Bulk import from spreadsheets

Reference

The import tool creates or updates many records at once from a CSV or Excel file. It suggests which column is which, checks the rows, and lets you fix problems on screen before anything is saved.

Overview#

A fleet company imports its vehicles and drivers; a merchant imports its stores and staff. Columns do not need a fixed order or exact header names: the tool suggests a match for each column and you confirm it. Nothing is saved until you commit. The columns each import accepts are on Import file columns; templates and saved mappings are on Import templates and mapping profiles.

What an import does#

A platform operator can also import vehicles and drivers, choosing the fleet company that will own them.

Where to find it#

The Data Exchange section of the sidebar holds Import Data, Import History and Mapping Profiles. It is shown to users who can add vehicles, drivers, stores or users. Imports can also be started from the vehicle, driver, store and staff lists, from the onboarding checklist and from the dashboard's Import Data card; see Import vehicles, drivers, stores or staff from a spreadsheet.

Files#

• CSV (.csv) or Excel (.xlsx), up to 10 MB.
• The older Excel format .xls is refused with a request to save the file as .xlsx.
• The first row holds the column headers; columns with a blank header are ignored. In an Excel file only the sheet that was open when the file was saved is read.

How an import runs#

1. Upload. Choose the import type and the file.
2. Map Columns. Each column of your file is matched to a system field. AI suggestions pre-fill the matches they are at least 70% confident of and show the confidence; weaker guesses appear only as a Possible match: hint. You can change any match or choose Reset to manual. Required fields must be mapped, and each system field can be mapped only once. A saved mapping profile fills in the columns it knows; any other column still needs a match.
3. Validation. Values are tidied (formats, obvious typos), then checked: types, required fields, and references to existing records such as a vehicle model or a store. A value that repeats inside the file in a column that must be unique (for example the same licence plate twice) is an error.
4. Preview. Rows with errors are highlighted with a message per cell, often with a suggested value you can apply. You can correct a value in place, or tick rows and choose Update Skipped Rows to leave them out.
5. Commit Import. The rows are saved and a summary gives the created, updated, skipped and failed counts.

When AI suggestions are unavailable, the import carries on with manual matching and the standard checks; it is never blocked.

Rules#

• Rows with errors are not imported. Rows that still have an error at commit, and rows you skipped, are left out and counted as skipped; the other rows are saved.
• A row can fail on its own. A row the system cannot save (for example a driver whose account cannot be created) is counted as failed and the other rows are still saved.
• Existing records. The preview marks a row as Duplicate when it matches a vehicle plate or store name you already have, or a driver's phone number already registered on the platform. Choose Skip to leave the existing record untouched. Otherwise the row follows the table above: it updates a vehicle or store, and a driver who already exists is skipped.
• Preview size. The preview shows up to 200 rows, with a note when the file has more. For a larger file, split it into files of 200 rows or fewer so you can review every row before committing.
• Large files. A file of more than 10,000 rows is checked and saved in the background. The import page updates itself, and you get a notification when the preview is ready and when the import completes or fails.
• Change history. Each record an import creates or changes is recorded in its history under the user who started the import.

Statuses#

stateDiagram-v2
    state "Pending" as pending
    state "Parsing" as parsing
    state "Awaiting Mapping" as mapping
    state "Validating" as validating
    state "Ready for Preview" as preview
    state "Committing" as committing
    state "Completed" as completed
    state "Failed" as failed
    [*] --> pending
    pending --> parsing
    parsing --> mapping
    mapping --> validating
    validating --> preview
    preview --> committing
    committing --> completed
    parsing --> failed
    validating --> failed
    committing --> failed

Import History lists your organisation's imports with their status. Each one opens to its file, counts and a timeline of changes.

Related#

• Import file columns
• Import templates and mapping profiles
• Import vehicles, drivers, stores or staff from a spreadsheet
• Save and reuse a mapping profile