Configuring Imports
From the ExpressionEngine Control Panel, go to Add-Ons > Modules and choose the DataGrab module.
DataGrab has the option to import different types of data. XML, CSV, JSON, and WordPress. Before configuring your import double check the valididty of your import file.
Once you have choosen your data type, you are presented with options determined by that data type. Every data type requires a Filename or URL, and most require a path to each entry in the document. This could be the XML path or the node in a JSON file.
If you are importing from a local file or URL and using a basic htaccess credentials to block access to your site while in development, then be sure to include the credentials in your import URL. The import process does not use the same authenticated session as your browser. For example:
http://user:[email protected]/import-file.jsonAlso make sure you are using the same protocol. If your site is accessed at https, make sure the import URL is also https.
If your file is valid and readable, you will be presented with an example of the data found in the file. If no data was found, then it means there was probably an error on the previous Import Settings page.
If everything look correct, click on “Configure Import”.
This documenation will not cover every option on the Configure Import page, because depending on the data type chosen the options will vary based on your ExpressionEngine configuration. The configuration screen is self documenting. Every option has a description explaining what it does.
If the channel you are importing into has category groups assigned to it you will be able to choose which values in your import file map to which category. The main options are the Title field, and the Custom Fields section. You will see an option for every custom field assigned to your channel. Just like the categories you choose which values in your import file map to which custom field.
Additional options let you tell DataGrab what to do if an entry already exists. This is especially useful if we want to periodically re-run the import. The best way to do this is to import a unique value into a custom field (often referred to as a GUID). This unique value could be an id, a url specific to the entry, a stock control number, or just something as simple as the title.
If the module encounters a duplicate entry, we can tell it ignore it and not import it, or we can get it to check to see if anything has changed and updates the existing record.
Sometimes, we want to delete entries that are not in the current import file. By adding a timestamp we can see when a record was last updated. We can then delete older entires if desired.
After you save the configuration you will have the chance to give the import a name, short description of what it does, and optionaly give it a passkey.
Last modified 7mo ago