Import data from a spreadsheet

You can bring existing data in from a CSV or Excel file rather than retyping it.

Prepare the file first

Most import problems are file problems, and five minutes here saves an hour of cleanup:

• One header row, at the very top. No title rows, no merged cells, no blank rows above the headers.
• One kind of record per file. Split a workbook that mixes clients and projects.
• Consistent dates. One format throughout, not a mix.
• Consistent choice values. In Progress, in progress and In-progress import as three different options.
• Numbers as numbers — strip currency symbols and thousands separators.

Import

1. Open the sheet the data should land in.
2. Start an import and choose your file.
3. Map each column to a field. This is the step that decides whether the import is useful — take it slowly.
4. Leave unmapped anything you do not want.
5. Run it, then check a handful of records.

Map to the right field type

Mapping a date column to a text field "works" and then quietly breaks everything downstream: no calendar view, no date filters, no sorting by time. Same for numbers you want to total, and for people you want to assign work to.

If the field does not exist yet, add it with the right type before importing.

After the import

• Spot-check the first and last few records, and anything with unusual characters.
• Check the counts. Fewer records than rows means some were rejected.
• Look at your choice fields for near-duplicate options created by inconsistent spelling, and tidy them.

Importing into linked sheets

Import the sheet that is pointed at first — clients before projects — so the records exist to link to. Then import the second and connect them.

Related: Build a sheet with custom fields · Relations, mirrors and rollups