Prepare a Custom Attributes CSV for SFTP

Use a Custom Attributes CSV when you want to add extra information about members in Pulsate. These attributes can then be used for segmentation and personalization.

Examples of custom attributes:

whether a member is enrolled in eStatements;
how many checking accounts a member has;
a member's account type;
the status of a loan application;
the date a member joined.

This page explains how to prepare the CSV file before you upload it by SFTP.

Quick Checklist

Before uploading, make sure:

The file is saved as CSV.
The first row contains the exact required column headers.
Every row has a member alias.
Every row has one attribute name, one value, and one value type.
Attribute names use letters and underscores only.
Dates use YYYY-MM-DD format, for example 2026-05-31.
True/false values are written as true or false.
Numbers do not include currency symbols, percent symbols, or commas.
Member aliases and product IDs are formatted as text in your spreadsheet, so leading zeroes are not removed.
Sensitive data is included only if your Pulsate team has confirmed it should be sent.

The Most Important Rule

Each row in the file updates one attribute for one member.

If one member has three attributes, that member appears on three rows.

Example:

Member alias	Attribute	Value
`user123`	`account_type`	`personal`
`user123`	`enrolled_estatements`	`true`
`user123`	`checking_account_count`	`2`

In the CSV file, those become three separate rows with the same alias.

CSV Template

Start with this header row:

alias,n,v,t,source,product_id,category

You can leave source, product_id, and category blank if Pulsate has not asked you to use them.

Example:

alias,n,v,t,source,product_id,category
user123,checking_account_count,2,integer,,,
user123,enrolled_estatements,true,boolean,,,
user123,account_type,personal,string,,,
user124,member_since,2021-09-15,date_ago,,,
user125,auto_loan_status,application_started,string,Loan Origination System,AUTO2024,Auto Loan
user126,auto_loan_status,application_complete,string,Loan Origination System,AUTO2024,Auto Loan

Column Guide

Column header	Required?	Plain-English name	What to enter
`alias`	Yes	Member ID	The unique member identifier already used for this member in Pulsate.
`n`	Yes	Attribute name	The name of the attribute you are adding or updating. Use letters and underscores only.
`v`	Yes	Attribute value	The actual value for this member.
`t`	Yes	Value type	The type of value you entered in `v`. Use one of the accepted types below.
`source`	No	Data source	Where this data came from, such as `Core Banking` or `Loan Origination System`.
`product_id`	No	Product ID	A consistent product identifier when the attribute is connected to a product.
`category`	No	Product category	A broad product group, such as `Auto Loan` or `Certificate of Deposit`.

Choosing the Right Value Type

The t column tells Pulsate how to read the value in the v column.

Use this type in `t`	Use it for	Example `v` value	Notes
`string`	Text, labels, statuses, names, IDs	`personal`	Use this when the value is not a number, date, or true/false value.
`boolean`	Yes/no or true/false fields	`true`	Only use `true` or `false`. Do not use `yes`, `no`, `1`, or `0`.
`integer`	Whole numbers	`3`	Use for counts. Do not include decimals.
`numeric`	Numbers that can include decimals	`1520.75`	Do not include `$`, `%`, or commas.
`date_ago`	Dates	`2026-05-31`	Use `YYYY-MM-DD` format unless Pulsate has specifically asked you to send Unix timestamps.

Attribute Name Rules

The n column is the attribute name. Use simple, consistent names.

Good names:

Good attribute name	Why it works
`account_type`	Uses lowercase letters and underscores.
`enrolled_estatements`	Clear true/false meaning.
`checking_account_count`	Clear count meaning.
`auto_loan_status`	Clear status meaning.

Names to avoid:

Avoid	Use instead	Why
`Account Type`	`account_type`	Spaces are not allowed.
`Account-Type`	`account_type`	Hyphens are not allowed.
`Checking Account Count`	`checking_account_count`	Spaces are not allowed.
`auto loan status`	`auto_loan_status`	Use underscores between words.

Keep the same attribute name every time you send the same kind of data. For example, do not use account_type in one file and acct_type in the next file unless Pulsate has told you to change it.

When to Use the Optional Product Columns

Most files do not need the optional columns. Leave them blank unless your Pulsate team has asked you to use them.

Use source when you want to show where the data came from.

source
Core Banking
Loan Origination System

Use product_id when the attribute belongs to a specific product and that product has a consistent ID across members.

For example, if several members have the same auto loan campaign product, use the same product ID for that product on every matching row:

product_id
AUTO2024

Use category for the broad product group:

category
Auto Loan
Certificate of Deposit
Checking

Spreadsheet Example

Many teams start with a spreadsheet that looks like this:

alias	checking_account_count	enrolled_estatements	account_type
user123	2	true	personal
user124	1	false	business

Before upload, change it to one row per member attribute:

alias	n	v	t
user123	checking_account_count	2	integer
user123	enrolled_estatements	true	boolean
user123	account_type	personal	string
user124	checking_account_count	1	integer
user124	enrolled_estatements	false	boolean
user124	account_type	business	string

Then save the spreadsheet as a CSV file.

If you use Excel or Google Sheets, format the alias and product_id columns as text before saving. This prevents the spreadsheet from changing values such as 001234 to 1234.

Common Problems to Check Before Upload

Problem	Example	How to fix it
Missing required column	Header row does not include `t`	Use the exact template header.
Spaces in attribute names	`account type`	Use `account_type`.
Boolean value is not accepted	`yes`	Use `true`.
Number includes formatting	`$1,250.00`	Use `1250.00`.
Date is unclear	`05/06/26`	Use `2026-06-05`.
One member has many columns	One row contains all member data	Convert it to one row per attribute.
Product ID changes by member	`Auto Loan for user123`	Use a consistent product ID for the same product.

Final Review Before Sending

Open the CSV and check:

Does the first line match this exactly?

alias,n,v,t,source,product_id,category

Does each row have only one member attribute?
Are all required cells filled in?
Are all t values one of string, boolean, integer, numeric, or date_ago?
Are optional fields blank when they are not needed?

Need Help?

If you are unsure how to format an attribute, send a small sample file to your Pulsate Customer Success Manager or email [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]) before uploading the full file.