How to import alternative labels, metadata, and classes to an existing model
- Last Updated: May 13, 2026
- 5 minute read
- 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 alternative labels to concepts in a model.
- Concepts
- Concept metadata values and property values (e.g. class)
- Relationships between concepts
It cannot import structural objects such as new class definitions, metadata properties, 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. (The exercise below assumes that you have already populated the model according to the instructions in import-new-with-flat-list or import-new-with-hierarchical-format )
- 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
Data Format
Here is an example of a flat format spreadsheet with alternative labels used in this article. 
Below are explanations for each column:
- URI – This column contains the URIs for all the concepts that you want to update.
Updates will work best by using URI or GUID as the value to match to the original concept. - Pref Label – This column contains the preferred labels of the concepts you want to update. 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.
(See helpful-hints-tips-and-tricks for more detailed information about this option.) - Alt Label – This column contains the alternative label or labels that you want to add to the concepts. The cells in the column can contain one or more labels; in this example, the column only contains one label value.
- Abbreviation – This column represents a custom property that is a child to the alternative label property. You use the column in the same way as the Alt Label column. In this example, the column contains a cell that has two values (separated by “;”).
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 mean to import. (In this example, choose Add Alt Labels.) Then click Next.
- Choose the option Create a new “Import” scheme. This will only create a new scheme if there are new concepts. Since this import is not adding any concepts, only updating them, it will not create a scheme.
- 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:
- URI - URI
- Pref Label – <nothing> (remember, this column is for your own convenience in reading the spreadsheet, and you will not import it)
- Alt Label – alternative label
- Abbreviation – abbreviation (also place a checkmark in the multiple values box; choose delimiter as semicolon and containing marks as single quote)
- 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.
Adding Metadata
Adding metadata works almost the same way as adding alternative labels, with these differences:
- In the Column role field, you must choose the appropriate metadata property .
- You can only have one value per cell in the metadata column. To add more than one value for a specific property, you must list the concept in multiple rows.
Adding Classes
Adding classes works almost the same way as adding alternative labels, with these differences:
- You can add a class by class name or by URI (choose the appropriate property in the Column role field).
- You must still choose a default class during the import. This default class will be added to the other classes you specify in the spreadsheet.
- When adding classes for the first time, uncheck the Overwrite existing values box. (See helpful-hints-tips-and-tricks for more information on this feature.)
Outcome
Navigate to an updated concept in Knowledge Model Management to see the imported values.
