Overview
Use the Formalize import tool to bulk-upload data and maintain connections between your records.
Key Capabilities
Bulk Uploads: Import up to 2,000 records per file.
Relational Mapping: Import resources along with their custom connections.
In-App Error Handling: Preview, edit, and resolve validation errors directly in the interface prior to importing.
Smart Field Mapping: Automatically map file columns and dropdown options to existing platform fields.
Access Control: Control import privileges using the dedicated Import [Resource] permission setting.
How to Import Suppliers
Follow these steps to import supplier data from a spreadsheet into Formalize.
Step 1: Upload your file
Select Suppliers from the main navigation menu.
Click the Options menu (three-dots icon) in the top-right corner of the screen and select Import.
Drag and drop your file into the upload area, or click Browse to choose a file from your computer.
Supported file types: Excel (
.xlsx) or CSV (.csv).Optional: Click Download Template if you prefer to structure your data using our recommended format.
Step 2: Choose the relevant sheet
If your workbook contains multiple sheets, click the dropdown menu to select the specific sheet containing the supplier data you want to import.
Step 3: Select the header row
Click the row in the preview table that corresponds to your column headers (the row containing column names like Supplier Name, Email, etc.).
Step 4: Map file columns to platform fields
Formalize automatically maps columns and dropdown values if their names match existing platform fields.
Review the mapped fields.
Unmatched Fields: Columns with unmatched names display a yellow warning banner. Click the dropdown menu next to the unmatched column and select the matching Formalize field or connection.
Required Dropdown Mapping: Single-select and multi-select dropdown columns must be mapped to complete the import process.
Non-dropdown columns left unmapped will simply be excluded from the import.
Step 5: Preview data and fix validation errors
Before finalizing the upload, review the interactive data preview table:
Valid Data: Rows without errors are shown normally.
Invalid Data: Fields containing formatting or validation errors are highlighted in red.
Editing Errors: Click directly on any red cell to edit and fix the value directly inside the platform.
Note: Any row containing unresolved errors (red cells) will be skipped during the import process. Only valid rows will be imported.
Step 6: Finalize the import
Review all rows and click Import in the bottom-right corner.
The import runs automatically in the background. You can safely navigate away from this page or close your browser tab while it processes.
You will receive an automated email notification with an import summary once processing is complete.
Technical Specifications & System Behavior
File Compatibility & Templates
You can upload any standard
.csvor.xlsxfile—using the standard Formalize template is optional.Uploading a file previously exported from Formalize or using our official template enables automatic column mapping. Legacy supplier templates remain fully supported.
Automatic Data Cleaning
To ensure high data quality and reduce manual formatting, Formalize automatically cleans incoming data during import:
Dates: Converts and normalizes multiple date formats (e.g.,
YYYY-MM-DD,DD/MM/YYYY).Phone Numbers: Normalizes entries with or without international country codes.
Text Fields: Automatically trims trailing spaces and removes unsupported characters.
Permissions & Security
To import data, a user must have the Import suppliers permission enabled under Access Roles.
All users who previously had permission to create suppliers have been automatically granted the Import suppliers permission.
Supported Entities
You can currently use the bulk import feature across the following modules:
Assets, Business Functions, Contracts, Customers, Data Subject Requests (DSRs), Employees, Incidents, Processes and Processing Activities, Risks, Suppliers, Systems
We hope this article was helpful!
If you have any additional questions, please reach out to us via chat in the bottom right corner of the page — our team is always happy to assist you further.