isn't accurate for a specific dependent, correct it in the preview table before saving.

Blank plan selections on dependents are treated as waived

If a dependent's plan selection field is blank, Monark treats this as the dependent waiving that coverage — it is not inherited from the subscriber row. Plan enrollment is an explicit decision and is not assumed from the employee.

If a dependent should be enrolled in the same plan as the employee, ensure their plan field is populated before saving the census.

Can I Skip Census Upload?

Yes — click Continue without census during Proposal setup. You can add members later from the Census tab. Note that instant medical quoting requires census data with valid ZIP codes before it can run.

Still Having Trouble?

Start a chat at monarkhq.com and the Monark team can help walk through your specific file. You're also welcome to book a time for a live walkthrough.