Quick Start Guide: Your First Import

Quick Start Guide: Your First Import

This guide provides a step-by-step walkthrough to help you complete your first basic import. We'll use a sample CSV file containing basic IEP information and a manual import to demonstrate the core workflow from start to finish.

Before You Begin

For this guide, we'll imagine we're importing data into a student's "IEP Snapshot" form. Our goal is to take a sample CSV file, connect it to our form, and see the data appear correctly.

Step 1: Prepare and Upload Your Data File

First, create the data file so the system can read its columns. The first line must be a header row with unique names for each column. One column must contain a unique identifier to match people in the system.

Below is an example of what your source file could look like. Create a file named iep_data.csv with the following content:
  1. StudentID,IEP_MeetingDate,CaseManager,NextReviewDate,PrimaryExceptionality
  2. 2187,2025-09-15,Ms. Garcia,2026-09-10,Specific Learning Disability
  3. 3451,2025-10-02,Mr. Chen,2026-10-01,Autism Spectrum Disorder
  4. 1923,2025-10-22,Ms. Garcia,2026-10-20,Speech or Language Impairment
  5. 4876,2025-11-05,Mr. Singh,2026-11-04,Other Health Impairment

Key Points

  1. The StudentID column will be used for matching.
  2. The date format is consistent (yyyy-MM-dd).
  3. Save and upload this file using an SFTP client to a known location (e.g., an iep_files/ folder).

Step 2: Create and Configure the Import

Next, create the set of rules that tells the system how to process your file.
  1. Navigate to the Import Module in the main menu.
  2. Click the + New Import button.
  3. Enter an Import Name (e.g., "IEP Snapshot Data") and an Alias (e.g., iep-snapshot).
  4. Click Save.
  5. On the main configuration screen, fill in the following sections:

Input Source

  1. File Name: Enter the exact path where you uploaded your file (e.g., iep_files/iep_data.csv).
  2. File Format: Select CSV.
  3. Date Format: Enter yyyy-MM-dd.

Person Matching Rules

  1. Identifier Column: Enter StudentID.
  2. Match On: Select the corresponding ID field in the system, such as Proprietary ID or Local ID.
Click Save. After saving, the system will process the file and detect the column headers for the next step.

Step 3: Map Your Form Elements

Now, let's tell your "IEP Snapshot" form which fields should receive the data. Because the system has already read your file, you can now select the column names from a dropdown.
  1. Open your form in the Form Editor.
  2. Click on the "Case Manager" text field.
  3. Open the Import settings panel for that element.
  4. Set the Source dropdown to "Generic Data Import".
  5. Select the Alias you created (iep-snapshot).
  6. In the Expression field, you can now use the dropdown to select "CaseManager" from the list of available columns.
  7. Repeat this process for the other form elements, selecting the appropriate column from the dropdown each time:
    1. IEP Meeting Date field: Select IEP_MeetingDate.
    2. Next Review Date field: Select NextReviewDate.
    3. Primary Exceptionality field: Select PrimaryExceptionality.
Finally, Publish your form to save the changes.

Step 4: Run the Import

With everything configured and mapped, it's time to import the data.
  1. Navigate back to the Import Module.
  2. Find your "IEP Snapshot Data" configuration and click the Run now button. This will take you to the "Run Now" page.
  3. If your configuration's Alias is used on more than one form, an Import Options dropdown will appear. Select the specific form(s) you want to run this import against (in this case, your "IEP Snapshot" form).
  4. On the "Run Now" page, locate the Import Options dropdown.
    1. If only one form uses your configuration's Alias, this field will be automatically populated and locked.
    2. If multiple forms use the Alias, select the specific form(s) you want to run this import against (in this case, your "IEP Snapshot" form).
  5. Next, select a Record Creation Mode. For this first run, choose "Do not create new records."
  6. Click Run Now.

Step 5: Verify the Results

After running the import, you need to confirm it worked as expected.
  1. On the Import Dashboard, find your configuration and click the View Cached Data (database) icon. The cache view will show you the data exactly as the system read it from your file. This is the best way to confirm that the system has successfully accessed and understood your file.
  2. Check the "IEP Snapshot" forms in your application.
    Please Note: The StudentID values in the example file are placeholders. It is highly unlikely they will match anyone in your environment. Therefore, you should not expect to see any form data populated if you use the exact sample file. The primary goal of this quick start is to confirm that the configuration is correct and that the data is successfully cached.
To see data appear on a form, you can either:
  1. Modify the sample iep_data.csv file to include real StudentID values that exist in your system.
  2. Confirm success using the "View Cached Data" button, knowing that the import worked correctly even though no records were matched.
Congratulations, you've completed your first import!

Next Steps

Now that you've seen a complete import in action, the next step is to learn the specific formatting requirements for your data file. The system can handle several types of files, each with its own structure.

Choose the guide below that matches your file format to learn more:
  1. Preparing a CSV or TSV File for Import
    1. Learn how to structure traditional spreadsheet-style data, including how to format values for repeaters and multi-row imports.
  2. Preparing a JSON File for Import
    1. See examples of the required JSON structure (an array of objects) and how to handle nested data for complex imports.
  3. Preparing an XML File for Import
    1. Understand the expected XML structure and how to use nodes and attributes to represent your data correctly.

    • Related Articles

    • Import Module Terminology

      The Import Module allows you to bring data into your forms from external files. Understanding the terminology is crucial for configuring imports, preparing data, and troubleshooting effectively. This guide defines the key concepts you'll encounter. ...

    • An Introduction to XSLT

      XSLT 1.0 (Extensible Stylesheet Language Transformations) is a versatile language designed for transforming XML data from one structure to another, supporting formats like CSV, JSON, and XML. As a core part of the W3C’s XML family of technologies, ...

    • Quick Start Guide

      Welcome to the Quick Start Guide for The Export Module! This guide will help you get up and running quickly with exporting data from your forms. Our feature allows you to export form data into CSV, JSON, and XML formats, with customizable file ...

    • Configuring an Import: A Section-by-Section Guide

      Setting up an Import Configuration involves telling the system how to find, read, process, and match your data. This guide walks you through creating a new configuration and explains every setting available on the configuration page. Creating a New ...

    • Import Error Code Reference

      When an import fails, the system will log an error code to help you diagnose the problem. This guide explains what each error code means and provides step-by-step instructions on how to resolve the issue. E0001: Cannot Read File Problem The system ...