Do you need to add object data for a new group of objects or update information for existing objects? Instead of entering information object by object, you can import the data with a CSV.
Anyone who works with CSVs knows they can be a bit finicky. And if you've never worked with them, you may be asking yourself, "What's a CSV?". Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you’d like some help downloading, formatting, or uploading a CSV (just click the Get in touch tab on the right).
General CSV Information
- A CSV is a comma-separated values file.
- CSVs can be viewed in spreadsheet format, with columns and rows, or as lines of plain text, with each data element separated by a comma (for example: title,artist,date).
- To help you get started, our system generates downloadable CSVs based on the fields in your Blueprints.
- Each CSV upload is limited to 25 MB.
- The CSV must be encoded in UTF-8 format.
- The number of objects you can upload via CSV is limited by your Base Level.
PLEASE NOTE: To preserve special characters like diacritics in a CSV, we recommend using Google Sheets, Apple Numbers, Airtable, or a plain text editor to view, update, or export the file. Microsoft Excel may not preserve special characters (for example, "In the Café" might be corrupted to read "In the Caf√©"). If you're having trouble with special characters, please contact us.
Import New Objects
Download the CSV Template
The first step in uploading a group of new objects is to download the CSV template for your Blueprint. There are two ways to do this.
From your selected Blueprint, click the action menu at far right (the icon with the three vertical dots). Select Download CSV Template.
Or, from the Objects page:
- Filter objects by the selected Blueprint. In this example, we've selected Paintings.
- Click the action menu at far right (the icon with the three vertical dots) and select Download.
You’ll be asked if you need the Blueprint CSV Template. Click the Blueprint CSV Template link to download it (below the two buttons).
Enter Object Information
The first line in the CSV template (the column headings) will correspond to the field ids in your selected Blueprint. DO NOT alter these headings.
The template will also display the Blueprint Name and the Blueprint ID in the first row.
Now it's time to add your object information values to the CSV template.
Here are the rules:
- Add the name of the Blueprint and the Blueprint ID for every object you add.
- Every object must have a title.
- If a field other than title has no data, leave it empty.
Upload the CSV
When you've entered all the information for your new objects, save your CSV (remember, it must be in UTF-8 format), and go back to the Objects page.
From the action menu at right, click Import CSV. Select the Blueprint for which you are uploading objects. You can either drag in the file or browse files to select it.
You’ll receive a message letting you know the objects were added successfully.
PLEASE NOTE: When you upload a CSV with new objects, make sure to upload it only once – otherwise duplicate objects will be created.
Add, Update, and Delete Objects
Download Object Data CSV
To edit information for a group of existing objects (with the option of adding new ones), go to the Objects page and filter by the desired Blueprint.
Click the action menu at far right (the icon with the three vertical dots) and select Download.
You’ll be given an option to download the Object Data for the Blueprint as JSON or CSV. Choose Download CSV.
The CSV will include your existing object data for all objects using that Blueprint.
- The column headings will correspond to the field ids in your selected Blueprint. DO NOT alter these headings.
- The CSV will display the unique Object ID (oid) for each object in the oid column. DO NOT alter the oids.
- The CSV will also include an Object Status for each object (the ostatus column, more on this later). This field will be auto-populated with hyphens.
- Where there are no information values, empty fields will be auto-populated with hyphens.
Add a New Object
Here we've added a new row for an object titled A Vase of Flowers.
- Because it's a new object, it will not have an Object ID (oid) or an Object Status (ostatus).
- We input data in the fields for blueprint, blueprintID, title, artist, date, and medium.
- We left the fields under oid and ostatus empty.
Updating Object Information or Deleting an Object
To update or delete an object, enter information in the object's Object Status (ostatus) field.
To update object data, enter the word update (lowercase) into the object's ostatus field, and add the updated information. Here, for Dish of Apples, we added "Oil on canvas" to a field that was previously empty.
To delete an object, enter the word delete (lowercase) into the object's ostatus field. Once the CSV is uploaded, the object will be removed from your Base. This cannot be undone.
PLEASE NOTE: For all other objects, leave the auto-generated hyphens in the ostatus fields.
Upload the CSV
When you've entered updated information, save your CSV (remember, it must be in UTF-8 format), and go back to the Objects page.
From the action menu at right, click Import CSV. Select the Blueprint for which you are uploading objects. You can either drag in the file or browse files to select it.
You’ll receive a message letting you know the objects were updated successfully.
REMEMBER: When you upload a CSV that includes new objects, make sure to upload it only once – otherwise duplicate objects will be created.
Questions about CSVs? Don't hesitate to ask. We're here to help.