Import Businesses

The Business Directory module includes the ability to import large numbers of entries using a .csv file. You can also export your current list of businesses to the same format.

Import templates

To assist with importing events, Business Directory creates a pre-formatted .csv file containing columns for all the required fields.

To download an import template:

1. Navigate to the Business Directory back office by using the selector at the top left of the ribbon, or by selecting the Business Directory tile on your dashboard
2. Select the 'Listings' tab
3. Open the 'Actions' drop down at the top right of the page and select 'Import'
4. Select the 'import template' link in the popup dialogue
5. Select where to save the file if prompted. The default file name is BD_Imports.csv
6. Your browser will inform you of the file download

Please note

The import template is identical for all business directories but may change as the product is updated and evolves. For best results please download a new import template each time you go through the process with a new set of businesses.

Creating the import file

To add your business information to the import file:

1. Rename the import template file downloaded in the above steps to reflect the content of your import. Use upper- and lower-case letters, numbers, and dashes only (no spaces). Do not alter the file extension (.csv)
2. Open the file in a spreadsheet application, like Excel or Sheets
3. Enter the data for each business, one business per row. For more information on the content and formatting of columns see the “Import File Formatting” section, below
4. Save the file in a .csv file format. Be careful that your application does not replace the file format. The business import tool will only accept .csv files

Import file formatting

To assist with the import process we have provided a list of the columns and their required formatting.

Importing the events

Once you have created your import .csv file, you can import your businesses:

1. Navigate to the Business Directory back office by using the selector at the top left of the ribbon, or by selecting the Business Directory tile on your dashboard
2. Select the 'Listings' tab
3. Open the 'Actions' drop down at the top right of the page and select 'Import'
4. Select the 'Click to upload' button and choose your .csv file or drag the file into the upload area.
5. Wait until the file load indicator reaches 100%
6. Select the 'Upload CSV file' button
7. Wait until the processing import indicator reaches 100%
8. Select the 'Confirm import' button to complete the process

Once your businesses have been uploaded please review each entry. You will need to manually upload any images associated with the imported entries. You can use the import document as a reference to determine which image files go with each business.