Overview

An Administrator can import file attachments and web links to Attachment fields within the system using the Data Import Template. This involves:

• Entering the web link information and file paths into the Data Import Template.

• Compressing the Excel spreadsheet and files into a zip file.

• Uploading the zip file through the Data Import feature.

User Account Requirements

A user must have Administrator permission to access and perform a Data Import.

Related Information/Setup

Please see the Zip and unzip files article for further information on creating a new zip file.

• Zip and unzip files

Please see the article for more information on uploading a Data Import Template file. 

• Uploading a Data Import Template

User Tips & System Requirements

• Core Data Imports do not currently support JSON files. If attempting to import files (e.g., PDF or Word doc) into the Image Attachment fields, the import will also fail.

• Any existing files in the attachment fields are appended and not overwritten by imported files.
• The data import spreadsheet must be in the zip file’s root (top level). Upload other spreadsheets by adding them to a zip file folder (e.g., directory), then referencing the spreadsheet’s file path.
• Paths and file names must contain no commas, or the Data Import will not function properly.
• Import multiple files and web links into the same field by separating the path/links with commas in the spreadsheet.

Navigation

1. From the Home screen, click the System icon.

System Icon

2. From the Admin Overview screen, click the Data Imports tile under the Tools section.

Data Imports Tile

Importing file attachments using the Data Import Template

1. From the Data Imports screen, select object types to include in the Export Data Import Template by clicking on the corresponding object on the Object List under the Export Data Import Template section, making sure to select an object with an Attachment/Web Links field. Selected objects will be highlighted. 

Object List

2. Click the Export button to download the Data Import Template.

Export Button

3. Navigate to the Downloads folder on the connected PC and click on the Data Import Template file. The Data Import Template file will have the company name and download date.
4. (Optional) From the Data Import Template file, click the Enable Editing button at the top of the Data Import Template file.

Enable Editing Button

5. On the Data Import Template, enter the file path for the attachment under the Attachment column using forward slashes (/) to separate levels as needed (e.g., August Reports/August23.jpg).

Attachment Column

6. Enter any Web Links in the Attachment column, using the format [Display Text](URL).
   • Nested parentheses are supported. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/US_(disambiguation)).
   • Any commas within the brackets (display text) are accepted [Display text, display text](URL).
   • Special characters (e.g., brackets and commas) can be escaped on the back end by adding a backslash ( \)  before the special character.

Web Links

7. Use a comma (,) between two web links or files to add multiple web links in the same cell on the Data Import Template (e.g., [Display text](URL), Documents 2021/May 24 PA.jpg).

Multiple Attachments/Web Links

8. Save the Data Import Template file.
9. Create a zip file using the Data Import Template file and all attachments. Ensure the file structure matches the file structure you entered in the Attachment column on the Data Import Template file. Please see the Zip and unzip files article for further information on creating a new zip file. 

10. The Data Import Template must be the only spreadsheet file in the zip file’s Archive Root Directory (top-level). The import will fail if there are other spreadsheet (.xls) files in that same folder.

11. See the Uploading a Data Import Template article for information on uploading the Zipped Data Import Template file.