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Import data (CSV, Excel)

Bring your existing data into Ekit: CSV or Excel (.xlsx) files become new tables in the open project. Ekit creates the fields, suggests a type for each column, finds the links between tables, then imports the rows as entries.

One file gives one table; an Excel file with several sheets, or several files dropped together, give one table each.

How to import

  1. Open the Tables of your project, then click the import icon next to + (or Import (CSV, Excel) when the project has no table yet). On a new project, the onboarding checklist also offers or import a file (CSV, Excel).
  2. Drop one or more files in the window, or click to choose them (up to 20 files). The first row of each file or sheet must contain the column names.

  3. Each future table is shown as a card: uncheck the ones you do not want, rename them, and open a card to check its columns. For each column you can:

    • rename the field;
    • change the type suggested by Ekit;
    • leave the column out (uncheck it);
    • choose the title field, shown to recognize each entry and used for its address;
    • in a multilingual project, make a text field multilingual (see Languages).

    Above the cards: the language of the values, in a multilingual project. 4. Click Import. Nothing is saved before this step. 5. When it is done, Open the table. You can close the window during the import: it continues, and the table appears in the project when it is finished.

Supported files

Format Details
CSV (.csv, .tsv, .txt) comma, semicolon or tab separator, detected automatically; UTF-8 or Windows encoding (files saved by Excel); quoted values with commas or line breaks
Excel (.xlsx) choice of the sheet; dates, numbers and formulas (their result) read as Excel shows them

Old .xls files and Apple Numbers files are not supported: save them as .xlsx or .csv first.

Field types

Ekit suggests a type when at least 95% of the column's values match it. You can always change it.

Type Recognized values
Checkbox true / false, yes / no, 1 / 0, checked (Airtable)
Number 1234, 1,234.56, 1 234,56… The decimal separator is detected for the whole column
Date, date and time 2026-10-07, 07/10/2026, October 7, 2026, 10/7/2026 2:30pm…
Email, URL, color name@example.com, https://…, #81d6c1
Long text values longer than 255 characters or with line breaks
Tags short values separated by commas that repeat across rows
Link to a table values that match the titles of another imported table (see Links between tables)
Attachments Airtable attachments, like photo.jpg (https://…) (see Attachments)
Text everything else

Two more types are available in the list: Category and Multiple categories (see Categories).

Phone numbers, postal codes starting with 0 and identifiers stay text, so their leading zeros and spaces are kept.

Dates: when a column only contains dates like 07/10/2026, Ekit cannot tell the day from the month and asks you to choose DD/MM/YYYY or MM/DD/YYYY. Dates are saved in your browser's time zone, like dates entered in the Studio.

A value that does not match the chosen type (for example n/a in a number column) is left empty. The window shows how many values are concerned before you import, and the final report lists them by field.

When you import several tables together, Ekit compares each column with the title of the other tables (the first column, or the one you choose). A column whose values are titles of another table, like an Author column containing author names, is suggested as a link to that table, and becomes a relation field.

  • Several links in one cell are separated by commas (Marie Curie, Ada Lovelace). A title that itself contains a comma is recognized when it is alone in the cell, or between quotes.
  • A value that matches no title of the linked table (a record missing from the export, a typo) is left out and listed in the report.
  • You can choose the linked table for any column, or turn a link back into text.

Categories

A column with a few values that repeat (a status, a type, a city…) can become a category: Ekit creates a small table with one entry per distinct value, and the column becomes a field pointing to it. The window suggests it under the type when a column looks like one.

  • Category: one value per entry.
  • Multiple categories: several values per entry, separated by commas.

Each category creates a table, which counts in the tables of your plan.

Attachments

Attachments exported by Airtable (photo.jpg (https://…)) are downloaded by Ekit during the import and stored like files uploaded in the Studio:

  • only from Airtable's addresses, over HTTPS;
  • with the same checks as an upload: allowed file types, content matching the extension, 50 MB per file; thumbnails are created for images;
  • up to 2,000 files and 500 MB per import.

A file that cannot be downloaded or is refused is left out; the report gives the count. Airtable's attachment links expire after a few hours: import the files soon after exporting them.

Languages

In a project with several languages:

  • by default, each value is copied into every language: the field is not multilingual;
  • check Multilingual for a text field whose content should be translated: the value goes into the language chosen above the table, and the other languages stay empty until you translate them (for example with the automatic translation).

Limits

Your plan applies. The new tables (category tables included) count in the tables of the project, their fields must fit the fields per table of your plan, and their entries the entries per project. See Plans & limits.

  • Too many rows for your plan: the window says so clearly, for example “843 rows found → 200 will be imported with your plan”, and offers to import the first rows (category values first, then each table in order). You can try Ekit with your own data, then upgrade to import everything.
  • Too many columns: uncheck columns until the count fits your plan.
  • Too many tables: uncheck tables or categories until the count fits your plan.

Technical limits, on every plan: 20 files at once, 20 MB per file, 200 columns, 10,000 characters per cell (longer values are shortened), 1,000 values per category, one import at a time, and 20 imports per day.

The import is all or nothing: if a problem occurs, the tables, entries and downloaded files are removed.

Migrate from Airtable

A step-by-step guide, with what Ekit rebuilds automatically and what it does not, is on its own page: Migrate from Airtable.

  1. In Airtable, for each table of your base: open a view that shows all the fields and all the records (remove its filters), then choose Download CSV from the view menu.
  2. In Ekit, open the Tables of a project, click the import icon, and drop all the CSV files together.

  3. Check the cards. Ekit has already:

    • recognized checkboxes (checked), numbers, dates, emails and URLs;
    • suggested links for linked-record fields, to the matching tables;
    • suggested tags for multiple-select fields, and attachments for attachment fields.

    Turn single-select fields into categories if you want them as a table of values. 4. Click Import, then open your tables.

What to know:

  • Airtable's primary field is the first column of each CSV: Ekit uses it as the title, and links are found through it. Keep it unique in each table.
  • Attachments links expire after a few hours: import right after exporting.
  • Formulas, rollups and lookups are imported as their value; collaborator fields as text.