Importing data

Most organizations start with a spreadsheet. The Import button on any record list loads an Excel or CSV file into that type — mapping columns to fields, matching reference values to existing records, and updating existing records instead of duplicating them. Importing requires edit rights on the type.

Step 1 — upload the file

1. Open the type’s list and click Import.
2. Choose an Excel (.xlsx) or CSV file. The header row is detected automatically, and a preview of the first rows appears.

Dates in the file are recognized and normalized automatically, whatever format the spreadsheet used.

Step 2 — map columns to fields

Each file column is matched to a field of the type:

• Columns are auto-matched by name wherever possible — “Email” finds your email field.
• Override any match with the dropdown, or set a column to (skip) to ignore it.

Step 3 — map values

For columns that map to a reference field (a link to another record) or a list of choices, the import shows every distinct value found in the file and asks what each should become:

• Map to an existing record or option — a match is suggested by name; adjust it if needed.
• Create new — a new record of the target type is created for that value, up front, so all imported rows can point at it.
• Skip — leave that value empty on the imported rows.

This is how “Paris Marathon 2026” in a spreadsheet becomes a real link to your Event record.

Step 4 — update or skip existing records

To avoid duplicates, choose an optional key field — the field that identifies a record uniquely (an email, a member number, an external ID). For each row whose key matches an existing record, choose what happens:

• Update — the existing record is overwritten with the row’s values.
• Skip — the existing record is left untouched.

Rows with new keys are always created. Run the same file twice with a key field and you get updates, not duplicates — which also makes imports safe to re-run.

Step 5 — preview and import

A final preview shows exactly what will be imported. Click Import and the rows are loaded in small batches with a progress bar — large files import reliably, and you can watch the counts grow.

Every imported row goes through the same engine as a manually created record: validation, required fields, record IDs, workflows and notification rules all apply. An import can kick off your automations just like hand-entered data.

Results and errors

When the import finishes you get a summary — created / updated / skipped / failed — and a per-row list of failures with the row number and the reason (a missing required field, an invalid email…). Fix those rows in the file and re-import just them; with a key field set, the already-imported rows are simply updated or skipped.

Tips

• Clean the header row first — good headers mean better auto-matching.
• Import referenced types first (Events before Registrations), or let Create new in value mapping do it for you.
• Prefer a key field whenever the file might be loaded again.
• For recurring imports from another system, consider a scheduled integration job instead — same engine, no manual steps.