Importing Courses and ISBNs into Compete and Connect

Importing Courses and ISBNs into Compete and Connect

This article walks you through how to manually import courses into Compete and then sync them into Connect. 

🎥 Prefer to Watch?

In This Article

• Step 1: Configure Your CSV File
• Step 2: Upload Your File
• Step 3: Match Data Fields
• Step 4: Verify and Complete Your Import
• Step 5: Sync with Connect 

Step 1: Configure Your CSV File 

To make courses available in Connect, you’ll first need to prepare a CSV file for import into Compete. 

1. Open a new Excel spreadsheet and include the following header fields:
   • ISBN (required) – We recommend using your specific IA ISBN. If that isn’t available, you may use a dummy ISBN or a print equivalent.
   • DEPT (required)
   • COURSE (required)
   • SECTION (required) 

   • INSTRUCTOR (optional)

     💡 Tip: Ensure your course and section data match what’s in your enrollment import, paying close attention to leading zeroes (e.g., 001). 
     For guidance, see Microsoft’s article on keeping leading zeros in spreadsheets.

2. Save your file as Comma Separated Values (CSV) — do not use CSV UTF-8 format, as it is not compatible.
3. Save your file locally. 

Step 2: Upload Your File 

1. Go to www.verbacompete.com and log in using your Compete username and password.
   • Note: You will use the same log in that you use for Manage and Connect

2. Click the gear icon ⚙️ and select Imports

   

3. If your term already exists and you’re updating an existing CSV, refer to the upper-left corner under Now Working to confirm you are working in the correct term.

   

4. Under Select a File, click Choose File and browse to your saved CSV.

   

5. Under Choose Catalog:
   • If the courses belong to an existing catalog, select it from the Import Into Existing Catalog dropdown.

   • If you are creating a new term, enter the catalog name into the field next to Create New Catalog.

     

   • Note: The Catalog Name must match your enrollment file to avoid needing custom term mapping later. 

6. Under Column Headers, confirm the toggle is set to Yes.

   

7. Click Start Import.

    

Step 3: Match Data Fields

You’ll now map the fields in your CSV to Compete’s data fields.

1. Required fields (highlighted in yellow) must be mapped: ISBN, Department Name, Course Name, Section Code, and Section Instructor Name (if included).

   

2. Do not map anything to Section Display Name.
3. Leave any unused data points blank.
4. After mapping, click Continue Import. 

Step 4: Verify and Complete the Import

Compete will review your file for errors. If your file included ISBNs, you’ll see title information for review.  

1. Review your field mapping for accuracy.
2. Leave the Overwrite ALL existing retail data box unchecked to safely add or update courses without deleting existing data.  
   • ✅ Unchecked: Adds or updates courses incrementally.
   • ⚠️ Checked: Erases all previously imported data for that catalog.

3. Click Complete Import and wait for the confirmation message: Import Complete.

   

If you created a new catalog, its name will now appear in the top-left corner under Now Working. You can review imported courses on the Courses page.  

Step 5: Sync with Connect

After completing your import in Compete, the data must now sync into Connect.

1. Log in to www.verbaconnect.com and log in using your Connect username and password
   • Note: You will use the same log in that you use for Manage and Compete
2. If you created a new catalog, allow 15–30 minutes for it to appear in the Connect dropdown menu.

3. Once the term is in Compete, you will see it appear in the dropdown at the top of your Connect dashboard.

   

4. Navigate to Settings and select Current Catalog Settings.

   

5. Scroll down and click Sync Compete Sections.

   

6. Click Save Changes.

    

7. Go to the Courses page and confirm that your newly imported sections appear under the correct term.

   

   • Note: Sync times may vary depending on the size of your import. 

✅ You’re all set! Once synced, your courses and ISBNs are now available for use in Connect.