Import a form or a list of candidates

What it is

Import lets you bring an existing role into Binary instead of building it from scratch. From the Forms home page, click ↓ Import (top-right) to open the import screen (https://binary.so/import-form), which asks "What would you like to import?" and offers two options:

• Import a list of candidates - Upload a spreadsheet. Creates a new form and fills it with the candidates from your spreadsheet. Optionally also paste a Google Form URL here to recreate that form's questions at the same time - this is how to bring in both a Google Form and its submitted candidates in one go.
• Import only a form - Supports Google Forms only. Recreates a Google Form as a Binary form (questions only, no candidates).

Note: Importing a candidate list here creates a new form to hold those candidates. To add candidates to a form you already have instead, see Import candidates into a form.

When directing a user to either flow on this page, put the raw URL in your reply text as a clickable link - https://binary.so/import-form - not just a description of where to click. "Home → ↓ Import" alone isn't enough; include the actual link.

Import only a form (from Google Forms)

1. Home page → ↓ Import → choose Import only a form.
2. Paste your Google Form URL (a docs.google.com/forms… or forms.gle… link).
3. Continue. Binary reads the Google Form and recreates its questions as a new Binary form.
4. When it finishes you land on the new form - review it in the editor and Publish when ready (see Create a form).

Only Google Forms are supported as a form source.

Import a list of candidates (from a spreadsheet)

1. Home page → ↓ Import → choose Import a list of candidates.
2. Upload your spreadsheet - a CSV file, up to 10 MB, with at least two columns.
3. Confirm important fields - map your spreadsheet columns to:
   • Candidate's name - required
   • Candidate's email - recommended (needed for the messaging feature to work; without it you can't message that candidate)
   • Binary also auto-detects a résumé/file column (columns named resume, cv, attachment, portfolio, etc.).
4. If your spreadsheet links to résumés stored in Google Drive, you'll be prompted to connect Google Drive so Binary can fetch those files (see Connect Google Drive).
5. Optional: also paste a Google Form URL. This flow has an optional Google Form link field alongside the CSV upload - if you have a Google Form whose responses you exported to the CSV, pasting that form's URL here recreates its questions in the new Binary form at the same time the CSV rows are imported as candidates. This is the way to bring in both the form and its submissions from a Google Form in one go - export the form's responses to a CSV, then use this flow with both the CSV and the form URL. (Pasting only a URL with no CSV is the separate "Import only a form" flow above, which brings in questions but no candidates.)
6. Continue. Binary creates a new form and imports the rows as candidates, showing progress ("Validating CSV…", "Finalizing form creation…", "Import complete!").
7. On success you'll see a "... candidates were imported successfully" confirmation and be taken to the new form's Responses page.

Notes & limits

• Both import types here create a new form - to add candidates to a form you already have, use Import candidates into a form instead.
• For candidate imports: name is required, email is recommended; the file must be CSV with at least two columns and under 10 MB.
• Only Google Forms can be imported as a form - other form builders aren't supported.