Transfer/bring in Group content

Note: If a CSV column is not linked to the default name and slug fields, the CMS will automatically create those for you.

Important: During the import process, any code within a rich text field is “cleaned up” to eliminate elements, classes, and attributes that are not compatible with Webflow. It is advisable to review your rich text content after the import.

Adding external data to Webflow

Let’s go over how you can add external data to your Webflow Collection. The following steps will be covered in this operation:

1. Uploading a CSV file
2. Specifying the header row
3. Selecting items for import

Uploading a CSV file

To add your CSV file to a specific Collection in Webflow:

1. Access the CMS panel
2. Select the Collection where you want to import your Collection items
3. Click on Import
4. Drag and drop your CSV file, or browse your computer for the file

Note: The maximum allowed CSV file size for upload is 4MB.

Specifying the header row

After uploading your CSV file, you will be asked to specify a header row. Normally, a CSV file’s header row contains labels for columns that define the type of content in each column (e.g., a header row may contain labels like “Name,” “Date,” etc.).

Upon uploading the CSV file, a preview of the file will be shown, and you will be prompted to confirm if the first row serves as the header. If you want to exclude the first row from import by considering it as the header, select “Yes, this is the header” or “I’m not sure.” To include the row in the import, choose “No, this is an item.” The labels of the header row will be set as field labels for the Collection items during the field configuration stage.

Regardless of your choice at this stage, you can proceed to the first Collection item and decide whether to mark or unmark the “Header row” box in the subsequent step.

Selecting items for import

After defining the header row, you will receive confirmation that your CSV file has completed processing. This confirmation message will also indicate if any of the newly uploaded CSV items match or do not match any existing items in your Collection.

Note: If you haven’t designated a header row or indicated uncertainty regarding the first row being a header, you will directly move to field configuration without the option to update existing matching items. Essentially, Webflow defaults to creating new Collection items since it’s impossible to map to a Collection item ID column or Collection field column without a specified header row.

In case of matching items (where existing Collection items and CSV data share the same ID), you can opt to:

• Update matching items, which aligns and updates existing items in your Collection with the items in your CSV upload
• Import all items as new entries, which imports the matching items from the CSV as new entries in your Collection

Choosing to “Update matching items” is an effective way to swiftly modify existing items in your Collection. For example, if you have made updates to specific items’ data in a CSV file, uploading only the updated items enables you to promptly replace old content in your Collection items with the new data.

Note: Regular CMS items are matched based on the “Item ID” field, present in a CSV export from a Collection. Also, bear in mind that a site restore from backup will refresh all CMS Collection and item IDs. Learn more about saving and restoring backups.

Once you have selected to either update matching items or import all items as new entries, you can proceed to configure and map your CSV data to your Collection fields. If there are no matching items, you will also progress to this phase.

‍Note: Updating items through CSV import does not apply to Ecommerce items. Learn more about importing Ecommerce products and variants.

Field configuration and item preview

Field configuration

After uploading your CSV file, the columns will be accessible as fields for configuration within the Field configuration section under Imported items. When specified, column headers will appear as labels for Collection fields.

Note: If the CSV header names match your existing Collection field names, they will automatically align, saving you a configuration step.

The values in the input fields are brought from the chosen row. Each row corresponds to a single Collection item. You can view different items in the Item preview panel on the right.

During this phase, you will set up Collection fields by selecting which CSV columns to map and which to exclude. A few

choices for every column and field: 

• Leave out
• Establish fresh field
• Correlate with existing field

Leave out

If there are columns in your CSV that you wish not to correlate with CMS fields, pick Leave out from the dropdown. 

Estabish fresh field

If there’s no existing Collection field available, you can forge a new one and associate it with a column: 

1. Select Establish fresh field from the dropdown
2. Pick the field type from the dropdown. Field types that don’t align with the content in the column won’t be accessible and will be faded out
3. Insert a fresh field label in the New field label section, or retain the proposed label
4. (Optional) Supplement Help text to display below the label 

Additional settings may be available based on the selected field type. An additional option field will be filled with all distinct values from that column (note that these values are case sensitive). For a new switch field, you can define which value corresponds to “No.” 

Correlate with existing field

You can link each column to an existing field in the Collection: 

1. Choose Correlate with existing field from the dropdown
2. Select the field you want to link this column to from the dropdown. Fields not supporting the content in the column won’t be accessible and will be displayed faded out

Reminder: A green “dot” icon next to a column label suggests that the column has been connected.

For a new switch field, you can define which value corresponds to “No,” or you can tap Swap to link a value to “Yes.”

