How to Import a Spreadsheet into a Database
ZenBuild imports CSV and Excel files with a guided wizard that finds your header row, infers a type for each column, and turns even a messy multi-sheet workbook into clean tables you can sort, filter, and view as a board or chart.
Step-by-step guide
Start an import
Click Import CSV / Excel in the table toolbar and choose your file. ZenBuild analyzes it, detecting the header row and a type for each column, and opens the wizard so you can review rather than trust a blind import.
Choose what to import
For a multi-sheet Excel workbook, pick which sheet loads into the current table and which additional sheets become their own tables. Sheets that look like instructions or notes are flagged and left unchecked so junk stays out of your data.
Review columns and types
Nudge the header row up or down if the detector missed it, then check each column's name and type (text, number, date, select, and so on). Rename or exclude columns and watch the live preview update. Simple Excel formulas come across as live formula columns.
Commit the import
Import when it looks right. Your rows land as records with the correct types, ready to sort, filter, group on a kanban board, or chart. A multi-sheet workbook imports as one workbook with a tab per sheet.
Tips
- Let the wizard detect the header row, then nudge it if a title banner sits above your data
- Uncheck instruction or notes sheets so they don't import as junk columns
- Check the inferred column types before committing, especially dates and selects
- A multi-sheet workbook becomes one workbook with sheet tabs, not scattered tables
- For a quick one-off, paste rows straight from a spreadsheet instead of importing a file
Frequently asked questions
What file types can I import?
Will it detect my column types automatically?
What happens to a multi-sheet Excel file?
Do my Excel formulas come across?
Can I import into an existing table?
Related guides
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