Importing data into Camphouse
You can import data into Camphouse from an Excel or CSV file in any view that shows the import icon. Camphouse reads your file, lets you pick which sheet to import, checks your column mapping, and lets you review every row before anything is written to your plan. This article covers the full flow, the common errors you might hit, and where to find a log of every import you've run.
Where to find the import button
The import button is the arrow icon pointing up, at the top right of the view. You'll find it in:
Results (Sheet view and tables)
Media Overview Sheet view
Production Plan
Wherever the importer appears, it looks and behaves the same, so the steps below apply to every entry point.
What your file needs to look like
Camphouse imports a standard Excel or CSV file. Before you start, check that your file follows these rules:
Column headers sit in the first row.
Each column's data matches its type – dates as dates, numbers as numbers, text as text.
Numbers use commas for thousands and dots for decimals (for example,
3,000.1).Start dates and end dates are in two separate columns, one per entry.
If your file doesn't follow these rules the import won't fail outright, but you'll see more work at the mapping step.
How to import data into Camphouse
Open the view you want to import into – Results, the Sheet view, or Production Plan.
Click the import icon at the top right of the view. The Import file to create a setup window opens.
Drag and drop your file into the upload area, or click Click to upload and pick the file from your computer.
Camphouse reads the file and pre-fills the first sheet (tab) from your Excel file. If your file contains several sheets, pick the one you want to import from the dropdown.
Click Start importing.
A small progress widget appears in the bottom right of your screen. You can carry on working in other views while the import runs – the widget stays with you so you can check status when you need to.
One sheet per import. The importer handles one tab per import. If your file has multiple sheets and you need data from more than one, run a separate import for each.
Can I import multiple media types or plans in one go?
Yes. A single sheet can contain rows for multiple media types, plans, and subsidiaries, as long as those are included as columns in your file. The importer reads each row and maps it to the correct destination based on the column values.
You only need to run separate imports when the data is split across multiple sheets in the file, not when it's mixed within the same sheet.
What the progress widget shows
The widget tracks your import in coloured stages so you can see where it is at a glance:
Grey: the step hasn't started yet.
Blue: validation is in progress. You'll typically see this when importing large files, while the importer works through the data.
Gold: the step needs your attention, usually a mapping mismatch.
Green: the step completed successfully.
Red: validation failed and the import can't continue.
From the widget you can click Check to open the full mapping view, click the expand icon to open the full view directly, click the minimize icon to shrink the widget (and drag it anywhere on screen during larger imports), or click X to cancel the import. Only the minimized version can be moved – when you open it back up, the full widget appears wherever you placed the minimized version.
How to review your column mapping
Most imports pause at the mapping step so you can confirm Camphouse has matched each column in your file to the right field. Click Check on the widget, or click the expand icon, to open the mapping view.
The mapping view shows four columns:
Column name in the file – your file's column header, with a tick box on the left.
Type – the field type Camphouse detected (text, number, date, tag category, organisation, media plan, and so on).
Camphouse Field Name – the field your column will map to.
Example data – a preview of tag values for columns mapped to a tag category, so you can check the mapping is correct.
Use the tick boxes to include or exclude each column. Columns marked with a MAP badge are columns whose names don't match an existing field in Camphouse. For each one, either pick an existing field from the Camphouse Field Name dropdown to map it, or untick the checkbox to skip it.
A counter at the top of the page (1/3, 2/3, 3/3) tells you how many issues need to be resolved. Use the arrows on either side to step between them.
Common mapping errors and how to fix them
"Columns require mapping"
Some columns in your file don't match an existing field in Camphouse, and field creation during import has been disabled for your organisation. Each affected column is marked with a MAP badge in the mapping view. To clear the error, either pick an existing field from the Camphouse Field Name dropdown for each column with a MAP badge, or untick the checkbox to skip it.
Field creation during import is controlled in Settings → General settings → Importer settings by the Allow sensitive import toggle. This setting is powerful: when enabled, an import can create new tags, vehicles, fields, and even new organisations, effectively reshaping the setup of an org. These changes can't be automatically undone, so reversing them means manually resetting everything that was created. For this reason, the setting is generally managed by your Customer Success team and used only during initial organisation setup, when the data has been thoroughly verified.
"Some required types are not selected"
One or more required types haven't been mapped. For example, your Media Vehicle column may have been read as Tag Category when it should be Vehicle. To fix it, find the row in the mapping view, click the Type dropdown, and choose the correct type. The error clears once every required type is set.
"Field type conflict"
A column in your file has the same name as a field already in your organisation, but Camphouse detected a different type. The error message names the field and tells you the type it should be – for example, "Media Vehicle (should be remapped to type: tagCategory)." Click Fix Automatically in the top right of the error message and the importer remaps the field for you. You'll see a green Success message when it's done.
"Almost done" – which columns will be skipped?
Once every error is resolved (or any flagged columns have been unticked), you'll see an informational message at the top of the mapping view. It appears in one of two states:
Green – everything is mapped, nothing will be skipped. If every column in your file will be imported, you'll see a green "Almost done" message. You're ready to continue.
Blue – some columns will be skipped. If some columns won't be imported, the message turns blue and tells you how many will be skipped and why. For example: "Check created fields to continue. 2 columns will be skipped because they are mapped to a calculated or generated field."
Columns are skipped when they map to field types the importer can't write to. This includes:
Calculations (without calculate on condition set)
Text calculations
File fields
User fields
Columns you've manually unticked are also skipped. This is informational rather than an error – Camphouse is telling you which columns it will leave out, and why. Click Save and Continue in the bottom right to move on.
How to validate and confirm the import
After mapping is resolved and you click Save and Continue, Camphouse validates the data. If it's clean, the progress widget turns green and shows Validation: review and confirm. Click Check (or the expand icon) to open the Import file review window – your final chance to inspect the data before it lands in Camphouse. The window has two tabs.
Errors tab
If your data is clean, the Errors tab confirms "No errors found. Your data is ready for import." Scroll through the table on the left to spot-check the rows that will be created.
Match & Replace tab
The Match & Replace tab lets you correct values across a column before the import is confirmed. Use it when a tag value in your file doesn't match the spelling of an existing tag in Camphouse, or when you've spotted a value in the preview you want to bulk-correct.
To use Match & Replace:
Pick the column you want to correct from the Select a column dropdown.
(Optional) Type the value you want to find in the Match field. Leave it empty to target every value in the column.
Type the new value in the Replace with field.
Click the magnifying glass icon to preview the affected rows before committing.
You can then click Replace All to update every matching row at once, or tick individual rows and click Replace next to each one to update them selectively.
Match & Replace only affects the data being imported. It doesn't change anything that already exists in your organisation.
Once you're satisfied, click Confirm import in the bottom right. To back out without importing, click Cancel.
What happens if the import fails
There are two failure modes, and they show up differently on the widget:
Validation fails before the import runs. The widget turns red and shows Validation: failed. The import can't continue. Click the download icon on the widget to download a report of the attempt – useful for troubleshooting yourself or sharing with support.
Validation passes but the import itself fails for some rows. A download icon appears on the widget. Click it to download a report of the rows that errored, so you can correct them and re-run.
Where to find your past imports
Every import you run – completed, failed, or cancelled – is logged in Import history. Go to Settings → External data → Import history.
The page shows the import job (file name and the view it was imported into), creation time, last updated time, status (Completed, Cancelled, or Failed), and the user who ran it. Use the page navigation at the bottom to step through pages, and the Show dropdown to change the number of imports displayed per page.
Tips for a smooth import
Keep column headers in the first row of your file.
Match each data type – dates as dates, numbers as numbers, tag values that match existing tags exactly.
Use commas for thousands and dots for decimals (for example,
3,000.1).Always have two separate columns for the start date and the end date.
For each column flagged with a MAP badge, map it to an existing Camphouse field or untick it to skip. Field creation during import is a separate, powerful setting managed by your Customer Success team during organisation setup, not part of standard imports.
Use Fix Automatically whenever it appears – it's the fastest way to resolve a field type conflict.
Minimize the progress widget for larger imports so you can keep working while it runs.
Limitations
Import history is only available at parent level (Media type owner).
Approval steps cannot be imported. Historical data imports do not include approval steps.