How to import new concepts into an existing model

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Last Updated: May 13, 2026
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Semaphore
Documentation

Explanation

The spreadsheet importer tool allows you to import and update models without RDF using Excel spreadsheets or CSV files.

This article explains how to add new concepts to an existing model.

The importer cannot import every modelling object into a model. The objects it can import are:

Concepts

Concept metadata values and property values (e.g. class)

Relationships between concepts

It cannot import structural objects such as new classes, metadata property types, and relationship types. If you want to populate custom concept metadata and property values on import, these objects must exist in your model prior to import.

Assumptions

You have an existing model.
You have the MANAGER, EDITOR, or CONTRIBUTOR role for the model.
You have your new data formatted as a flat list.

Method

Each different relationship type that you want to create must be in its own column.

During import, if you do not specify a concept scheme or parent concept, the import process will create a new concept scheme to contain the data.

Duplicate preferred labels are assumed to be the same concept. If you want to import homographs (different concepts with the same preferred label), they must be differentiated via URI. (See helpful-hints-tips-and-tricks).

Some relationship types or properties can have multiple data values in a cell: alternative labels, metadata values, and classes. Other types must have one value only per cell.

The instructions below make use of the example file called Geography Import, which you can download from this link. The instructions assume that you have imported a geography model according to either of these articles: import-new-with-flat-list or import-new-with-hierarchical-format

The following import steps use the example file shown above.

Data Format

Here is an example of a flat format spreadsheet used in this article.

Below are explanations for each column:

PrefLabel – This column contains the preferred labels for the concepts that you want to add to your model. The importer will build their URIs automatically using the default namespace.
Parent URI – This column contains the URIs of the existing concepts that the new concepts will join to. (See helpful-hints-tips-and-tricks for more detailed information about using URIs.)
Parent Label – This column contains the preferred labels of the existing concepts that the new concepts will join to. It provides a human-readable label so that you can easily recognize what concepts you are working with.
You will not use this column during the import.

Importing into the model

It is always best to perform imports in a task instead of in the main model. If something goes wrong with the import, you can delete the task and create a new one without causing any changes to the main model.

Open your task, click to open your task menu, and click Import.
Click Import Spreadsheet, and then in the Flat List section, click Import.
In the Import Spreadsheet dialog box, drag and drop your spreadsheet file. (Alternatively, you can click and navigate to the file.)
Choose the sheet you wean to import. (In this example, choose Add Concepts Flat.) Then click Next.
Although we are adding new concepts, we are doing so as an update to existing concepts as well. Therefore, select Import as children of an existing concept or concept scheme, but leave the input box blank.
Click Next.
Choose the default class for your concepts. If the concepts in your list belong to various classes, choose Concept. Then click Next.
Map the columns to the appropriate properties, and then click Next. The information below is for the example file in this article:
- PrefLabel - preferred label
- Parent URI – hierarchical relationship: select has broader for the relationship, then the choose to match concepts by URI
- Parent Label – <nothing> (remember, this column is for your own convenience in reading the spreadsheet, and you will not import it)
On the final screen, uncheck the Overwrite existing values box. (See helpful-hints-tips-and-tricks for more detailed information about this option.)
Click Submit.