Part 1: Slate → CollegeVine: AI Recruiter CRM Configuration
🎥 Here’s a video walkthrough of the Slate → CV steps 🎥
This guide assumes you’re a CRM admin in CollegeVine and an Administer in Slate. If you don’t already have a CollegeVine account, please reach out to [email protected].
1. Log into both Slate and CollegeVine.
2. Create an OpenSSH formatted public/private key pair using PuTTyGen. This is used to authenticate and secure the connection from Slate to CollegeVine.
To generate the key pair, follow the instructions in the
Public or Private keysection on using PuTTY directly from Slate’s documentation OR this easy step-by-step guide and video tutorial from CollegeVine.
Note: Slate is extremely specific about the key format. See requirements:The key pair must be “OpenSSH” format, not the “New OpenSSH” format
The key must be generated without a passphrase
Key type: RSA
Number of bits: 2048 or more
* Screenshot from Slate documentation
3. In CollegeVine, navigate to AI Recruiter > Students, then click CRM sync.
You will see the basic connection information listing:
The server name
A username
A path for uploading from Slate to CollegeVine
A path for downloading from Slate to CollegeVine (you can ignore this right now)
A text input for the SSH public key
A text input for the source IP addresses
4. Paste the entire contents of the OpenSSH formatted public key into the SSH public key input. The key should begin with rsa-key…
5. Paste in the IP addresses for Slate, based on the region where your instance runs.
Slate IP list: https://knowledge.technolutions.net/docs/outbound-networks
Add one IP address per line (don’t comma separate)
6. Go to Slate and visit Database > User Permissions to create a new user for the integration. Your user account must have the Administrator (All Access) role to create users.
Slate documentation on configuring Service Account (Remote) users: https://knowledge.technolutions.net/docs/sending-scheduled-exports-to-a-remote-sftp-server
7. On User Permissions, click New User, (you must create a new user even if you already have one for CollegeVine.) then:
Make it a
Service Account (Remote)user.Set the
User idfield to the CollegeVine SFTPUsernamevalue (screenshot in step 3)Paste the OpenSSH formatted private key into the
SSH Private Keyfield. This must begin with--BEGIN RSA....Activate the new user.
8. While still in Slate, navigate to Queries and define (or find) the query for the data you'd like to export into CollegeVine. You’ll need to make sure your query includes the below five required fields, plus any additional ones that you’d like to include:
Required fields:
First nameLast nameEmailAdmission year(YYYY)Date of birth(YYYY-MM-DD)
Highly recommended fields:
Phone number(+1XXXXXXXXXX)required to call students and gather consent to call
E.164 is the preferred format (+1XXXXXXXXXX), but can be accepted without country code for US numbers (XXXXXXXXXX)
Consents to AI phone calls(true/false or leave the value empty)required to identify leads that have already consented to AI phone calls
Please use the following values:
true= lead has explicitly opted inAI Recruiter will make phone calls without emailing for consent first
false= lead has explicitly opted outAI Recruiter will neither make phone calls nor email for consent
Leave the field empty if you are missing consent information for the lead
AI Recruiter will email the lead to ask for consent and then make phone calls accordingly
Lead stage field(s)to indicate where in the enrollment funnel your leads areMost partners include 1 or 2 lead stage fields, and use these fields for two main purposes:
To tell the AI Recruiter when to start/stop treating a lead
To give the AI Recruiter custom instructions on how to treat each lead (e.g., If stage = Application-Started then encourage the student to log back into their application portal at www.university.edu/apply/login)
Later, your team will work with your CollegeVine Project Manager to map your 1-2 lead stage field values to the funnel stages your AI Recruiter understands (see below) and set the logic for when to start/stop treatment.
Prospect
Inquiry
Application - started
Application - completed
Decision - accepted
Decision - rejected
Decision - waitlisted
Enrolled
If you have one stage field that maps nicely to the above options, great!
