Importing from a spreadsheet

Already tracking prototypes in Excel, Google Sheets, or Numbers? Bring them across in a few minutes. Editors, admins, and owners can import.

1. Save your spreadsheet as CSV

Proto Tracker reads CSV files: File → Download → Comma-separated values in Google Sheets, or File → Save as → CSV in Excel and Numbers. Semicolon- and tab-separated files work too.

Use one row per physical unit and a header row with column names. You can import up to 1,000 rows at a time; split larger files.

Not sure how to lay it out? Click Download a template on the import page.

Column	Required	Notes
Serial	Yes	Unique within a design
Design	Yes*	Matched by name, ignoring upper/lower case
Revision	Yes*	Matched by name within the design
Manufactured	No	Today’s date if left out
Status, Location	No	Matched by name
Holder	No	A member’s email address or name
Notes	No
Your custom fields	No	Business plan. See Custom fields below

* If the whole file is one design or revision, leave the column out and type it once on the next step.

2. Match the columns

Go to Prototypes → Import CSV and choose the file. Proto Tracker guesses which column is which from the headings (for example S/N → Serial, Rev → Revision). Check each one and change any it got wrong.

• Dates: choose whether your dates are ISO (2026-09-30), day first (30/09/2026) or month first (09/30/2026). It guesses from the data.
• Create what doesn’t exist: new designs, revisions, statuses, and locations named in the file are created for you. Turn this off to only import rows that match what’s already set up.
• Skip serials that already exist: useful if you import the same sheet again after adding rows.

Custom fields

On the Business plan, any column can go into a custom field. Create the fields first, then either name the column after the field or pick the column by hand when matching.

Matching: a column heading matches a field when they’re the same apart from upper/lower case, spaces, and punctuation. Firmware version, firmware_version, FIRMWARE-VERSION and FirmwareVersion all match a field called Firmware version. Columns that don’t match anything are listed as Not imported so you can spot them.

Values, by field type:

Type	Accepted	Examples
Text	Anything up to 500 characters	v1.4.2, Rig B fixture 3
Number	Digits and an optional decimal point. Thousands commas are ignored; units aren’t allowed	12.5, 1,250 (not 12.5 mA)
Date	The same format you choose for the file’s dates	2026-09-30 or 30/09/2026
Choice	One of the field’s choices, in any case. Add new choices to the field before importing	rig 2 → Rig 2
Yes / no	yes, no, y, n, true, false, 1, 0, or x	x → Yes

Empty cells leave the field blank. A value that doesn’t fit its field is reported with its row number, and (like any problem) stops the import until it’s fixed.

3. Check, then import

Click Check file. Nothing is saved yet. You’ll see how many prototypes will be created and which designs, revisions, statuses, and locations are new, or a list of problems with their row numbers (for example a duplicate serial or a holder who isn’t a member).

A file with any problems imports nothing, so you never end up with half an import. Fix the spreadsheet, choose it again and re-check.

When it’s clean, click Import. Each prototype gets a “created” entry in its history marked as imported, and the organisation’s change history records the import as a whole. Plan limits apply as usual.