Using Default Mapping in SIS / Automated Subscriber Uploads

 

This article explains:

• What default mapping is

• How it works with “all users” rules

• A common use case: assigning “Search for a Job/Internship” to all students, regardless of major

• How blank fields are handled in SIS imports (and when default mapping applies)

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What is default mapping?

When you connect your SIS (or upload automated subscriber files), you map fields from your file (like major, class year, program, etc.) to platform values (like Career Pathways, Communities, or other segments).

Default mapping lets you define what should happen when:

• A student’s record has no value for a mapped field, or

• The value in the file doesn’t match any of your configured mappings.

In other words, default mapping answers the question:

“If we don’t have a clear match for this student, what should they get by default?”

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Default mapping vs. “All users” mapping

You’ll typically see two related options when setting up mappings:

1. Default mapping

   • Applied when a record does not match any other mapping rule for that field.

   • Example: If no major or unmatched major is provided, assign X.

2. “All users” mapping

   • A special mapping that applies to every imported user, regardless of any other rules.

   • Example: Assign X to every student in the file, in addition to anything else they might receive.

You can use these individually or together, depending on your strategy.

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Example: Assign “Search for a Job/Internship” to all students

Some institutions (like liberal arts colleges) prefer not to map students to specific career pathways based on major. Instead, they may want all students to start with a broad, exploratory pathway such as “Search for a Job/Internship”.

Here are two ways to accomplish this using SIS mappings:

Option 1: Use an “All users” mapping

Use this if you want every student in your SIS file to get “Search for a Job/Internship,” no exceptions.

1. Go to your SIS / Subscriber Upload settings.

2. Open the mapping configuration for the relevant field (e.g., Career Pathway, Community, or similar).

3. Add a rule such as:

   • Condition: All users

   • Mapped to: Search for a Job/Internship

4. Save your mapping.

Result:
Every student record in each SIS import will be assigned to Search for a Job/Internship, whether or not they have a major, program, or any other value in your file.

This is ideal if:

• You don’t want any differentiation by major/program at this level, and

• You want one consistent, starting experience for all students.

Option 2: Use default mapping (when some students will have other mappings)

Use this if:

• Some students should get other specific assignments (based on major, program, etc.), but

• You still want a fallback (e.g., “Search for a Job/Internship”) for everyone who doesn’t match any rule.

Example configuration:

1. Under the same field (e.g., Career Pathway), add your specific mappings first, such as:

   • Biology majors → Health & Life Sciences

   • Computer Science majors → Technology & Engineering

2. Then configure your default mapping:

   • Condition: Default / No match

   • Mapped to: Search for a Job/Internship

3. Save your mapping.

Result:

• Students whose values match one of your specific rules (e.g., Biology, Computer Science) will get those mapped experiences.

• Students who don’t match any rule (e.g., undecided, liberal arts majors you don’t want to sort into a pathway, or blank/unknown values) will automatically be assigned to Search for a Job/Internship.

This is ideal if you:

• Want to support both specific pathways and a general default experience,

• Don’t want any student to be left without a meaningful assignment.

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How blank fields are handled in imports

When your SIS file is processed, each field in your mapping can receive one of three types of values:

1. A value that matches a rule

   • Example: Major = “Computer Science” and you have a rule for “Computer Science” → Technology pathway.

   • What happens? The mapped value is applied.

2. A value that does not match any rule

   • Example: Major = “Interdisciplinary Studies,” but you have no rule for that major.

   • What happens?

     • If you’ve set a default mapping for that field, the default is applied (e.g., Search for a Job/Internship).

     • If you haven’t set a default mapping, nothing new is assigned for that field.

3. A blank (empty) value in the file

   • Example: The Major field is empty for a student.

   • What happens?

     • The system treats this similarly to “no match”:

       • If a default mapping is configured, the default is applied.

       • If no default mapping is configured, the field is left unchanged by this import.

If you rely on defaults, this ensures that students with incomplete SIS data still land somewhere meaningful, instead of being left without any assigned pathway.

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When should I use default mapping?

Default mapping is especially helpful when:

• Your SIS data isn’t perfectly standardized (e.g., lots of majors, custom programs, or occasional typos).

• You want to avoid “orphaned” students who don’t receive any mapping because their values don’t match your rules.

• You want a universal baseline experience (like “Search for a Job/Internship”) for anyone who doesn’t fall into a specific category.

For liberal arts or exploratory-focused institutions, a great pattern is:

• Do not create major-based pathway rules, and

• Use either:

  • An “All users” mapping to Search for a Job/Internship, or

  • A default mapping to Search for a Job/Internship (plus a few targeted exceptions, if needed).

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Quick setup checklist

When you configure SIS mappings for something like Career Pathways:

1. Decide:

   • Do we want everyone to get Search for a Job/Internship?

     • If yes, use an “All users” mapping.

   • Do we want some students to get special pathways and everyone else to get Search for a Job/Internship?

     • If yes, set up specific rules plus a default mapping to Search for a Job/Internship.

2. Confirm how your SIS file handles blanks:

   • If some students are missing a value (e.g., no major yet), make sure you have a default mapping so they still get assigned somewhere.

3. Test with a small file or sample run:

   • Check a few records that:

     • Match a rule

     • Don’t match any rule

     • Have a blank value

   • Confirm they’re assigned as expected.

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Have questions? Our support team is happy to help. Reach out to our support team here!