# CSV & Excel import

> Import terminology from CSV or Excel files with column mapping and conflict resolution.

**Category:** Import & Export | **Tab:** features

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Import existing terminology into Black Ice from CSV or Excel files. The importer handles column mapping, duplicate detection, and conflict resolution.

## Supported formats

- **CSV** (.csv) — Comma-separated values
- **Excel** (.xlsx) — Microsoft Excel workbooks (first sheet is used)

## Import process

1. Navigate to **Import** in the sidebar
2. Upload your file
3. **Map columns** — Match your file's columns to Black Ice fields (concept name, class, locale, preferred term, etc.)
4. **Preview** — Review the parsed data before importing
5. **Resolve conflicts** — If concepts already exist, choose to skip, overwrite, or merge
6. Click **Import**

## Column mapping

The importer auto-detects common column names but lets you manually map any column:

| Black Ice field | Common CSV headers |
|----------------|-------------------|
| Concept name | name, concept, term |
| Class | class, category, type |
| Description | description, notes, definition |
| Locale | locale, language, lang |
| Preferred term | translation, target, preferred_term |
| Allowed variants | variants, alternatives, allowed |
| Forbidden variants | forbidden, blocked, do_not_use |

## Conflict resolution

When an imported concept matches an existing one (by name or ID):

- **Skip** — Keep the existing concept, ignore the import row
- **Overwrite** — Replace the existing concept with the imported data
- **Merge** — Add new terms and relationships without modifying existing ones

## Tips

- **Include a header row** — The first row should contain column names
- **One row per term** — Each row represents one term in one locale for one concept
- **Use consistent locale codes** — Match the codes defined in your workspace (e.g., `en-us`, `es-es`)