Otherwise, you can use up to two fields that, when combined, map to the funnel stages. For example, here’s what one partner did:
Field 1 (
Lead Stage):Prospect
Inquiry
Applicant
Enrolled
Field 2 (
Application Status):Started
Completed
In Review
Accepted
Rejected
Waitlisted
In this example:
Applicant + Waitlisted = Decision - waitlistedProspect = Prospect
Other suggested fields:
Any other fields you have that would be helpful for the AI recruiter to use to personalize messages to leads. Examples include:
Location fields: Street address, City, State, Zip code, or CountryIntended majorGenderPreferred NameFAFSA completedHas visited campus
Note: In a later step, you will be able to map each of these fields to a CollegeVine default property or create a Custom Property so your AI Recruiter knows how to handle each data point.
9. Once the query itself is ready, click on the query, then Edit Query, then Schedule Export.
10. Within the export modal, use the following settings to configure the necessary CSV file:
Select
Destination = Custom File TransferConnection =
sftp://<username>@sftp-sync.collegevine.comReplace
<username>with the CollegeVine username from Step 3
Path =
to_collegevine/<filename>%FT%T.csvReplace
<filename>with whatever you want the base filename to be
Encryption =
Secure TransferFormat =
DelimitedDelimiter =
Comma (,)Headers =
Include Header RowText Qualifiers =
Double quotes(")Line Endings =
<CR><LF>Encoding =
Unicode (utf-8)Suppress Empty = either
Allow empty filesorSuppress Empty Files
Slate Docs resource: https://knowledge.technolutions.net/docs/scheduling-exports
Example screenshot from CollegeVine’s Test Slate account:
11. Define a schedule and then click Save.
12. Navigate back to the specific query page, not the Edit Query page. This can be done by clicking the link to the query's name in the upper left.
13. Click on Run to SFTP. This kicks off the export process, which occurs in two phases. First, the file is exported from Slate into a staging directory and then transferred from the staging directory to CollegeVine's SFTP.
14. To monitor the transfer's progress, visit Database > Job Activity Monitor and look at the state of the Export and Transfer steps for the query. Both should be successful.
If one fails, you can review the logs and send them to our team for review if necessary.
15. After both export stages are complete, navigate back to the auto-sync configuration page on CollegeVine and open the Data schema configured tab.
16. You'll see your test filename listed in the Loaded file tab and should:
Certify communication consent (checkbox)
Choose how you want conflicts resolved
Map columns to CollegeVine properties, or create a custom property
Click
Next
📣Note: If you later change/update/add new fields to the file you send to CollegeVine, you must come back to this step, update the mapping, and save the changes! Otherwise, your future imports will fail.
17. You can enable the integration in CollegeVine by clicking Start the integration, which will begin importing records from the files that are uploaded.
Part 2: CollegeVine → Slate: AI Recruiter CRM Configuration
Before you start: The steps below assume you’ve completed the Slate -> CollegeVine steps first.
1. Log into Slate.
2. Visit Database > Source Formats
3. Create a new Source Format with:
Format =
CSVType =
One Time/ DifferentialRemap =
Inactive (for now)Scope =
Person/Dataset RecordDataset =
Person/Application RecordsUnsafe =
UnsafeHide =
Create Source interactionsDisable Queue = your choice
Update-Only =
Allow record creationDedupe =
Dedupe on first+last+email+dob
4. Now move over to the Format Definition tab. Add the default Slate CSV with headers xml snippet: <layout b="," h="1" t=""" />
5. Finally, on the Import Automation tab, configure the path and remote server.
Import Path/Mask =
from_collegevine/*.csvImport Remote Server =
sftp://<username>@sftp-sync.collegevine.comReplace
<username>with the CollegeVine username from Part 1, Step 3.
6. Before you start the Remapping process in Slate, the first export file must be generated by CollegeVine. CollegeVine will have generated your first export file (of max 5,000 records) shortly after you started the integration (Part 1, Step 17).
Any remaining batches of export file(s) will be sent starting at 12:00 am ET nightly. If you’d prefer not to wait until the next day to receive all your batches, you can click “Run an export now” to trigger the subsequent export files until you have 0 new records to export. See FAQ #4 below to learn more about export batch sizes.
