# Importing Organisation Units Using CSV (Step-by-Step) | DHIS2 Metadata Series

**URL:** <https://community.dhis2.org/t/importing-organisation-units-using-csv-step-by-step-dhis2-metadata-series/71988>\
**Category:** Resources - Ressources\
**Tags:** beginners-guide, metadata, metadata-series, capacity-building, video-tutorial\
**Created:** [27 April 2026 13:05 UTC](https://community.dhis2.org/t/importing-organisation-units-using-csv-step-by-step-dhis2-metadata-series/71988 "2026-04-27T13:05:40Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Mayamiko](https://dhis2.b-cdn.net/user_avatar/community.dhis2.org/mayamiko/32/45166_2.png) [@Mayamiko](https://community.dhis2.org/u/Mayamiko)\
**Post date:** [27 April 2026 13:05 UTC](https://community.dhis2.org/t/importing-organisation-units-using-csv-step-by-step-dhis2-metadata-series/71988/1 "2026-04-27T13:05:41Z")

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Has anyone here ever created 1,000 organisation units in DHIS2? What was your process?

In my previous post, I shared how to bulk import data elements using CSV. This time, I’m applying the same approach to organisation units.

> [@Understanding Data Elements in DHIS2 | DHIS2 Metadata Series](https://community.dhis2.org/t/understanding-data-elements-in-dhis2-dhis2-metadata-series/71728):
>
> After working with categories (like age and sex) in the previous post titled: The next step is defining what you actually want to measure. In DHIS2, this is done using data elements, for example: Number of Voters Number of Registered Voters Number of Valid Votes Number of Invalid Votes In this short video, I walk through a simple election-based example and show how these can be created using CSV import. [[What Are Data Elements in DHIS2? #dhis2 #dataelements #datamanagement] ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRXUZQg1O40) T…

From my experience, setting up organisation units can quickly become time-consuming, especially when working with large hierarchies.

In this video, I walk through how to use a CSV file to import multiple organisation units, helping reduce manual work and minimise errors during system setup.

This approach is particularly useful when initializing a new system or scaling an existing one.

🎥 Watch here:

[![](https://dhis2.b-cdn.net/uploads/default/original/3X/8/9/8973d1f5343acdfd592ab7020522d959e228e7c6.jpeg "How to Add Multiple Organisation Units in DHIS2 Using CSV (Template Included)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRc6nLEYH8o)

For those who prefer written documentation, I’ve put together a step-by-step guide here:

Article link: [https://medium.com/learning-data/3-simple-steps-to-import-organization-units-into-dhis2-fast-cbe2a9ffd3d0](https://medium.com/learning-data/3-simple-steps-to-import-organization-units-into-dhis2-fast-cbe2a9ffd3d0)

[![image](https://dhis2.b-cdn.net/uploads/default/original/3X/a/e/aed6f96c8e8aac71bcea12368207d64707193d5f.png)](https://medium.com/learning-data/3-simple-steps-to-import-organization-units-into-dhis2-fast-cbe2a9ffd3d0)

To make this even easier, I’ve also created a small GitHub repository with **ready-to-use blank CSV templates** that already follow the correct structure and naming conventions.

The idea is to remove the guesswork, so you can focus on filling in your data rather than figuring out the format.

:github: GitHub Repository 👇

> **[GitHub - Zoonadi/dhis2-metadata-series: This repository contains the CSV files...](https://github.com/Zoonadi/dhis2-metadata-series/tree/main)**
>
> main

I’d be interested to hear how others approach handling the creation of multiple organisation units.

Finally, for those interested in following the series, you can find the next post here below: 👇

> [@When More Data Becomes a Burden: Why Indicators Matter in DHIS2 | DHIS2 Metadata Series](https://community.dhis2.org/t/when-more-data-becomes-a-burden-why-indicators-matter-in-dhis2-dhis2-metadata-series/72317):
>
> One of the recurring challenges in information system design is collecting large volumes of data that are never meaningfully used. This increases reporting burden and can ultimately affect data quality and use. In this short video, I briefly explore why indicators matter in DHIS2 and how they help guide more purposeful data collection and decision-making. movie_camera Watch here: [[Why Indicators Matter in DHIS2 #dhis2 #indicators #datamanagement] ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKSNtblvf38) This builds on some of the fo…