User guide
Preparing your data
A well-structured CSV helps the application map survey fields, identify respondents’ Census geographies, and compare your sample with population benchmarks.
File requirements
- Upload a comma-separated values file with a .csv extension.
- Use the first row for clear, unique column names.
- Place one respondent in each row.
- Keep one survey item or respondent attribute in each column.
- Remove test responses and duplicate records before uploading.
Supported fields
| Field | How it is used | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Home address or ZIP code | Assigns records to Census geography | Full addresses provide the most geographic detail. |
| Gender | Compares sample and ACS gender distributions | Categories without a comparable ACS benchmark may be shown but not scored. |
| Race and ethnicity | Compares sample and ACS race/ethnicity distributions | Use consistent labels throughout the file. |
| Age | Places respondents into ACS-compatible age groups | Numeric ages are preferable to inconsistent text ranges. |
| Household income | Compares household-income distributions | Use mutually exclusive ranges where possible. |
Address formatting
For the best match rate, provide street, city, state, and ZIP code in one field.
Recommended format
123 Main Street, Madison, WI 53703Records that cannot be matched are excluded from geography-specific calculations but should be reviewed as a potential source of missingness or bias.
Before uploading
- Check that column names describe the survey item or demographic field.
- Review missing values and decide how refusals or “prefer not to answer” responses are coded.
- Confirm that demographic categories are consistent.
- Remove direct identifiers that the analysis does not require.
- Keep a protected copy of the original file.