The Data Uploader imports pets, adopters, fosters, volunteers, donors, and surrenders from .csv, .xls, or .xlsx files. Open Settings > Records & Data > Data Uploader.

Choose a record type before starting. The uploader builds its field list from that record type's current form configuration, normally the default template. Configure or confirm the intended pet, adopter, foster, volunteer, donor, or surrender form before importing.

Three-Step Import

1. Upload

Select or drop a spreadsheet. Use one header row and one record per row. PawPlacer reads the columns and prepares a preview; it does not write records at this step.

2. Map

Review how spreadsheet columns map to PawPlacer fields.

Exact matches are accepted automatically.
Possible matches must be confirmed.
When AI Data Mapping is enabled, unmatched columns can receive suggested matches or complete drafts for new form fields. Every suggestion remains review-only until you confirm it.
You can choose another source column or leave an optional field unmapped.
Required fields must be mapped before continuing.

Use the All, Needs Review, and Unmatched filters or search for a field. Open a mapping row to inspect its type and import behavior.

Indexed and Repeated Columns

Some exports split one list into numbered columns, such as intakeConditions[0] and intakeConditions[1]. When those columns contain a manageable set of option-like values, the uploader combines them into one source during preparation. The mapping screen shows the original column names together so you can see what will be merged.

If the combined source does not already match a form field, AI Data Mapping can suggest one Multi Select field. Opening Review suggestion shows the normal field editor with the distinct spreadsheet values already filled in as options. You can rename the field, change its section or type, edit the options, or cancel before anything is created. After you add the field, the combined source is mapped to it automatically, preserving multiple selections from the same record.

The uploader only combines explicit numbered groups that start at [0] and have at least two columns. If the values are long prose, contain formatting that cannot become one option, or produce too many options for a useful field, the columns stay separate for individual review. It also avoids combining an indexed group into an existing single-choice field, which prevents later values from being discarded.

3. Review and Upload

The review step separates:

Rows ready to import
Invalid rows that will be skipped
Advisory rows that will be imported with normalized values
Unresolved pet references

Download the error report for excluded rows, correct the source file if needed, or continue with the valid rows. Nothing is written until you confirm Upload.

Normalization

The importer handles common spreadsheet variations, including:

Whitespace and empty placeholder cleanup
Common yes/no formats
List values separated by commas, semicolons, or pipes
Option-friendly lists split across bracketed columns such as field[0], field[1], and field[2]
Species, sex, size, coat, health, and age-category variants
Microchip values stored as strings so leading zeroes are retained
Status labels mapped to the organization's current pet statuses
Custom fields from the selected form template

The review screen shows important defaults and status-import choices before data is saved.

Donor imports support the normal contact fields, donor status, notes, and configured custom fields. Surrender imports also support intake stage, priority, requested and scheduled intake dates, notes, and configured custom fields. When an imported foster has no capacity value, PawPlacer uses a capacity of one.

Linking Pets

Import pets first with stable custom_id values. Adopter and foster files can then include a pet_ids column containing PawPlacer pet UUIDs or custom IDs; separate multiple references with commas.

The review step identifies unresolved references. Valid references can create historical adoption links or foster assignments as part of the import.

Existing Records and Duplicates

For adopter, foster, volunteer, donor, and surrender files, PawPlacer compares trimmed email addresses without regard to capitalization:

Rows in the same file with the same email are combined. The first nonempty scalar value is kept, while list values, pet references, and custom-field data are merged.
If exactly one existing record of that type has the email, the import updates it instead of creating a duplicate.
More than one existing match is treated as ambiguous and must be resolved before import.

Pet imports use custom_id as the stable update key. A matching existing pet is updated; repeating the same custom ID within one import stops the upload so the source can be corrected. Duplicate microchip values are cleared or reported with a warning rather than being assigned twice.

Pet image columns may contain existing image URLs. During upload, PawPlacer tries to fetch each image, convert it to WebP, and store it with the organization's media. If the browser and server hosting attempts both fail, the original source URL is kept instead, so keep the old host available until the imported profiles have been checked.

Help

Use the uploader's contact action when a spreadsheet needs migration help.

Permissions

Data Uploader requires Administrator access.