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File Upload is the first tab under Sheet Settings → Import Steps, and the first screen of the importer. These settings control how users add their data and how Excel files are interpreted. The settings below appear in the same order as in the dashboard.

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Default language

This is the language for the importer frontend. CSVbox supports many languages, including English, German, French, Spanish, Hindi, Japanese, and Chinese (Simplified and Traditional). You can also view the translated texts for all supported languages and submit suggestions for changes. You can also set the language at runtime with the language option when you initialize the importer.

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Title and help text

Set a Title and Help Text for the upload page, separately for each language. The help text supports Markdown formatting for bold, italics, and links.

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Sample CSV template

Upload a sample file that users can download to see the format your importer expects. To give each user a different sample file, use the sample_template_url and sample_template_button_text options instead.

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Split large files

Automatically split large CSV files into smaller parts for faster, more reliable imports with improved browser performance. When it’s enabled, a CSV file that exceeds the Rows per Import limit is processed in parts, and each part reuses the same column mappings. When it’s disabled, the entire CSV file is processed as a single upload. See Split Large CSV for the rows per import limit, user confirmation between parts, and how multipart imports appear on the Imports page.

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File size limit

The maximum file size, in MB, that a user can upload.

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Custom validation message

Set a custom message in each language. The message supports Markdown formatting for bold, italics, and links.

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Allowed file types

Choose which file types users can upload: CSV, XLS, and XLSX. With AI Document Import, you can also accept PDF, DOCX, and image files (.jpg, .jpeg, .png) and extract tables from them using AI.

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Page count limit

The maximum number of pages per import for AI document imports. Leave it blank for no limit.

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Skip tables

Skip tables from an AI import by row or column count, using Min Rows, Max Rows, Min Cols, and Max Cols. Leave any field blank to ignore that condition.

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Document metadata fields

Define which document metadata fields to capture on each import, across any supported file type (PDF, DOCX, images). Captured values are available as csvbox.metadata in virtual columns, validation functions, and data transform functions. See Document Metadata Fields.

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Show copy-paste data option

Show or hide the option that lets users paste data instead of uploading a file. Hide it when you want users to upload files only.

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Excel output type

Choose how numeric values from Excel files are imported:
  • Formatted: imports values as shown in Excel, such as $1,200.00 or 15%.
  • Raw: strips the formatting and imports the core value, such as 1200 or 0.15.
See Formatting in Excel files below.

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Default delimiter

Set the default delimiter for manual data entry: Auto, Comma, Tab, Semicolon, Pipe, Space, Colon, or Equals Sign.

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Show file upload box

Enable or disable the ability to upload spreadsheet files. You may need to disable user file uploads and allow only copy-pasting of data in CSVbox. In that case, hide the File Upload Box and show users only the Copy-Paste data option. To hide the File Upload Box, go to sheet settings → Import Steps → File Upload and select No for the Show File Upload Box? option.

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Allow worksheet selection

Allow users to select a worksheet for upload. An uploaded Excel file can contain multiple worksheets. You can let users select which worksheet to upload. To activate worksheet selection, go to sheet settings → Import Steps → File Upload and select Yes for the Allow Worksheet Selection option. If Allow Worksheet Selection is set to No, the first worksheet is picked by default.

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Show import description

Allow users to provide a name or description of the file they’re uploading. File names like contacts.csv or Import 123.xlsx lack context. More descriptive labels such as “Texas Customers” or “Parts from 2022 Catalog” improve the clarity and usefulness of the import. When enabled, the description input box appears after the user selects the file. The description is pushed along with the row data to the destination, in the import_description property:
The following destinations are supported: To enable the description input box, go to Sheet Settings → Import Steps → File Upload and select Yes for Show import description option?.
Show import description option
This feature is turned off by default. The description requires a minimum of 3 characters and a maximum of 100 characters.

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Formatting in Excel files

Handle Excel file formatting for dates, times, and numbers. When importing data from Excel files, you may run into unexpected issues because of the way Excel internally stores and formats values, especially Dates, Times, and Numbers. Unlike CSV files, Excel files can retain formatting, formulas, and cell types, which can lead to inconsistencies or misinterpretation during import.
To handle dates and numbers written in different regional styles in an uploaded file (for example, a day-first 04/05/2024 or a European 1.234,56), see Smart Date and Number Formats.

