Importing into EMDESK
EMDESK's import feature helps you quickly set up your workspace by importing data directly from Excel files. This saves time when transitioning from other tools or setting up large datasets.
You can import data into four main areas of your workspace:
- Workplan - Import projects, activities, deliverables, and milestones
- Participants - Import consortium members and their details
- Budget - Import planned budget items
- Expenses - Import actual expense records
Before You Start
To import data, you need:
- Manage access rights to the section you're importing into (see Roles and access rights)
- Your workspace plan version must be in Edit mode (see Managing plan versions)
File Requirements
Your import file must meet these specifications:
- File Format
- Excel file with .xlsx extension only
- File Size
- Maximum 2MB file size
- Data Structure
- Raw data without formatting, calculations, or formulas - just the values you want to import
- Header Row
- First row must contain column headers that match EMDESK properties. Some headers are required, others optional (specific requirements vary by import type)
- Character Encoding
- Use UTF-8 encoding if your file contains non-English characters
- Date Format
- Date and time values must be in Excel's number format (not text)
Important Notes
- Records will be imported in the same order as they appear in your file
- Hidden rows in Excel will still be processed during import - delete any rows you don't want imported
Getting Sample Files
Each import type has a sample Excel file to help you format your data correctly:
- 1
- Go to the section where you want to import data
- 2
- Click the + Import button at the bottom of the section
- 3
- Click Sample spreadsheet to download the template
Tracking Imported Data
All imported records automatically receive a tag like "import_2022-10-20_12-10-13" showing when they were imported. You can use this tag to filter and find all records from a specific import batch.
Step-by-Step Import Guides
Choose your import type below for detailed instructions: