---
title: "Importing data to Collect"
url: "https://openforis.support/questions/1067/importing-data-to-collect"
tags: ["collect"]
status: "answered"
score: 0
answer_count: 3
asked: "2017-02-22T01:14:12"
last_activity: "2017-02-23T12:45:07"
source: "Open Foris Support - Q&A Forum"
license: "Copyright Open Foris, 2026. Some rights reserved under creative commons license."
---

# Importing data to Collect

Asked by jinkaizhang on 2017-02-22

Do you have an example to demonstrate how the data can be imported into a existing Survey? I know the .csv file is only option, but i am not clear about how to format the csv file, especially when the survey has  multiple entities/tables.


i checked the previous post "Best practice for importing large sets of inventory data", but it didn't help much.


Thanks

Jinkai


## Answer (score 0, by Stefano (OF) on 2017-02-22)

Link: https://openforis.support/questions/1067/importing-data-to-collect/1070

Hi Jinkai,  
When you are editing your survey in the **Survey Designer**, you have the possibility to generate a template for the CSV data import:  
 - click on the small gear button in the top right corner  
 - select `Export CSV data import/export template`  
![alt text][1]  
It will generate a ZIP file containing a template for every entity data you will need to import into Collect. The column names in this files will depend on the names of the attributes in your entities.  
Many thanks,  
Open Foris Team


  [1]: http://www.openforis.org/support/upfiles/OF_Collect_-_CSV_data_import_template_generation.png


## Answer (score 0, by jinkaizhang on 2017-02-23)

Link: https://openforis.support/questions/1067/importing-data-to-collect/1079

Hello,

I just did one test. i exported the template as directed in your previous email. The ZIP file generated has  3 CSV files like cluster.csv, plot.csv and tree.csv. Do i need to import three times? Or Can I import just once if i can somehow construct one CSV file to include all the attributes from 3 CSV files?

Thanks,

Jinkai


## Answer (score 0, by Stefano (OF) on 2017-02-23)

Link: https://openforis.support/questions/1067/importing-data-to-collect/1083

Hi Jinkai,  
You can import the data one entity per time (starting from the `root` entity (the sampling unit) and then continue by importing data related to nested entities (e.g. if you have a structure like cluster -> plot -> tree you can start to import cluster.csv, then plot.csv and then tree.csv).  
Otherwise you can put all the csv files you want to import and add them to a zip file to be imported into Collect: Collect will import every csv file following the hierarchy defined in the Schema).  
Many thanks,  
Open Foris Team