File Uploads

Upload your own data files to use in automations and analysis. This guide covers supported formats, the upload process, and best practices.

All uploads share a single maximum file size of 50 MB, regardless of format.

Supported File Formats

CSV Files

Comma-separated values are the most common format for tabular data.

Requirements:

• UTF-8 encoding (recommended)
• Header row with column names
• Consistent column count across all rows

Tips:

• Use descriptive column names (avoid special characters)
• Ensure dates are in a consistent format (ISO 8601 preferred: YYYY-MM-DD)
• Clean up empty rows before uploading

Excel Files (XLSX / XLS)

Microsoft Excel spreadsheets (.xlsx and legacy .xls) are accepted and converted during upload.

Notes:

• Formulas are evaluated and only values are imported
• Cell formatting is stripped (colors, fonts, etc.)
• Merged cells may cause issues - unmerge before uploading

JSON Files

JSON is accepted for structured records. Provide either a single object or an array of objects; object keys become columns.

Working with geographic data: there is no standalone .geojson upload type. To bring in geometries, include them as a column in your CSV or JSON (for example, a GeoJSON geometry per row). Use WGS84 (EPSG:4326) coordinates with [longitude, latitude] ordering.

Upload Process

Step 1: Start the Upload

1. Navigate to your workspace
2. Click Upload Data in the sidebar or toolbar
3. Drag and drop your file, or click to browse

Step 2: Preview and Configure

After selecting a file, you'll see a preview:

• Column detection: Review detected columns and data types
• Sample rows: Verify data looks correct
• Geographic columns: Identify location-related fields

Step 3: Map Geographic Identifiers

If your data contains geographic information, map the relevant columns:

Step 4: Confirm and Import

1. Review your settings
2. Click Import
3. Wait for processing to complete
4. Your data source appears in the sidebar

Column Data Types

The platform automatically detects column types:

You can manually override detected types in the configuration step.

Best Practices

Data Quality

• Remove duplicates before uploading
• Handle missing values consistently (empty cells or specific placeholder)
• Validate geographic codes against expected formats
• Test with a small sample before uploading large files

File Organization

• Use clear file names that describe the data content
• Include date or version in file names for tracking
• Document column meanings in a separate data dictionary

Performance Tips

• Split very large files into smaller chunks if possible
• Remove unnecessary columns to speed up processing
• Use CSV over Excel for faster parsing of large datasets

Troubleshooting

Upload Fails

• Check file size limits
• Verify file format is supported
• Ensure file isn't password-protected
• Try re-saving the file in a fresh format

Columns Not Detected Correctly

• Add a header row if missing
• Check for inconsistent data in columns
• Remove special characters from headers
• Ensure consistent delimiters in CSV files

Geographic Data Issues

• Verify coordinates are in the correct format (decimal degrees)
• Check that GeoJSON is valid (use a validator like geojson.io)
• Ensure coordinate order is [longitude, latitude]