CSV Upload How-To

Overview

PathFactory offers the ability to upload content assets using a CSV file.

The CSV content upload also enables users to update existing content in their content library. Users are able to update one, a few, or all existing contents in the content library.

This article covers:

  • How to download a CSV file of your content library
  • How to edit content using the CSV upload
  • How to upload content using the CSV template
  • How to properly format your CSV file for upload
  • Upload error messages and their meanings

Download Content from Content Library

To download a CSV file listing all content in your content library, access your content library, and click Download CSV under the content table.
This CSV file has the exact format as the CSV bulk upload template.

Example Use-Case
Download your content library, edit your content assets’ titles, tags, and more directly in the CSV file, then upload the file back to you content library. All changes you made will then be updated in your content library!

Edit Content in Content Library using CSV Upload

  1. First, download your content library in a CSV file.
  2. After you’ve made your edits to the CSV file, click Add Content in the content library.
  3. Select the Overwrite all duplicate assets checkbox.
    imageCSV Upload overwrite checkbox

More Information

For updating the existing content library, the source URL of the content asset must match the URL field on the CSV file.

When the uploaded CSV is processing, we compare the URL field in the CSV file and Source URL in the content library. If these two match, we consider them to be the same content, and update all fields for that content with existing information within the CSV file.

Warning
If a piece of content has fields which are filled out in the content library, but you then delete these values from the fields in the CSV file, once you reupload the CSV file those fields will be overwritten with the null values.
If you don’t want to accidentally make changes to content you’re not editing with the CSV process, delete them from the CSV file before you edit and reupload it.
Content cannot be deleted from the content library by deleting it from the CSV file.
Note
To avoid any unnecessary changes in your content, make sure you remove any content you do not want to update from the CSV file you upload to the content library.

How to Upload Content using the CSV Template

  1. In the Content Library, click Add Content.
    Add Content button
  2. Select the CSV Upload tab.
    imageCSV Upload tab
  3. Click bulk upload CSV template to download the CSV template.
    imageBulk Upload link
  4. Open the CSV template and fill out the rows with your content assets.
    Note
    See below for tips on formatting your CSV template.

    image

  5. Save your CSV file.
    Note
    Ensure that the file is saved as a CSV.

    imageFile save as

  6. Return to the PathFactory upload page, click Choose File, select the edited CSV file, and click Upload File.
    imageUpload File button
  7. Your content assets will now be uploaded, and you will receive an email when the upload is complete.
    Note
    If there were any errors during the upload process, they will be noted in the email. Download the attached log to see what the errors occurred. See the CSV Upload Error Messages below to learn what each message means.

    imageCSV upload process error message

Note
All fields can be edited in the Content Library once the content assets have been uploaded.

Tips for formatting your CSV Template:

  • URL (Mandatory Field): Include the full URL, include HTTP/HTTPS
  • Title (Mandatory Field): This is the public title of the asset (ie. what visitors will see in your Content Tracks)
  • Description: This text will appear when using a header in any Target or Recommend Content Track
  • Content Type: This must be one of your existing content types (to check what content types you have, navigate to the Content Tags Configuration page)
  • