Bulk Updater Automation: CSV Management

For the Bulk Updater Automation to execute a function, it requires CSV files with correct formatting. These files serve as translation of what is required from this automation. Ultimately, each function execution either updates or creates data in a single section across multiple projects, so incorrect formatting results in processing errors. 

To format CSV files appropriately, it is important to consider the supported fields the automation can edit. As such, each field follows its own format to be interpreted. Files must include projects, fields, and data formatted to be read by the selected function in the Bulk Updater Import section. 
 

Supported Fields

The following table contains the supported Field Selectors and their corresponding data format:

Exact Field Selector	Field Type Format	Limitations	Example
currency	Float number with 2 decimals.	Float numbers with more than 2 decimals are not allowed.	0000.00
number	Integer.	Noninteger numbers are not allowed.	000000000000
decimal	Float number with 8 decimals.	Float numbers with different to 8 decimals are not allowed.	0000.00000000
percent	Float number with 8 decimals.	Float numbers with different to 8 decimals are not allowed.	0000.00000000
textSingleLine	Text in a single line.	Line breaks are not allowed.	The case involves a contract dispute.
textMultipleLines	Text in multiple lines. Line breaks are allowed by pressing enter.	—	The case involves a contract dispute between two parties.   Plaintiff claims that the defendant failed to meet the agreed-upon terms.
textMultipleLinesLarge	Text in multiple lines, with a larger character limit. Line breaks are allowed by pressing enter.	—	The case involves a contract dispute between the two parties mentioned.   Plaintiff claims that the defendant failed to meet the agreed-upon terms. Therefore, compensation is required.
yes/No	Yes/No, as well as True/False.	Only allows binary information.	True False
date	Dates.	Only allows the format YYYY-MM-DD.	2024-12-31
dropdownListDropdownView or dropdownListMultipleChoice	Values in a dropdown list.	When the CSV file has a different value from the supported ones, an error message is shown during the import.
fileAttachment	Any File ID uploaded within the Filevine project. The File ID is a numeric value.	The file must be located within the respective Filevine project indicated in the corresponding projectId column.	992168233
person	Any contact ID registered in Filevine. The contact ID is a numeric value.	Organization members IDs are not allowed. The CSV file must contain a contact ID.	992168233
uRL	Any URL with the standard URL format: www.domain…	The protocol https:// or http:// must not be indicated in the CSV.	www.website.com
projectLink	Any project link ID. The project link ID is a numeric value.	The CSV file must have a project link ID column.	992168227
projectName	Text for the project name.	The CSV file must have a project name column. The following characters are not supported: < > :" / \ | ? *, ' It is limited to 255 Characters.	Mass tort Case-3583
phaseId	Any project phase ID. The phase ID is a numeric value.	The CSV file must have a project phase ID column.	992168227

List Fields (Multi-Select or Text list)

For the Bulk Updater Automation to import dropdown menu data from a CSV, values must be comma-separated (e.g., Value 1, Value 2). These data are called List Fields, such as Multi-Selects or Text Lists. They follow specific formats depending on the type of list, ensuring the automation executes updates with no issues. 

Formats are important in the dropdown menu data because values with commas trigger errors in file interpretation. This happens since the Bulk Updater Automation takes commas as delimiters. Therefore, values including commas are interpreted as different values. To avoid this error, List Fields can be appended following the specific formats.

The table below contains the format information to append List Fields:

Special Cases for Cell Values

Below are some special cases to consider during CSV file formatting.

• Empty Cells in the itemId Column

When updating an item collection, empty cells in the itemId column will create a new collection item. 

• Empty Cells 

When any cell of a field is empty, the Bulk Updater Automation ignores that field.

• Null Values

When any cell of a field contains the NULL value, the Bulk Updater Automation clears that field. The word NULL in the cell is not case-sensitive. The data import recognizes and treats it as a NULL value, regardless of how it is written.
 

How to Create a CSV File

To create each CSV file correctly, follow these steps:

Step 1. Perform formatting verifications.

Step 2. Enter the desired Field Selectors.

Step 3. Update or add the data.

Step 1. Perform Formatting Verifications

Verify and complete the following checks to perform formatting verifications. 

• First Check — Verify the projectId Column Format

This check aims to verify the first column's format. This is essential because the project ID column specifies the project that contains the sections to direct the new data. 

This process does not create new projects. Also, generating a report in Filevine allocates project IDs. 

Follow these steps to verify the projectId column format:

1. Open your preference CSV file editor app (Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets).
2. Create a new blank file.
3. In the first cell (position A1), enter projectId verbatim. 
4. Enter the project ID numbers in the projectId column.

Find further information about building a report in Filevine in the article: Neodeluxe Filevine Setup: Filevine Reports.

• Second Check — Verify the update_collection_item function (Optional) 

This check only applies if the required automation function is update_collection_item. It is essential because an empty cell in the itemId column creates a new item within that project. Collection item IDs can also be obtained by generating a report in Filevine. Follow these steps to verify this format:

1. Open the CSV file.
2. In the first cell (position A1), enter projectId verbatim. 
3. In the second cell (position B1), enter itemId verbatim. 
4. Enter the IDs of the collection items in the itemId column.

Find further information about building a report in Filevine in the article: Neodeluxe Filevine Setup: Filevine Reports.

• Third Check — Verify the update_project function (Optional) 

This check only applies if the automation function is update_project. This is essential for this function because the Bulk Updater Automation only supports changes in the project name and project phase. Follow these steps to verify this format:

1. Open the CSV file.
2. In the first cell (position A1), enter projectId verbatim. 
3. In the second cell (position B1), enter projectName verbatim.
4. In the third cell (position C1), enter phaseId verbatim.
5. Enter the names of each project in the projectName column.
6. Enter the IDs of each phase in the phaseId column.

Step 2. Enter the corresponding Field Selectors

In this step, enter the Field Selectors in the CSV header row. For the fields to be updated by the Bulk Updater Automation, consider the following:

• Titles in the headers row must:
  • Belong to the section where the data is being imported.
  • Match verbatim as they appear in the Customs Editor section of Filevine.
• If a field is not included in the CSV, it remains unchanged.

Find further information about the Section Selectors in the article: How to Get Selectors and Field Codes.

Step 3. Update or Add the Data

In this step, enter the values in the CSV file to import into the Bulk Updater Automation. To achieve this, find the intersection of the project ID with the corresponding Field Selector. Then, enter the value in the correct format. This automation is case-sensitive, so any discrepancies prevent the automation from importing data correctly. 

Step 4. Save the CSV File

Follow these steps to save a CSV file based on your software preference:

• How to Save in Microsoft Excel

1. Click File, then Save As.
2. Click Browse, then select a folder.
3. Enter the file name, then click the arrow icon in the Save as type box.
4. Select the file format CSV (comma-delimited). 
5. Click Save.

How to Save in Google Sheets

1. Click File.
2. Click Download.
3. Select Comma Separated Values (.csv).