March 31st, 2026 - Bulk Recognitions in Awardco: How to Send and Manage Them

GabbyBeckstrom

Bulk Recognitions

Bulk recognitions are a powerful way to celebrate many people at once—perfect for bonus payouts, wellness campaigns, or company-wide appreciation moments. Instead of recognizing each person individually, admins can upload a file and let Awardco handle the rest.

This guide provides an overview of how bulk recognitions work, how to send them, and how to manage common scenarios.

What Is a Bulk Recognition?

A bulk recognition is a batch of recognitions submitted via a file (usually a CSV) to reward multiple recipients at once.

Common Use Cases

• Quarterly or annual bonus distributions
• Wellness or incentive campaigns (e.g., “Hit your health goal” rewards)
• One-time appreciation events (Employee Appreciation Day, holidays, etc.)

Bulk recognitions follow many of the same rules as standard recognitions. For example, points sent in bulk may still count against a sender’s program allowance in peer-to-peer programs.

How Bulk Recognitions Are Sent (High-Level Flow)

1. Prepare the CSV
   Admins create a CSV using the required template. This includes fields such as:
   • Recognition date
   • From/To user
   • Note
   • Amount
   • Program
   • Visibility
   • Email template
2. Upload the File
   Upload the CSV through:
   Admin Settings → Queues Tab → Bulk Recognition Builder
3. Processing
   Awardco converts each row into an individual recognition and queues them for sending.
   • On high-volume days (e.g., Employee Appreciation Day), processing may take longer.
   • Recognitions may remain in a “pending” state until the queue clears.
4. Delivery
   Once processed:
   • Recognitions appear in recipients’ feeds
   • Email notifications are sent (if configured)

Step-by-Step Best Practices

1. Confirm Program Details

Identify the recognition program (e.g., Wellness, Bonus, Peer-to-Peer) and confirm:

• Point or currency amounts
• Budgets
• Visibility (public or private)
• Limits or eligibility rules (e.g., yearly allowances)

2. Use the Correct CSV Template

• Use the official template from Awardco or your CSM
• You can also find it where you upload the CSV
• Typical columns include:
  • Recognition date
  • From/To ID or email
  • Note
  • Amount
  • Budget name
  • Visibility
  • Program name
  • Email template

Important:
Do not add or remove columns unless instructed—this is a common cause of upload errors.

3. Fill Out the CSV Carefully

• Complete all required fields
• Use correct formatting (e.g., ISO 8601 dates: 2026-02-13T12:00:00-05:00)
• Ensure all users exist in Awardco (by ID or email)
• Match Budget Name and Program Name exactly as they appear in your system

4. Configure Email Behavior

Decide whether recipients should receive email notifications:

• If an email template is attached → recipients will receive emails
• If no template is selected → no email will be sent
• There is no default or fallback email

5. Upload the File

Upload your completed CSV under the Queues tab using the Bulk Recognition Builder.

6. Verify Queue & Status

• Recognitions will appear in a processing or pending queue
• Expect delays during high-traffic periods
• Items remain pending until the system has capacity

7. Spot-Check Results

After processing:

• Confirm recognitions appear in recipients’ feeds
• Verify correct note, amount, and program
• Check that emails were sent (if configured)

If emails are missing:

• Confirm an email template was attached before processing
• If not, emails will not be sent

Additional Resources

Below are two helpful articles that walk through the bulk recognition process and answer common questions.

https://awardco.my.site.com/Customerhelp/s/article/Building-a-CSV-File-for-Bulk-Recognition?language=en_US

https://awardco.my.site.com/Customerhelp/s/article/Bulk-Recognition-Builder?language=en_US