In this guide, we’ll explain common troubleshooting steps when running into errors during a data import.
Upload the file as a different format (.csv, .xls, or .xlsx.)
Check if the file has a header row or not, and mark that in the importer tool
Remove all formulas from the document
Try a different matching criteria
Ensure all subgroup names are unique
How to import a subgroup
Why subgroups need unique names (and how to create temporary unique names)
Each bullet will be explained in-depth below:
Erply supports 3 file import types: .csv, .xls, and.xlsx.
.csv: Used for single-sheet uploads
.xls: Used for multi-sheet uploads
.xlsx: Used for multi-sheet uploads
In most spreadsheet editors, you can save your spreadsheet as a different file by going to the File and selecting Save As, Download, or Export.
Erply import tools will allow you to select if your spreadsheet contains a header row or not. Ensure that the correct option is checked off.
A header row in a spreadsheet tool is located on row one and contains descriptive information regarding each data column.
An example header row would look like:
Header Row | First name | Last name |
-- | John | Smith |
-- | Jane | Dough |
Erply’s import tools will not work properly if a spreadsheet contains formulas, alternate colors, or other automations.
An easy fix is to:
Copy the entire sheet
Create a new spreadsheet tab
Paste the values only into the new tab (see more below on this)
Import that sheet into Erply as a .csv
Pasting the values of spreadsheet cells removes all formulas.
In most softwares, this can be done by pressing Ctrl+Shift+V (Command+Shift+V on Mac).
Your spreadsheet edition should have this option by opening the Edit menu and looking for a Paste special or Paste options button. You can also see if the “Paste” button has an hover-over dropdown menu that allows you to select to paste Values only.
Depending on the data that you’re importing, Erply gives you different options to identify and match each row by. These are typically used when updating existing records in bulk using an importer tool.
For example, inventory imports have the option to match existing records by a product’s Code, UPC/EAN code, and Name.
You may want to adjust your matching criteria if you’re running into issues.
Note: Only change your matching criteria when it makes sense! If you are changing product names in an import, you will not want to match by Name -- since Erply will be updating those records.
This section will break down how to import into subgroups, and how to make temporary unique subgroup names.
Please note that product and customer group names are case sensitive!
In your import template, you always want to list the intended subgroup endpoint in the customer/product group column.
We’ll show how to import customers into specific subgroups, but this concept applies to product groups as well.
Using the following subgroup structure as an example:
West coast customers → LevelUp Rewards → PC-only
West coast customers → LevelUp Rewards → Xbox-only
West coast customers → Non-loyalty member
An example import template would look like this:
ID | Full name | Group | Notes (not included in template) |
001 | Billy Armstrong | West coast customers | Will be imported into the main West coast customers group. |
002 | Geralt Rivia | LevelUp Rewards | Will be imported into the LevelUp Rewards subgroup under the main West coast customers group. |
003 | Marc Brutus | Non-loyalty member | Will be imported into the Non-loyalty member subgroup under the main West coast customers group. |
004 | Luna Lovegood | PC-Only | Will be imported under the PC-Only subgroup under the LevelUp Rewards subgroup under the main West coast customers group. |
Here we’ll explain why imports require unique names and what to do when you have one or more groups with the same name.
Taking from the above example, let’s say you have multiple customer groups with the same exact name.
If you try to import a customer into the “LevelUp Rewards” group, Erply will not know which customer group to upload them to, because two “LevelUp Rewards” groups exist.
To solve this problem, you must temporarily rename duplicate subgroup names so they are all unique. Here, we might add an E to the “LevelUp Rewards” subgroup under the “East coas”t customer group, as shown below.
From there you can import customers under “LevelUp Rewards E” if you want them to fall under the “East coast” overarching group, or under “LevelUp Rewards” if you want them to fall under the “West coast” overarching group.
You can rename a group by right-clicking the group name and pressing Rename.
When you are done with your import, all groups and subgroups can be changed back to their original names.
Remember: When importing customer or product groups and subgroups, the names are case sensitive.