7. Once an export file has been configured, you need to define the Remapping. To do this, navigate to your new Source Format and make sure you see a file in the Sources table. At this point, you will also need to edit the Source Format Remap to Active. Click on the Edit Mappings button in the upper right.
Note: If you don’t see a file in the Sources table yet and want to expedite the process, go to the database page and select Force process pickup, which will find any files in the SFTP folder and push them to the Source Format on demand. After that’s had a chance to run, you can go back and select Force process import, which will load the file into the Source Format so you can begin the remap process.
8. Define the source mappings you’d like to use. Presumably, these will mostly match the same fields you exported from Slate into CollegeVine, but you may want to map in some AI Recruiter-specific fields as well.
See the FAQ below for the list of AI Recruiter-specific fields CollegeVine sends back to you.
9. Once the mapping has been defined, edit the source format and set Remap to Active. You’ll also want to configure the Remap date to the current date.
Note: You have delete permissions in the SFTP folder, so once you’ve successfully ingested a file to Slate, you are more than welcome to delete it depending on your preferences. By default, Slate will move the files to an incoming/processed folder, which removes them from the from_collegevine folder and then deletes them after some time. Most partners choose to keep the default behavior.
🚀 That’s it! You now have a bi-directional data flow between Slate and your CollegeVine AI Recruiter!
FAQs
1. Which records should we include in our import to CollegeVine?
Slate’s default options are:
“Retrieve all records each time the query runs” or
“Retrieve only new records since the query was last run”.
We recommend you choose “Retrieve all records each time the query runs” in this case!
Queries > Your Query > Edit Query > Edit Properties
You can add new leads to your query/import file at any time, up until you hit your contracted amount.
2. Is there a limit to how many different files we can send to CollegeVine, the frequency of sending files, or how we organize which leads are in each file?
As long as all the lead files have identical column structures, there is no limit to the frequency of sending files or the number of lead files you can send to CollegeVine, or how you choose to batch which records are contained in each file.
Every time CollegeVine sees that you’ve sent a new file to the SFTP folder, we will begin ingesting it.
3. How often will CollegeVine send files back to us?
CollegeVine will usually send back files daily around 12:00 am ET.
4. Which records are included in the files I get back from CollegeVine?
Who:
We send you leads that you’ve uploaded to CollegeVine, as well as all of your CollegeVine-sourced connections (leads) that your AI recruiter has engaged with.
How:
We send only the leads that have been updated since the last time we sent you a file. (i.e. delta/differential)
Files will be sent in batches of 5,000 leads per file.
For example, if 12,500 records were updated since yesterday, you will receive 3 files of sizes: 5,000 leads, 5,000 leads, and 2,500 leads.
It is expected that you will get all your records back on your very first export, and then the differential going forward.
If, at any point, you send us new data for all your leads and update your mapping accordingly, we will send you back all your leads with that new value included (we see this as an update to the record!)
5. What columns are included in the files I get back from CollegeVine?
The files you receive back will include:
A. All of the columns that are successfully mapped in your import, using the naming convention from YOUR CRM to make it easier for you to ingest.
The field values will be updated if your AI Recruiter learns anything new while engaging with the lead.
Example:
The field values will be updated if your AI Recruiter learns anything new while engaging with the lead
B. Additional AI engagement data for each lead:
Summary of all AI communicationsNumber of chat messages sent by AI recruiterNumber of chat messages sent by the leadNumber of emails sent by the AI recruiterNumber of emails opened by the leadNumber of emails clicked by the leadNumber of outbound phone calls made by the AI recruiterNumber of outbound phone calls answered by the leadNumber of inbound phone calls made by the leadFor those with Website Recruiter included:
Self-reported identity
This field list was last updated on: 3/11/25
If you would like for these fields to show up in your CRM, you will need to create new fields or map them to existing fields that you already have in your CRM. We recommend creating new CollegeVine specific fields in order to maximize reporting efficiency.
