One of the easiest ways to get started in Coda is with existing data from another tool. Many applications support exporting data as a CSV file: a simple text file (using ending in .csv or .tsv) with one line of data per row and commas to separate the field valuesCSVs are by far the most common form of text data files and can be created easily by exporting data from Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, and more.
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​💡Tip: For an even easier experience, don’t forget to check out some of our app-specific importers for Notion, Trello, and more.

A CSV file is a simple text file with one line of data per row and commas to separate the field values. CSVs are by far the most common form of text data files and can be created easily by exporting data from your apps including Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, and more. These exported files usually end in .csv or .tsv. Coda supports importing data from CSV files into new tables or existing ones.

To get started with your CSV import, just type /import into the doc canvas, then select CSV from the list of options.

Once you’ve selected CSV, you’ll see a pop-up with some import options. Click Add file to select the CSV file you’d like to import. If multiple files are selected, then new tables will be created on the existing page, one per file.

Under Import location, choose whether you’d like to create a new table or add this CSV data to an existing table. Note that if you’ve selected multiple files to upload, you won’t have the option to add the data to an existing table.

Most (but not all) CSV files have the names of the columns in the first row. If you leave the Use first row as headers option toggled on, Coda will automatically look for this first row and convert them into column names when you import with Coda's CSV import tool. If your CSV doesn’t have column names included, then toggle this option off.

Once you’re ready to import, just hit Next.

If you selected to add your CSV to an existing table, after hitting Next, you’ll then need to map the columns from the existing table with values from the file.

You can also chose to merge rows by selecting a single key column mapping. Coda will use this key column to look for matching data, so that existing data will be updated rather than replaced or duplicated. Just be sure to choose a column that has unique values for each unique data point.

Once selected the preview will show how the data will be affected; existing rows will be updated and/or new rows will be added.

If you imported the data and forgot to import the column names, you can easily make this change. Simply select the first row in your table and then bring up the row menu by right-clicking (if you're using Windows) or by holding the control key and clicking on the row (if you're on a Mac).

Now select the Use as column headers menu option. This will take the selected row and use the data in that row to rename all columns in your table. Pretty cool right?

Get started with importing CSV files now!