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.

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.

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

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

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.