Import Data

You can configure your app to include an Import button on any Collection view or section. When enabled, this will allow your app users to import data to that collection.

When importing data you can create new records or update existing ones with the row ID. This is a great way to let your team or clients create and update the data they need from your app.

Configuring Imports:

1. Navigate to the Collection View or Section: Start by choosing the specific collection view or section where you'd like to enable the import functionality.

2. Add Import Button: Once inside the chosen collection view or section, turn on Build Mode and open the build-mode sidebar. Open the "Buttons" sections and then enable the "Import Button" . This will add an import button to your collection view or section.

3. Configure Button Settings: Upon selecting 'Import', you will be presented with a settings menu. Here, you can configure the button label, and the data fields to which you want to import data. For each data field, you can specify its label, or whether the field is hidden or not.

   If you want a certain field to have a predefined value for all the imported rows (for instance, setting the "status" column as "Lead" for all newly imported contacts), simply set that field as hidden and provide the desired value.

   

Using the Import Feature:

1. Navigate to the Collection View or Section: To start importing data, navigate to the collection view or section where you've added the import button.

2. Prepare your CSV File: Make sure your data is formatted as a CSV file. The columns in your CSV should correspond to the data fields you have specified in your import configuration.

3. Click on the Import Button: Locate the 'Import' button and click on it. A file dialogue box will open. Select your prepared CSV file and click 'Open'.

4. Map your CSV columns to your Fields: The next screen will give you a summary of how many rows are in your CSV, and let you map CSV Columns to the Noloco Fields. For example you might need to match your Name field to the name column. Noloco will automatically pre-map any fields with matching names, but your names might differ slightly between your CSV and your Columns.

   
5. Review your Imported Data: After the import process is complete, your new data should be visible in the selected collection view or section. Note that any hidden fields will be populated with the predefined values you set during the import configuration. You will receive an email when the import is complete, with any errors that occurred during the import.

Updating existing data

If you want to update your existing data instead of creating new data, ensure the id field is enabled in your import configuration, and map the id field to a column of Noloco IDs for that table. I.e. if you want to update the Thomas Smith Application record, and it has a Noloco ID of 52 you need to make sure that that is included in your CSV and when importing map the id field to the Noloco ID column in your CSV.

Importing linked fields

If your table has a link to another field, like the Job field in the example above. To link these records automatically during the import you have two options:

1. Use the Noloco ID of the Job. You can do this by putting the numeric ID in the Job column. You can see this in the example above, where the Job field is mapped to the job ID CSV column. The Noloco ID is a number that represents the field.

2. Use the text value of the record's primary field. Noloco will automatically match any text value to an existing record with that value. For example, if the Job name was Brian Smith - Attic Conversion it would link it to the Job with that value as the primary field.

Prefilling Values

You can give a field a static value that doesn't need to be included in the import. For example, when importing applications you can set them all to be pending review

To do this, change the import field's configuration to hidden and then choose the value that you want to include.