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Date formatting issues in Excel

Excel stores dates in one of two ways:
  • As formatted text: e.g., "03/04/2024"
  • As numeric serial values: e.g., 45025, which represents the number of days since January 1, 1900.
This dual nature can lead to problems during import, especially with international date formats. For example:
  • "03/04/2024" might be March 4 in the U.S. (MM/DD/YYYY)
  • …or April 3 in Europe (DD/MM/YYYY)
If Excel stores the date as a number (45025) and the importer misinterprets the format, the final result could be completely off. To address this, CSVbox lets you explicitly define how Excel date values are interpreted.

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Date handling options

  • Default: Uses Excel’s built-in logic to interpret the cell as a date. Best for files with consistent formatting and locale.
  • MM/DD/YYYY: Forces interpretation using the Month-Day-Year format. Example: "03/04/2024" → March 4, 2024
  • DD/MM/YYYY: Forces interpretation using the Day-Month-Year format. Example: "03/04/2024" → April 3, 2024
  • YYYY-MM-DD and YYYY/MM/DD: Force interpretation using the Year-Month-Day format.
  • Custom: Define a custom format like YYYY-MM-DD, DD-MMM-YYYY, or any other pattern based on how your Excel file stores the date. Example: "12-Mar-2024" → use custom format DD-MMM-YYYY
If your dates are inconsistently formatted or include a mix of text and numeric formats, consider cleaning them in Excel first, or use the Custom option for better accuracy.

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Time formatting issues in Excel

Excel stores time values either as:
  • Numeric fractions of a day (e.g., 0.5 represents 12:00 PM)
  • Formatted time strings (e.g., "14:30", "2:30 PM", "14:30:00")
This causes parsing issues when some cells are numbers and others are text. For example, 0.75 might mean 6:00 PM (75% of a day), while "06:00" clearly means 6 AM but may be read as a string.

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Time handling options

  • Default: Uses Excel’s formatting as-is. Suitable for simple, clean files.
  • HH:MM:SS: Example: "14:30:00" → 2:30 PM
  • HH:MM AM/PM: Example: "2:30 PM" → 14:30
  • Custom: Define your own time pattern, such as HH:mm or h:mm a, based on your file’s content.

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Number formatting issues in Excel

Excel often applies formatting to numeric values that changes how they appear:
  • A raw value of 0.15 could be displayed as 15%
  • A value of 1200 might appear as $1,200.00
  • A long number like 1234567890123 may be auto-converted to scientific notation (1.23E+12)
These formatted displays can mislead the importer if you’re expecting clean numbers. Number formatting is controlled at the individual column level. See Values for Excel setting for the options.

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Number interpretation options

Use RAW if you plan to run calculations or validations on numeric fields after import.
Date formatting is set per sheet, during file upload setup. Number formatting is set per column, for finer control.

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How to configure date formatting

1

Open the File Upload tab

Go to Sheet Settings → Import Steps → File Upload tab in your CSVbox dashboard.
2

Find the Excel formatting section

Scroll to the Formatting in Excel Files section.
3

Choose a date format

Choose your preferred option for Date Format.
4

Save the configuration

Save the configuration.

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Configure number formatting

1

Edit a Number column

Go to Sheet Settings → Columns and click Edit on a column with type Number.
2

Select a Values for Excel setting

Locate the Values for Excel option and select your preferred interpretation.
3

Save the configuration

Save the configuration.

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Hide cancel button

Hide the Cancel button located at the bottom-right corner of the importer. The X (close) button at the top-right corner of the importer remains unaffected. Enabling this feature helps prevent users from accidentally canceling the import process and keeps their attention on completing the import with the Submit button.
  • Use case: Ideal for workflows where you want to guide users toward submission without distractions or potential interruptions.
  • Default value: No
Hide Cancel Button setting

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AI pre-import transform

Use AI to transform the uploaded file before it’s imported. Turn the option on and enter Transform Instructions in plain language. See AI Pre-Import Transform. These features are also turned on from the File Upload step: