Import field options in bulk

Use a CSV file to import a large list of field options

Brett Shelley avatar
Written by Brett Shelley
Updated over a week ago

Do you have a large list of options that you need to add to a dropdown, radio, or multi-choice field?

If so, don't fret! You can easily import your field options in bulk using a CSV file. This is a huge time-saver compared to manually typing each option into the app's form builder. Follow the steps below to learn how to create and import a CSV file of field options into the form builder in Customer Fields.

Note: There is a limit of 500 options per field for most field types. If you need a field with more than 500 options, consider using a 'Dropdown with search' field that is connected to a Google Sheet (learn more).

Prepare the CSV

For this example, we're going to create a list of dog breeds as field options using Microsoft Excel.

Step 1

Open Excel and create a new, blank spreadsheet. Each row in your spreadsheet will represent a field option. You're welcome to copy and paste a list of items directly into the spreadsheet, or you can manually enter them. By the time you've finished, the spreadsheet should look something like this:

Step 2

Now that your list of options has been created, it's time to save your spreadsheet to a safe place in the proper format. This step is important, as the format of the spreadsheet file must be CSV UTF-8:

Pro-tip: Make sure to keep track of where you save your CSV file since you'll need to find this same file during the import process shown below.

Import the CSV

Step 1

In the app's form builder, click on the field you wish to edit to view the field settings on the left-hand pane. Scroll down to the Choices section, click the triple-dot icon above the options editor, and then select 'Import CSV':

Notice: Before proceeding, please note that any existing options for the field you're editing will be deleted and replaced with the options found in the CSV file you import.

Step 2

Find and select the CSV file you created, and then click the 'Upload' button. Notice that the list of field options from the CSV will be automatically imported and shown in the form builder:

Step 3

After you have imported the field options, double-check that the field is working properly using the 'Preview' tab in the form builder. If all looks good, make sure to click the 'Save' button to save your changes πŸ‘

Separate values

You can use separate labels and values when importing field options by including two columns of data in your spreadsheet. The first column (column "A") should represent the option Labels, while the second column (column "B") should represent the option Values. For this example, we've used a common name for the option labels and a short-handed abbreviation for the option values. See the screenshots below:

Spreadsheet

Form builder


Questions, comments, or concerns?

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