Multi-select values

Managing fields that allow multiple selections (e.g., Distribution Lists, Multi-select Custom Fields) requires specific handling in Excel, as standard drop-down menus do not support multiple choices.

• 1 - Data Format in Excel
• 2 - Adding Values (Concatenation)
• 3 - Removing Values
• 4 - Emptying vs. Ignoring Fields

1 - Data Format in Excel

In your exported Excel file, multi-select values are presented as a comma-separated list (e.g., user1@company.com, user2@company.com).

To find the allowed values for these fields, refer to the Reference Tabs included in your Excel workbook (e.g., distribution_members_id, custom_field_options, etc.).

[WARNING] Avoid overwriting by mistake! If a field already contains three users and you enter only a fourth one, the original three will be deleted and replaced by the new one.

2 - Adding Values (Concatenation)

To add a new value to an existing list across multiple rows without losing current data, you should use an Excel formula to append the new entry.

Example: Adding new_user@company.com to a distribution list in cell A4:

You can use a temporary column with the following US-format formula:

=IF(ISBLANK(A4), "new_user@company.com", CONCATENATE(A4, ", ", "new_user@company.com"))

Once the formula is applied:

1. Drag the formula down for all rows.
2. Copy the result.
3. Paste Special > Values back into the original column.

3 - Removing Values

To remove a specific value from a multi-select list, the easiest method is to use Excel’s Find & Replace (Ctrl+H) function:

1. Remove the trailing value: Replace ", new_user@company.com" with nothing.
2. Remove the leading/sole value: Replace "new_user@company.com" with nothing.
3. Ensure no double commas ,, remain in your strings.

4 - Emptying vs. Ignoring Fields

The application interprets the content of multi-select cells as follows:

Cell Content	Result in Procore
Existing values	No change (Current values are maintained).
Empty cell	No change (The application ignores empty cells to prevent accidental data loss).
###	Clear all values (Use this specific string to completely empty a distribution list or multi-select field).
New list	Overwrite (Procore will update the list to exactly match your Excel string).