The Import page lets you add many records at once by uploading a spreadsheet file. This is useful when migrating from another system, setting up a new Site, or making bulk additions.

Imports are available for all four entity types: Areas, Locations, Boxes, and Items. Each type has its own tab on the import page.

Only Site Admins can perform imports.

Start by downloading the blank template for the entity type you want to import. Click CSV Template or Excel (.xlsx) Template in the left panel.

The template contains the correct column headings — including any custom labels you have set in Site Administration. Do not rename or reorder the columns.

Fill in your data starting from row 2 (row 1 is the header). Key rules:

• Name — required for every row.
• Container references — use the name of the parent Area, Location, or Box, not an ID number. The import will look it up by name.
• Tags — enter pipe-separated tag names (e.g. fragile|holiday). Tags that don't exist will be created automatically.
• Dates — use the format YYYY-MM-DD (e.g. 2024-12-25).
• Container Type — enter exactly Area, Location, or Box (or your custom names).

Because each entity can reference a parent container by name, import them in this order:

1. Areas first — they have no parent.
2. Locations — require an existing Area.
3. Boxes — require an existing Area or Location.
4. Items — require an existing Area, Location, or Box.

After uploading your file, click Validate File. PackTrack reads every row and checks for:

• Missing required fields (e.g. Name, Container Type).
• Container names that cannot be found in your Site.
• Container names that match more than one record (ambiguous — use a unique name).
• Records whose name already exists in the same parent container (duplicates are flagged and skipped).

A summary shows how many rows are valid and how many have errors. If all rows are valid, click Import to proceed. If there are errors, you can either:

• Import valid rows only — skips the error rows and imports the rest.
• Cancel and re-upload — fix the errors in your file and upload again.

• If a container name appears more than once in your Site, the import will flag it as ambiguous. Rename one of them to make it unique before importing.
• Duplicate names are skipped. If your file contains a name that already exists in the same parent container, only the first occurrence is imported — any subsequent duplicates (including re-uploading the same file) are silently skipped.
• A preview of the first 5 rows is shown after validation — rows with errors are highlighted in red.
• Imports cannot be undone via the UI. Use the Backup feature (if enabled) before large imports.