iotoms Docs

Tips and FAQ

  1. What's the difference between "Import" and "Bulk Item Import"? Import (/import) is the universal wizard: it takes exports from any system in any column layout, handles items, customers, and vendors, and can map the columns for you with AI. Bulk Item Import (/utility/import) is a simpler template-based importer for items only — the CSV must match its template exactly. When in doubt, use Import.

  2. Is my file uploaded to a server when I import? The file is parsed locally in your browser. In AI-assisted mode, only the column headers and a small sample of rows are sent to the AI for analysis — never the whole file. The mapped records are then sent to IoTOMS only when you actually run the import.

  3. Why don't I see the AI-assisted mapping toggle? AI-assisted mapping requires the AI feature on your plan. Without it, the Import wizard still works — it simply opens in manual mapping mode, where you pick the record type and map each column yourself.

  4. Will importing the same file twice create duplicates? No — the Import wizard matches incoming rows against existing records (items by item code/SKU, customers by email, vendors by vendor code) and either skips or updates matches, per your choice on the mapping step. That's also why re-importing a fixed error report is safe. The exception is Bulk Item Import, which only creates: a duplicate itemId there fails rather than duplicating.

  5. Some rows failed. Do I have to redo the whole import? No. Both importers give you a downloadable CSV of just the failed rows with the reason attached. Fix those rows and import only that file — already-imported records are skipped (Import wizard) or the failed rows can be retried in place (Bulk Item Import's Retry failed button).

  6. Why do the row numbers in error messages not match my spreadsheet exactly? Row numbers refer to your original file counting the header, so "Row 5" is the 5th line of the file (4th data row) — open the file in your spreadsheet tool and the numbers line up with its own row numbering.

  7. Can I stop an import once it's running? Closing or leaving the page stops the rows that haven't been sent yet — but rows already processed are imported and stay. The safest habit is to keep the tab open until the progress bar completes, then use the error report to handle any failures.

  8. How large a file can I import? The Import wizard accepts up to 20,000 rows / 25 MB per file (CSV, TSV, XLSX, or JSON). Bulk Item Import accepts up to 1,000 rows (CSV only). Larger datasets: split the file and run multiple imports — deduplication makes overlapping files safe in the Import wizard.

  9. Does the Export Center export everything, or just the current page? Everything. Each export pages through the full dataset before generating the CSV — the status line shows the pages being fetched. If the dataset is empty you still get a header-only CSV, which doubles as a column reference.

  10. Can I use an exported CSV as an import file? Yes — that's a handy migration path. Export from one account via the Data Export Center, then load the file through the AI Import Wizard, which will map the exported column names onto the matching fields.