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Bulk Import (Excel)

Most Configuration setup lists (Transportation Types, Departments, Job Titles, Track-It Actions/Groups/Locations/Types, Countries, Cities, Districts, Nationalities, Languages, Loyalty Tiers, Postal Codes, Preferences, Inactive Reasons, Payment Types, Articles, Transaction Code Groups/Sub-Groups, Housekeeping sections/tasks/attendance/reasons, Out of Order, and more) support importing many records at once from an Excel file, instead of adding them one by one. This page explains the common workflow. Field-specific templates differ per module (see that module's page for its exact columns), but the steps are the same everywhere.

tip

Not every list in the system has bulk import — it's available on most Configuration → General/Profile/Cashiering/Housekeeping Setup list pages that show an Import Excel button next to Add.

Where it appears​

On a supported list page (e.g. Configuration → General Configuration → Transportation Types), look for two buttons near Add:

  • Template — downloads a blank .xlsx template for that specific list, with the correct column headers and one sample row.
  • Import Excel — uploads a filled-in file for that list.

Workflow​

  1. Download the template. Click Template on the list page you want to import into. Each list has its own template with the columns it needs (e.g. Transportation Types uses code and description); don't reuse a template from a different list.
  2. Fill in the file. Open the downloaded .xlsx, keep the header row, and add one row per record. Remove or leave the sample row — it is not imported as data if replaced.
  3. Upload. Click Import Excel and choose your completed file. The file is parsed in the browser immediately — nothing is saved to the server yet.
  4. Review the preview. A modal shows every row that parsed successfully, plus a Problems list for rows that failed validation (missing required fields, values too long, duplicate codes within the file, etc.) with the specific row number and reason.
  5. Fix mistakes inline (optional). Double-click a row in the preview table to edit its values directly, without re-uploading the file.
  6. Confirm the import. Click Import. Each valid row is created one at a time; rows that fail (e.g. a code that already exists in the system) are skipped and reported, but valid rows are still created — a bad row does not block the rest of the batch.
  7. Check the result summary. After import, a message reports how many records were created and how many were skipped. If any rows failed, a dialog lists the reason for each skipped row so you can fix and re-import just those.

Notes​

  • Duplicates are checked against existing data, not just the file. A code that already exists in the system is skipped even if it looks valid in the file.
  • Column headers are matched flexibly. Most templates accept a few common header variations (e.g. code, short_code, or short code for a code column) so re-using a slightly different export still works — but when in doubt, use the downloaded template's exact headers.
  • Permissions still apply. You need the same Add permission for that list to import into it as you would to add a single record manually; without it, the import button is blocked before any file is even parsed.
  • Only .xlsx/.xls files are accepted.

Common FAQs​

My import created some records but skipped others — is that expected? Yes. Valid rows are created even if other rows in the same file have problems. Check the skipped-rows dialog for the reason on each one, fix them in your source file, and re-import just those rows.

Can I import into any list in the system? No — only list pages that show an Import Excel button support it. If a list doesn't have the button, add records one at a time through Add.

The template columns don't match what I expected. Always re-download the Template from the specific list page you're importing into — templates are not interchangeable between different setup lists.

See also​

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