Create your first Import Template

An Import Template defines how users will run imports for a given Metamodel: where the data comes from (Import Type), what WOODY.IO will do with it in the destination (Transaction Type), and which fields are used and how they are mapped.

Prerequisites

• An Application exists and you are inside it.
• A Metamodel exists (destination connection configured).
• The Metamodel has at least one Entity with at least one Field configured (so there are fields available to select in the import template).
• You have permissions to manage Import Templates (commonly Owner or Data Steward role).
• (Optional) A source Connection is configured in the Application if the Import Type reads from a system connection that is different from the Metamodel’s destination connection.

Note for users: If your Import Type is file upload, you don’t need a separate source connection (the user provides the file during the import).

Steps for creating an Import Template

1. Go to Management > Metamodels
2. Open the Metamodel you are working on
3. Find the Import Templates section on the right.
4. Click Add

Import Template Form

1. Name (what users will select when creating an import)
2. Description (recommended: include source expectations and intended use)
3. Select the Import Type that matches how data will be provided, for example:
   • File upload
   • Connection-based imports
   • Live Edit
4. Choose Transaction Type (destination action)
   • Merge: update rows found by Key columns; insert if not found
   • Insert: insert all rows
   • Update: update rows found by Key columns; discard non-matching rows
   • Replace: delete all destination data first, then insert import data
   • Delete: delete based on all columns present in the import

Safety notes (recommended to include in your template description)

• Replace is destructive (clears the destination first).
• Delete can remove many rows if the import includes broad or less specific columns.

Select Entity fields

When you configure Entities and Fields in an Import Template, you are not redefining the Entity. You are creating a mapping from the source data to the Entity structure defined in the Metamodel.

• The Entity (in the Metamodel) dictates what the destination structure must look like (target dataset + fields and their properties).

• The Import Template selects that Entity and defines how the incoming source data must be shaped to match it (which source columns feed which Entity fields).

What you do in this step

1. On the Import Template, look for the Choose Entities button in the top-right corner.
2. Choose the Entity you want to work with.
3. Click the Edit button to the right of the selected Entity.
4. Adjust the Entity Technicalname so it matches the name of the source table/entity/file.
5. Select the fields you want to include by clicking the Choose Fields button.
6. For each needed field, map it to:
   • the corresponding source column name, and/or
   • any template-level field settings used during import (e.g., whether it is editable after load).
7. Save

When adjusting the Technicalname of the selected Entity, if the selected Import Type is the File Upload, you need to enter the name of the file for CSV or the name of the Sheet if it's an Excel file.

Practical implications

• If the source does not provide a required field (or it is mapped incorrectly), validation will fail or the import will not behave as intended.

• If you are using Merge/Update, ensure the Entity has correct Key fields, and ensure the source supplies those keys.

If you have any further questions, please feel free to Contact Us.