Exchange student information between [College] and CollegeVine through SFTP

Setup

Log into the CollegeVine Agent Platform at platform.collegevine.com/agents.
You should be brought to this page.
Select Integrations -> New
Name your integration, select Constituent Sync, and input your SSH public key and IP Address (see below how to generate the SSH key)
Set up the Import and Export query on your system. You will see the exact import and export paths in the UI
- For uploads: This query should include a CSV file with, at a minimum, the constituent's First Name, Last Name and Email address at a minimum.
  - If you want to share additional data columns, please include them in the csv file
  - 💡Tip: You can name your data fields whatever suits you and your team, and can insert the field values directly in the cells.
After sending the csv file via the query - in the CollegeVine Platform, select "Refresh" on the constituent sync. This will pull the file from the SFTP
Before mapping your properties in the integration screen, any custom properties you want to map must first be created under Constituents > Properties. Properties that have not been created in advance will not be available to map to your import's columns.

To create a custom property:
1. Navigate to the Constituents tab in your left side navigation.
2. Click the Properties tab at the top.
3. Click +New and fill in the following fields:
  - Property name — the field label as it will appear across the platform
  - Property description — optional, but useful for clarifying what the field contains
  - Property type — select Text, Number, or another available type. Note: property type cannot be changed after the property is created.
  - Contains sensitive data — check this if the field contains information that should be protected. When checked, constituent authentication is required before agents can access this property.
  - Workflow permissions — controls how agents can interact with this property:
    None — if this property contains sensitive data, agents may only use the retrieve_sensitive_properties tool to read it
    Read — agents may view the property but not modify it
    Set when missing — agents may read the property and set its initial value for constituents, but not overwrite an existing value
    Modify — agents may read or modify this property freely
4. Click Save.
💡 You can always go back and edit a property's name or description. However, you can't edit the property type once it's been set.

Important: Custom properties must be created in Constituents > Properties before you reach the mapping step. If a property does not exist yet, it will not appear as an option when mapping columns. Follow this resource to learn how to create properties.
You will then define the import schedule and map your properties to the existing CollegeVine properties.

Following this, you are all set up for the Constituent Sync!

How to generate the SSH key

CollegeVine authenticates your SFTP connection with an OpenSSH key pair. You generate the pair, paste the public key into CollegeVine, and keep the private key in your CRM or middleware.

Key requirements

Format: OpenSSH, not "New OpenSSH"
Key type: RSA
Size: 2048 bits or more
Passphrase: none

Slate is strict about all four and will reject a key that misses any of them.

Pick one of the three methods below and open it. The command line is fastest and needs no download on current operating systems. PuTTYgen is a visual alternative for Windows.

Command line: macOS and Linux

1. Open Terminal and make sure the .ssh directory exists:

mkdir -p ~/.ssh

2. Generate the key pair:

ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096 -m PEM -f ~/.ssh/collegevine -N ""

3. Print the public key. This is the value you paste into CollegeVine:

cat ~/.ssh/collegevine.pub

On macOS you can copy it straight to the clipboard instead:

pbcopy < ~/.ssh/collegevine.pub

4. Print the private key when your CRM or middleware asks for it:

cat ~/.ssh/collegevine

Command line: Windows (PowerShell)

Windows 10 version 1809 and later, and Windows 11, include the OpenSSH client. Nothing to download.

1. Open PowerShell and confirm the tool is available:

Get-Command ssh-keygen

If that returns nothing, add it from Settings > System > Optional features > Add an optional feature > OpenSSH Client, or run this in an administrator PowerShell window:

Add-WindowsCapability -Online -Name OpenSSH.Client~~~~0.0.1.0

2. Create the .ssh folder if it does not already exist:

New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force -Path "$env:USERPROFILE\.ssh"

3. Generate the key pair. When prompted for a passphrase, press Enter twice to leave it empty:

ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096 -m PEM -f "$env:USERPROFILE\.ssh\collegevine"

If you would rather run one command with no prompts, note that PowerShell does not pass an empty -N "" through correctly. Quote it as -N '""':

ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096 -m PEM -f "$env:USERPROFILE\.ssh\collegevine" -N '""'

4. Print the public key. This is the value you paste into CollegeVine:

Get-Content "$env:USERPROFILE\.ssh\collegevine.pub"

Or copy it straight to the clipboard:

Get-Content "$env:USERPROFILE\.ssh\collegevine.pub" | Set-Clipboard

5. Print the private key when your CRM or middleware asks for it:

Get-Content "$env:USERPROFILE\.ssh\collegevine"

PuTTYgen: a visual alternative for Windows

Use this if you prefer a visual tool, or if your machine does not have the OpenSSH client.

1. Download PuTTYgen from the PuTTY download page. Most machines need the 64-bit x86 MSI installer. To check whether your machine is 32- or 64-bit, go to Start > Settings > System > About and look at System type.

The PuTTY download page, showing the MSI installer options for 64-bit x86, 64-bit Arm, and 32-bit x86

The release number on that page changes over time. Take whatever the current stable release is.

2. Run the installer and accept the default options.

3. Open PuTTYgen, not PuTTY. Search Windows for puttygen.

Windows search results with the PuTTYgen app listed as the best match

4. Check that Type of key to generate is RSA and Number of bits in a generated key is 2048 or higher. These are usually the defaults.

The empty PuTTY Key Generator window with RSA selected and 2048 bits set

5. Click Generate, then move your mouse over the blank area until the green bar fills. PuTTYgen uses the mouse movement as randomness, and the buttons stay greyed out until it finishes.

The green progress bar that fills as you move the mouse to generate randomness

6. Leave Key passphrase and Confirm passphrase empty.

The generated key shown in PuTTYgen with both passphrase fields left empty

7. Copy the public key from the top box, starting at ssh-rsa and continuing to the very end of the key. This is the value you paste into CollegeVine.

The public key text highlighted in the top box, selected from ssh-rsa through to the end of the key

Two things to avoid here: do not copy the Key fingerprint line by mistake, and do not stop short of the end of the key. The rsa-key- value further down is PuTTYgen's key comment, not the start of your key.

8. Save the private key in the right format: go to Conversions > Export OpenSSH key. Do not choose "Export OpenSSH key (force new file format)", which produces the format Slate rejects.

The PuTTYgen Conversions menu open, showing Export OpenSSH key directly above Export OpenSSH key force new file format

9. PuTTYgen warns that you are saving without a passphrase. That is expected here. Click Yes.

The PuTTYgen warning dialog asking you to confirm saving the key without a passphrase

10. Open the saved private key file in a plain text editor such as Notepad to copy its contents. Do not open it in Word or a PDF reader.

Check you got it right

The public key is a single line beginning ssh-rsa. The private key begins -----BEGIN RSA PRIVATE KEY-----.

If you used the command line, do not drop -m PEM. It is what produces the format CollegeVine and Slate require. Without it, ssh-keygen writes -----BEGIN OPENSSH PRIVATE KEY-----, which is the "New OpenSSH" format Slate rejects.

Keep the private key private. Paste the public key into CollegeVine. The private key goes only into your CRM or middleware. Do not send it to CollegeVine and do not paste it into a support ticket.