---
title: "Manual Audience"
slug: "manual-audiences"
updated: 2026-11-04T15:32:47Z
published: 2026-11-04T15:32:47Z
canonical: "docs.thrivelearning.com/manual-audiences"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.thrivelearning.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Manual Audience

A **Manual Audience** is an Audience whose membership you control directly – you choose exactly which users are added, rather than relying on rules. This is in contrast to a [Smart Audience](/v1/docs/smart-audiences), which automatically adds and removes members based on rules you define.

You can add users to a Manual Audience in one of two ways: individually, or in bulk using a CSV upload.

## Create a Manual Audience

To create a Manual Audience, follow the steps in [Create Audience](/v1/docs/create-an-audience#setup), selecting **Manual Audience** under **Audience Type**.

## Add Members to a Manual Audience

### Add Members Individually

1. In **Manage** > **Structures & Audiences**, open the Audience.
2. On the **Members** tab, click **+ Add members**.
3. In the **Add members** modal, search for and select the user(s) you want to add.
4. Click **Add members**.

The selected user(s) are added to the Audience and appear on the **Members** list.

### Add Members in Bulk

1. In **Manage** > **Structures & Audiences**, open the Audience.
2. On the **Members** tab, click the down arrow (**˅**) next to **Add members** and select **Bulk upload (CSV)**.
3. (Optional) In the **Add members – CSV upload** click **Download a template** if you need a template to work from.
4. Drag and drop your CSV file into the upload area, or click **Browse** to locate it, then click **Upload**.

> [!NOTE]
> Note:
> 
> If the file can’t be processed, an error is displayed on-screen. Common issues include CSV headers not matching the template, and an incorrect file format.
5. Click **Add members** to complete the import.

Once the upload is confirmed, you’ll see a confirmation message, and the users are added to your Audience.

## Next Steps

A Manual Audience is the only audience currently that can be used to bulk-assign skills to its members. For more details, see [Assigning Skills to an Audience](/v1/docs/assigning-skills-to-an-audience).