Whether you need to bring over past planning data or add a bunch of new assignments, Ganttic makes it simple to bulk import your Task data. Just download our CSV Data Import template, add your Task data, and upload it back to Ganttic. Find out how to quickly get your Tasks, Projects, and Task Data Field values into your resource planner.
Must Know
- Only Owners and Admins can use the CSV Data Import feature.
- If you import a Task with a title that already exists in Ganttic, a new duplicate Task with the same title will simply be added.
- Task Data Field values and Task Utilization can be included in the bulk import.
- Importing Task Data Field values can be done during the initial upload or later.
- Task Data Fields have to be created before downloading the CSV template.
- Importing Data Field values will overwrite any Data Fields values already in the planner.
- If the column headers of the template and Data Field names in Ganttic don't match, the import is canceled.
- There’s 3 import templates to choose from: Tasks, Resources, or Projects. Import separately, or manually combine the column headers and data to upload them all at once.
Before You Begin
Add at Least One Resource for Task Import
To import Tasks, you must have created at least one Resource in your Ganttic planner first. This will enable Resources' calendar timelines where the Tasks are being imported to.
Create Task Data Fields in Ganttic
In order to import Task Data Field values, make sure the Task Data Fields are created in Ganttic first.
Create Projects in Ganttic
If you want to Bulk import Tasks that are connected to Projects, then upload the Projects and Tasks together or add the Projects in Ganttic before downloading the Template.
Downloading the Task Import Template
- Click on the + icon at the top left and select Import via the bottom of the drop-down list. The Data Import section will open.
- Select Task Template.
- If you want the Template to include Task names, tick the box add task title column. Task names are optional as it is possible to import Tasks without titles. Assign the titles later or just link the Tasks to Projects.
- If Tasks are connected to Projects, tick the box add project column. Use this option to upload Projects and Tasks together or link the Tasks to Projects.
- To import Task Data Field values, click the add custom data field columns box. Do this while uploading Tasks or later. The Task Data Fields must be created in Ganttic before downloading the Template.
- Select the maximum number of Resource title columns that should be included.
NB! Do this for Tasks which have multiple Resources attached to the job. You can choose from 1-10, but can manually add more numbers if needed. - Hit download template.
Building the Template
- Open the Template in Excel or Google Sheets. Make sure this is done via a new sheet, then File > Import. Otherwise the column headers won’t be separated properly.
NB! Remember the selected separator (comma, colon, semicolon etc) chosen when downloading the template and keep it consistent throughout. - On the Template, you’ll see Task title columns labeled Task_Title. Fill in the rows with Task Titles. This data is optional for the import.
NB! If you import a Task with a title that already exists in Ganttic, a new duplicate Task with the same title will be added. - You’ll also see a column with the start and end date and time of the Tasks: Task_Start_Date_Time and Task_End_Date_Time. Fill in the cells below with your Task data. This is mandatory!
NB! The mandatory date and time format is yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm. If specific times are unknown, you can use dates only - but times must be marked as 00:00. If the start and/or finish time of the Task is not given with 15-minute accuracy, it will be rounded up. - If you’d like to import Task Data Field values along with the Task, fill in the cells below the column titled Task_Data(Title of the Data Field). This data is optional for the import and can be done later too.
NB! It is not possible to import Link or User type Data Field values. - If importing Tasks with Project data, fill in the cells in the column titled Project_Title. This data is optional for the import. If not used, Tasks will be imported without being assigned to any Projects.
- To import Tasks with predefined load/utilization %, manually add a column with the title Task_Util. Then simply add the percentage number/load without the % symbol. This data is optional for the import. All Tasks imported will have 100% utilization by default.
- After you’re done adding the data into the Template, make sure to save it as a CSV via File > Save As > CSV.
Example of importing Task and Task Data:
Uploading the CSV File
If you're done filling in your data, save the file in CSV format (with UTF-8 character encoding) and head back to Ganttic's Data import section.
- Select the CSV separator. This is the symbol used to separate different values in plain text format. It has to match with the one used in the CSV Template.
- Decide if you need to check the All day tasks option or not. You’ll want it checked if you want to convert your Tasks into full-day ones. The timestamps will then be ignored.
Tip! If you have all-day Tasks and Tasks that are not all-day Tasks, import them separately. - Select a Time-zone if the Tasks about to be imported are scheduled for another time zone.
- Click on Browse to select your CSV file. Make sure it's filled in correctly otherwise the import won't start.
- Click on Import data. Your data will be imported.
Troubleshooting the CSV Import
Here’s a few common errors that may occur while importing your CSV template into Ganttic. As well as what they mean and how to fix them.
Field Missing
All imported Data Fields must be created before downloading the template. If they don't exist in the planner upon import, the below error will appear.
However, values for the data fields don't have to be created beforehand. For example, if you have 3 specific locations for your team, only create a List-type Data named “Location.” The actual values can be added to the planner using your CSV file.
Invalid Data
All imported Tasks must have an assigned Resource or marked as “unassigned.” Double check that this is so in the line mentioned in the error.
Invalid Date Formatting
Update your date value in the line mentioned to match this format: yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm.
Please pay attention and use the exact same symbols between the dates. For example, 2023-05-05 15:00!
Still having issues with your import? Email our support team or book a demo to go through it together.
Next Steps
In addition to Tasks, it’s possible to bulk import Projects, Resources, and their Data Field values. Or, discover how to smoothly bulk import all your data into Ganttic. For regular updates from other tools or vice versa, consider building a custom connection via API.