📥 Importing Custom Objects into Webmecanik Automation

CSV file import is the most effective method for bulk integration of complex business data (products, orders, contracts, equipment fleets) in the form of Custom Items. Each Custom Object has its own import button within its item list, as well as its own dedicated processing history, powered by Webmecanik Automation’s native import engine.

📋 1. Prepare your import CSV file

To import data without errors, structure your table as a CSV file (encoded in UTF-8, with a comma or semicolon as the delimiter). You can name your column headers freely, as they are manually mapped to Webmecanik fields during the mapping step.

Here are the different types of columns you can provide:

• Item identifier (customItemId or ID): Fill in this column only if you want to update an existing item. If it matches an existing Webmecanik identifier, the values in the file will be merged with the current record. If the cell is empty or the column is missing, Webmecanik will automatically create a new item.

• Item name (name or Name): This is the only common native field and is required for each Custom Object. It defines the primary name of the item displayed in the interface.

• Custom business fields: Insert as many columns as you have custom fields created in the object (for example, SKU, product_id, date, category, etc.).

• Link to contacts (linked_contact or linkedContactIds): You can directly link the custom item to one or more existing contacts by entering their email address or Webmecanik contact ID. If you enter multiple contact IDs for the same item, separate them with commas and enclose the entire value in double quotation marks (example: "5319, 2, 5").

• Link to other Custom Objects (linked_order): You can link objects to one another by entering the identifier of another custom item (for example, linking a product to an order number).

📄 2. Standard import file structure

You can download and use the CSV template attached at the top of this article directly. Here is what the structure of the expected columns and data looks like:

📏 3. Technical limits and data formats

When entering your data, be sure to comply with the technical limits of the different formats:

• Text: Up to 4,294,977,295 bytes (suitable for detailed descriptions and long content).

• Multiple-selection option: Maximum of 255 bytes per option.

• Integer (Int): Allowed values range from -2,147,483,648 to 2,147,483,647.

🔀 4. Start the import and map the fields

Once your CSV file is ready:

1. In the left sidebar menu, expand Custom Objects and select the relevant object (e.g., Products).

2. Click the arrow to the right of the New button in the upper-right corner of the screen, then select Import.

3. Upload your CSV file and confirm the column separators.

4. On the mapping configuration page, associate each column in your file with the corresponding Webmecanik field.

⚠️ Required mapping form validation:

The configuration screen will prevent you from validating the import until you have mapped at least one custom field. In addition, all fields configured as required in your Custom Object settings (for example, the Name field and the SKU reference) must be associated with a column in your CSV. A red alert message will indicate precisely which required fields are missing, if necessary.

🔍 5. Track the history and correct data-entry errors

After validating the process, you can monitor its progress from the import history specific to this object:

• Field validity check: If a row contains data that does not conform to the expected type (invalid email address, incorrect phone number, or unknown value for a closed selection list), the affected row is automatically ignored by the system to preserve the quality of your database.

• Identifying rejected rows: Open the import details to view the event log. Each error is detailed there along with the relevant CSV row number, allowing you to correct the original file and reimport only the rejected rows.

Find a sample file here to help you create your import.