How to import new concepts in the spreadsheet importer using a flat list format

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Last Updated: May 13, 2026
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Semaphore
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Explanation

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

This article instructs you on how to import new data into a model lists some tips and helpful information pertinent to the spreadsheet importer tool. They can help troubleshoot or improve your experience with the tool.

Assumptions

You have an existing model.
You have the MANAGER, EDITOR, or CONTRIBUTOR role for the model.
You have an existing model structure (i.e., classes and relationships).

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

Concepts, Concept Schemes

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.

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.

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.

Data Format

The first few rows and column headings look like this:

Below are explanations for each column:

URI – (optional) This column contains the URIs for all the concepts. This example will use it to create custom URIs for the concepts.
Pref Label – This column contains the preferred labels of the concepts you want to create.
Has Parent – This column contains the names of the concepts that have a hierarchical relationship with the concepts you are creating.
Ally of – This column contains the names of the concepts that have an associative relationship with the concepts you are creating.
Exports to - This column contains the names of the concepts that have an associative relationship with the concepts you are creating.
Imports from - This column contains the names of the concepts that have an associative relationship with the concepts you are creating.

If you do not already have the above custom relationships defined in your model, you will need to create them:

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, and create a concept scheme named “Geography”.
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 want to import. (In this example, choose Flat Import.) Then click Next.
For this exercise, select Import as children of an existing concept or concept scheme, then search for and select Geography.
Click Next.
Choose the default class for your concepts. In this exercise, choose Concept. Then click Next.
Map the columns to the appropriate properties, and then click Next. (Note: Because you are importing into an empty model, there are no existing concepts to match. Therefore, you will need to map to the Pref Label column to match concept relationships, as outlined below.) - URI – URI - Pref Label – preferred label - Has Parent – hierarchical relationship: select has broader for the relationship, select the option Would you like to map relationships to a spreadsheet column?, and then choose the Pref Label column in the dropdown - Ally of – associative relationship: select Ally of for the relationship, select the option Would you like to map relationships to a spreadsheet column?, and then choose the Pref Label column in the dropdown - Exports to – associative relationship: select Exports to for the relationship, select the option Would you like to map relationships to a spreadsheet column?, and then choose the Pref Label column in the dropdown - Imports from – associative relationship: select Imports from for the relationship select the option Would you like to map relationships to a spreadsheet column?, and then choose the Pref Label column in the dropdown
On the final screen, click Submit.
Navigate to an updated concept in Knowledge Model Management to see the imported values.

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