Recently we've had a few folks ask if we could provide a template that would demonstrate how to format data properly to ensure a successful import. Ask and ye shall receive!

You can download the Data Template Excel file here. A screen shot with highlights is also below.

Tips to consider when prepping your data for import:

• Each column can contain only a single piece of information. For example, First Names and Last Names each need to be in their own column. The same idea goes for addresses. If you have the city, state and zip in one column or have the first and last names in one column you'll need to break these up into their own columns.

• Other format requirements include:

  *Dates: YYYY-MM-DD hh:dd:ss (you can leave out the time) -- Note that to change your data to this format in Excel using Format -> Cells, you may first need to select options for English (UK) or another Commonwealth country instead of English (US).  In most Excel versions, YYYY-MM-DD is not one of the default English (US) formats.
  *Currency: XXXX.XX (No $ sign)
  *Boolean (True/False, Yes/No, Value/No-Value): 1 or 0
  *Radio: 0,1,2,3...n (note that first radio button value is 0, not 1)
• Lastly, don't forget to save your data in one of the following formats: tab, comma, dash, pipe, hash, or double hash.

Make sure to check out the Salsa Commons documentation on Imports as well.

(If you can't tell, I'm addicted to Skitch. It makes screenshots, well, fun....Arrows and bright bubbly text!)