Helpful to know: You can’t pair a column with existing fields already inactively used. If you need to combine a column type, you can formulate a fresh field.

Preview items

You can preview the fields and values of each item to be imported in the Item preview pane on the right. 

Utilize the left and right “arrow” buttons at the top of the preview pane to move through Collection items. Tap the Show item options button in the top bar to see a list of all the items to be imported. With the Show item options visible, you can tap the name of any item to jump to its preview. You can also input text into the search bar to search for specific items.

Hovering over a connected or originated field in the left panel will highlight the corresponding field in the item preview. Preview items update in real time as you set up the field.

If a modification is needed for a field value of a particular item, you can do so before configuring the field, or by selecting Do not import from the dropdown.

You also have the choice to bypass importing particular items into your Collection: 

1. Locate the item you wish not to import in the preview pane (i.e., navigate to the item using the arrows, dropdown menu, or search bar) 
2. Switch on Skip import 

Skipped items will be highlighted at the top of the Item preview pane and in the Show item options with a “Skip import” symbol.

Fields with requisites/checks

If a cell in one of your CSV columns is linked to a mandatory reference field but is empty or lacks any values existing in that referenced Collection, you’ll receive a notification that your item doesn’t exist. Being a mandatory field, the item for that row will be added as a Draft, and the reference field will remain blank. 

If the linked reference field isn’t mandatory and a cell in that column is empty or lacks any values from the referenced Collection, then the Collection item for that row will be designated as Staged for publish post-import, and the reference field will remain empty.

How to import the linked data

Once you’ve set up your Collection fields and CSV data, tap Import to integrate the data into your Collection. 

Important: When bringing in Collection items from a CSV file, you’ll be prompted to create a backup of your site. If you click Yes, a pre-import backup copy of your site will be generated, which can be restored later in Site settings > Backups tab in case of any issues. However, if your site is extensive with numerous existing Collection items, it’s advisable to create a backup in the Designer prior to commencing the CSV import process, and click No to skip the backup phase during import. Learn more about preserving and restoring backups.

Ensure to stay in the Designer until all items have been imported. If some or all of your items were left out from the Collection, you’ll receive a list of the skipped items, the reason for the failed import, and a link to download a detailed error report summary.

How to solve problems with image import

Broken image links in your CSV file will not be able to be linked to image fields in your Collection. You can leverage a mass URL checker like HTTP Status Code Checker to pinpoint and rectify the broken links. 

To inspect and amend broken links in your CSV file: 

1. Open your CSV file 
2. Copy the “URLs” column
3. Paste the data from the “URLs” column into the mass URL checker
4. Assess the status codes to identify any broken URLs — a 200 status code signifies an error-free URL
5. Identify the URLs with an error status code and replace or exclude the link in your CSV file 
6. Save your CSV file and retry importing it to your Collection

Guidelines for exporting Collection items to a CSV file

You have 2 methods to export Collection items to a CSV file: 

1. Export an entire Collection (including archived items) 
2. Selectively export individual Collection items

When exporting Collection items to a CSV file, ensure you comprehend how Collection fields are exported. ‍

Reminder: While exporting Collection items, the exported CSV file only contains items from the current locale view. Discover more about localizing Collection content. 

Export an entire Collection 

To export the content of an entire Collection (including archived items) to a CSV file: 

1. Head to the CMS panel 
2. Tap on the name of the Collection you wish to export
3. Tap Export

Discover how Collection fields are exported.

Choose to export individual Collection items

To selectively export individual Collection items to a CSV file: 

1. (Optional) Search, filter, or arrange your Collection items
2. Tap Select to bulk select or individually choose the items you want to export 
3. Tap Export to generate and download a CSV file 

Pro tip: You can export individual Collection items to a CSV file, alter those items in your CSV file, and re-import only the updated Collection items into your Collection to replace old content with new modifications. Discover more about updating matching Collection items with CSV import. ‍

Discover how Collection fields are exported.

Exporting Collection fields format

Most Collection field content, including references, are exported as plain text strings or URLs. Multi-reference fields are exported as a list of text separated by commas. Rich text fields are exported as HTML. Images and files are exported as Webflow-hosted URLs. 

Important: URLs for image fields and file fields are tied to the site from which you exported the Collection. This implies that if you delete the original site, those assets will also be removed, leading to broken links in your CSV file. The same applies to images in rich text fields. Unless you’re transitioning your Collection to a new Webflow site, ensure to retain the original site as a backup or manually download each of your images and files. 

Reminder: Upon importing an exported Collection to another Webflow site, images linked to an image field are imported as new images on the new site. Currently, file field data cannot be imported to a new site and must be uploaded manually.