---
updatedAt: 2026-07-10T20:35:14.000Z
agentTools:
  projectIndex: https://developer.greatquestion.co/llms.txt
---

# Upload candidates to a study

Upload up to 5,000 candidates and add them to a study.

A `201 Created` response means the upload was accepted and is still processing. Use the returned
`data.background_task.status_url` to check its status. Wait until the status is `finished` before
uploading another batch to the same study.


# OpenAPI definition

```json
{
  "openapi": "3.0.1",
  "info": {
    "title": "API Reference (V1)",
    "version": "v1"
  },
  "security": [
    {
      "BearerAuth": []
    }
  ],
  "components": {
    "securitySchemes": {
      "BearerAuth": {
        "type": "http",
        "scheme": "bearer"
      }
    },
    "schemas": {
      "background_task_with_status_url": {
        "allOf": [
          {
            "type": "object",
            "properties": {
              "id": {
                "type": "integer",
                "minimum": 1
              },
              "account_id": {
                "type": "integer",
                "minimum": 1
              },
              "project_id": {
                "type": "integer",
                "minimum": 1,
                "nullable": true
              },
              "user_id": {
                "type": "integer",
                "minimum": 1
              },
              "status": {
                "type": "string",
                "enum": [
                  "pending",
                  "processing",
                  "finished",
                  "failed",
                  "cancelled",
                  "failed_internal"
                ]
              },
              "finished_at": {
                "type": "string",
                "format": "date-time",
                "nullable": true
              },
              "error_message": {
                "type": "string",
                "nullable": true
              },
              "action": {
                "type": "string",
                "enum": [
                  "bulk_delete",
                  "bulk_edit_candidates",
                  "bulk_create_candidates",
                  "bulk_shortlist",
                  "create_and_shortlist"
                ]
              },
              "created_at": {
                "type": "string",
                "format": "date-time"
              },
              "updated_at": {
                "type": "string",
                "format": "date-time"
              }
            },
            "required": [
              "id",
              "account_id",
              "user_id",
              "status",
              "finished_at",
              "error_message",
              "action",
              "created_at",
              "updated_at"
            ]
          },
          {
            "type": "object",
            "properties": {
              "status_url": {
                "type": "string",
                "description": "Relative API path to poll until the candidate upload finishes or fails",
                "example": "/v1/studies/11111/candidate_uploads/abc123"
              }
            },
            "required": [
              "status_url"
            ]
          }
        ]
      }
    }
  },
  "servers": [
    {
      "url": "https://{defaultHost}",
      "variables": {
        "defaultHost": {
          "default": "api.greatquestion.co"
        }
      }
    }
  ],
  "paths": {
    "/v1/studies/{study_id}/candidates": {
      "post": {
        "summary": "Upload candidates to a study",
        "tags": [
          "Studies"
        ],
        "description": "Upload up to 5,000 candidates and add them to a study.\n\nA `201 Created` response means the upload was accepted and is still processing. Use the returned\n`data.background_task.status_url` to check its status. Wait until the status is `finished` before\nuploading another batch to the same study.\n",
        "operationId": "addsStudyCandidates",
        "security": [
          {
            "BearerAuth": []
          }
        ],
        "parameters": [
          {
            "name": "study_id",
            "in": "path",
            "description": "The study ID",
            "required": true,
            "schema": {
              "type": "integer"
            }
          }
        ],
        "responses": {
          "201": {
            "description": "upload accepted",
            "content": {
              "application/json": {
                "examples": {
                  "upload_accepted": {
                    "value": {
                      "data": {
                        "background_task": {
                          "id": 12345,
                          "account_id": 321,
                          "project_id": 11111,
                          "user_id": 456,
                          "status": "pending",
                          "finished_at": null,
                          "error_message": null,
                          "action": "create_and_shortlist",
                          "created_at": "2026-07-09T14:42:18.355Z",
                          "updated_at": "2026-07-09T14:42:18.355Z",
                          "status_url": "/v1/studies/11111/candidate_uploads/abc123"
                        }
                      }
                    },
                    "summary": "Upload accepted",
                    "description": "Poll status_url until the upload status is finished or failed."
                  }
                },
                "schema": {
                  "type": "object",
                  "properties": {
                    "data": {
                      "type": "object",
                      "properties": {
                        "background_task": {
                          "$ref": "#/components/schemas/background_task_with_status_url"
                        }
                      },
                      "required": [
                        "background_task"
                      ]
                    }
                  },
                  "required": [
                    "data"
                  ]
                }
              }
            }
          },
          "401": {
            "description": "unauthorized"
          },
          "403": {
            "description": "unprocessable_entity for deleted study",
            "content": {
              "application/json": {
                "schema": {
                  "type": "object",
                  "properties": {
                    "errors": {
                      "type": "array",
                      "items": {
                        "type": "object",
                        "properties": {
                          "title": {
                            "type": "string"
                          },
                          "detail": {
                            "type": "string"
                          }
                        }
                      }
                    }
                  }
                }
              }
            }
          },
          "422": {
            "description": "unprocessable_entity for closed study",
            "content": {
              "application/json": {
                "schema": {
                  "type": "object",
                  "properties": {
                    "errors": {
                      "type": "array",
                      "items": {
                        "type": "object",
                        "properties": {
                          "title": {
                            "type": "string"
                          },
                          "detail": {
                            "type": "string"
                          }
                        }
                      }
                    }
                  }
                }
              }
            }
          }
        },
        "requestBody": {
          "content": {
            "application/json": {
              "schema": {
                "type": "object",
                "properties": {
                  "candidates": {
                    "type": "array",
                    "maxItems": 5000,
                    "description": "Candidates to add, up to 5,000 per request",
                    "items": {
                      "type": "object",
                      "properties": {
                        "first_name": {
                          "type": "string"
                        },
                        "last_name": {
                          "type": "string"
                        },
                        "email": {
                          "type": "string",
                          "format": "email"
                        },
                        "timezone": {
                          "type": "string"
                        }
                      },
                      "additionalProperties": {
                        "type": "string",
                        "description": "Additional values can be added dynamically after creating the proper Candidate Attribute for it in Great Question"
                      }
                    }
                  }
                },
                "required": [
                  "candidates"
                ]
              },
              "examples": {
                "candidate_upload": {
                  "summary": "Candidate upload",
                  "value": {
                    "candidates": [
                      {
                        "first_name": "Ada",
                        "last_name": "Lovelace",
                        "email": "ada@example.com",
                        "timezone": "America/Chicago"
                      },
                      {
                        "first_name": "Grace",
                        "last_name": "Hopper",
                        "email": "grace@example.com",
                        "timezone": "America/New_York"
                      }
                    ]
                  }
                }
              }
            }
          },
          "required": true,
          "description": "The candidates to upload"
        }
      }
    }
  }
}
```