Notes:
Each AI engagement stat represents all-time engagement per lead
If the data you imported contains columns with exactly the same column names as the AI engagement data above (which is possible, but unlikely), the CollegeVine metric columns will take priority.
We will update this documentation as new AI engagement data fields are added in the future. We will also send an email to all our AI partners notifying them when new fields are added.
If you have any questions or suggestions, please reach out to [email protected] or your Project Manager.
6. Which of the default CollegeVine properties are required for the file to process and for each lead to be successfully imported?
First name
Last name
Email
Admission year (YYYY)
Date of birth (YYYY-MM-DD)
7. I’m getting a few errors when trying to import records. Can you explain what each one means?
Date of birth missing - DoB is a required field (YYYY-MM-DD) and if a student record is missing a value in your DoB field, they cannot be imported.
First name missing - First name is a required field and if a student record is missing a value in your first name field, they cannot be imported.
Last name missing - Last name is a required field and if a student record is missing a value in your last name field, they cannot be imported.
Email missing - Email is a required field and if a student record is missing a value in your email field, they cannot be imported.
Admission year missing - Admission year (YYYY), also known as Entry or Enrollment Year, is a required field and if a student record is missing a value in your Admission year field, they cannot be imported.
Invalid email format - The email address provided is not formatted as an email. This often happens when you pass a name or phone number in the email field by accident.
Unsafe email - The email associated with the record was flagged by our email validation process, which screens all emails for potential bounces before importing them. If an email is likely to bounce, we mark it as “unsafe” and exclude that contact from the import. They won’t count toward your total amount. This process helps keep your AI Recruiter’s email deliverability high and maintains a strong sending reputation. There’s no action needed on your end for these records, it’s simply a tool in our verification system to ensure your AI Recruiter email health remains in top shape!
No new data available for import - There was no new data in the SFTP folder for CollegeVine to process.
Internal record creation failure - This means something went wrong during the import process on the CollegeVine side. We monitor these errors closely, but if you see this error, please flag it to your Project Manager or [email protected].
File '[name.csv]' contained unknown columns: [column names] - This means that there is at least one unmapped field detected in the file you sent and you need to go back and update your data schema configuration to ensure each of your fields is mapped a CollegeVine field. Otherwise, we won’t know how to interpret the file and the import will fail.
To update your field mapping, go to your Data Schema and click More details > Edit:
File '[name.csv]' was missing columns: [column names] - This means that the file was missing at least one field that you had previously mapped. Ensure your file has all the fields, or update your field mapping to remove the field you no longer wish to send.
Timed out: There was an issue with the import that caused it to time out. This is typically an error on the CollegeVine side and should happen infrequently. If you see this error, please flag it to your Project Manager or [email protected].
8. How do I update the fields included in my sync?
Update your query in Slate and send the new file via the SFTP connection
You might receive an "error" message for that first import because you now have newly unmapped fields - have no fear - this is expected!
Go into CRM sync settings page under AI Recruiter>Students
Click "More details" in the Data schema configured section.
Click "Edit"
Find your newly added fields and map them to a CollegeVine Property or create a new Custom Property
Note: If you don't see the new fields, try waiting 5-10 minutes and then refresh the page. This should give our system enough time to read the fields of the new file you sent.
Don't forget to save by clicking "Next"
Click the button that says "Retry 1 recent failed import"
9. What happens to previously loaded files added to the to_collegevine SFTP folder in the Auto-CRM sync?
The system will keep these files unless deleted. In the event of an import (CRM to CollegeVine) attempt, the system will process the most recent file added. If the import encounters an error, the system will attempt to reprocess the failed file. Previously loaded files will not be used if a new file has already been added to the directory.
You may manually trigger a reprocess by clicking on "Retry N recent failure/s". Once an import is successful, you are unable to retry importing a previous file.
10. Should we also add our exported connections from the Network Integration to the Auto-CRM sync? Will these records count against our allotment?
Yes, you should include your CollegeVine sourced leads in your sync to ensure that your AI recruiter has the most up to day information on these students
No, these will not count against your lead uploads allotment