Data Import & Export

Lookup Tables support importing and exporting data in multiple formats, making it easy to manage large datasets and integrate with external systems like Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets.

Import Formats

Format	Best For
JSON	Full table import/export with metadata
XLSX	Full table import/export with metadata, Excel users
CSV	Quick data imports, simple data structures

CSV Import

The CSV import feature allows you to quickly populate or update your Lookup Table with data from a CSV file.

Accessing CSV Import

Where to find CSV Import/Export

1. Open your Lookup Table in the Designer

2. Click the three dots next to the Save button

3. Select Import CSV Data dropdown

4. The import modal will appear

CSV Import Modal

Import Process

Step 1: Select File

Drag and drop a CSV file onto the dropzone, or click to browse and select a file.

Supported file requirements:

• File extension: .csv

• Encoding: UTF-8 (recommended) or other common encodings

• Delimiters: Comma (,) or semicolon (;) are automatically detected

Step 2: Preview and Validate

After selecting a file, the system displays a preview showing:

• Detected columns: Headers found in the CSV

• Column mapping: How CSV columns map to existing table columns

• New columns: Columns in the CSV that don't exist in the table

• Primary key status: Whether the CSV includes the primary key column

CSV Preview

Column Status Indicators:

The system automatically matches CSV headers to existing columns by the column name

Status	Description
Existing	Column matches an existing table column
New	Column will be created (if auto-create is enabled)
Skipped	Column not found and won't be imported
Primary Key Missing	Required primary key column not found

Step 3: Configure Options

Auto-create Columns

When enabled, columns in the CSV that don't exist in the table will be automatically created. The new columns will use the CSV header as both the name and alias.

New columns are added to the right side of the table, after existing columns.

Step 4: Import

Click Import to process the file. The import behavior:

• New rows: Rows with primary keys not in the table are added

• Existing rows: Rows with matching primary keys are updated (merged)

• Preserved data: Existing columns not in the CSV retain their values

Merge Behavior

CSV import uses merge (append) mode, which means:

Existing Table:
| id  | name  | price |
|-----|-------|-------|
| 001 | Apple | 1.00  |
| 002 | Banana| 0.50  |

CSV Import:
| id  | name   | stock |
|-----|--------|-------|
| 001 | Apple  | 100   |
| 003 | Cherry | 2.00  |

Result:
| id  | name   | price | stock |
|-----|--------|-------|-------|
| 001 | Apple  | 1.00  | 100   |  ← Updated with new 'stock' value
| 002 | Banana | 0.50  | null  |  ← Preserved (not in CSV)
| 003 | Cherry | null  | 2.00  |  ← New row added

Validation and Warnings

The import process validates your data and displays warnings for:

Primary Key Issues:

• Missing primary key column: Import cannot proceed

• Empty primary key values: Rows will be skipped

• Duplicate primary keys in CSV: Only first occurrence is imported

Import Warnings

Row Limit:

• Exceeds plan limit: Import blocked if result would exceed your row limit

Best Practices for CSV Import

1. Always include the primary key column in your CSV

2. Use consistent headers that match your existing column names

3. Clean your data before import to avoid validation issues

4. Check the preview carefully before confirming the import

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XLSX Import

For full table import including metadata and settings, use the XLSX format.

XLSX File Structure

An XLSX file for Lookup Tables contains two sheets:

Settings Sheet

Field	Description
Export Version	Always 2
Name	Name of the Lookup Table
Rule Alias	Alias for API access
Version	Version number
Status	published or pending
Primary Key Column	Alias of the primary key column
Input Model	JSON structure (if applicable)
Output Model	JSON structure (if applicable)
Rule ID	Unique identifier (auto-generated on import)
Created	Creation date in ISO 8601 format
Tags	Array of tags
Note	Description of the table

Table Sheet

Contains the actual data with:

• First row: Column names

• Second row: Column aliases

• Remaining rows: Data

Importing XLSX

1. Navigate to Import in the rule list or sidebar

2. Select your XLSX file

3. Choose Create New or Overwrite Existing

4. Review the import summary

5. Click Import

Import Modes

Mode	Behavior
Create New	Creates a new Lookup Table with the imported data
Create New Version	Adds as a new version of an existing table
Overwrite	Replaces the current version entirely

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CSV Export

Export your Lookup Table data as a CSV file for use in external applications.

Exporting to CSV

1. Open your Lookup Table

2. Click Export Data in the toolbar

3. The file downloads automatically

CSV Export Format

The exported CSV includes:

• Header row with column names

• All data rows

• Comma-separated values

Example output:

Product Code,Product Name,Price,Category
SKU-001,Widget Pro,29.99,Electronics
SKU-002,Gadget Plus,49.99,Electronics
SKU-003,Tool Basic,15.00,Hardware

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XLSX Export

Export your complete Lookup Table including metadata for backup or editing in Excel.

Exporting to XLSX

1. Open your Lookup Table

2. Click Export in the toolbar

3. Select XLSX

4. The file downloads automatically

XLSX Export Contents

The exported file contains:

1. Settings Sheet: All metadata and configuration

2. Table Sheet: Complete data with column definitions

Editing in Excel

You can edit the exported XLSX file in Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets:

1. Export your Lookup Table

2. Open in Excel/Sheets

3. Modify the Table sheet data

4. Keep the Settings sheet unchanged (or update metadata as needed)

5. Save as XLSX

6. Re-import into DecisionRules

Do not change the structure of the Settings sheet or modify column aliases unexpectedly, as this may cause import errors.

Primary Key Highlighting

In the exported XLSX, the primary key column is highlighted with a distinct background color for easy identification.

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Troubleshooting

Common Import Errors

Error	Cause	Solution
"Primary key column required"	CSV missing the primary key column	Add the primary key column to your CSV
"Duplicate primary keys detected"	Multiple rows have the same primary key	Remove duplicates from your CSV
"Row limit exceeded"	Import would exceed plan limit	Upgrade plan or reduce data size
"Invalid file format"	File is not a valid CSV/XLSX	Check file format and encoding
"Unknown columns"	CSV has columns not in table	Enable auto-create or remove unknown columns

Encoding Issues

If you see garbled characters after import:

1. Ensure your CSV is UTF-8 encoded

2. In Excel, use "Save As" → "CSV UTF-8"

3. In Google Sheets, download as CSV (automatically UTF-8)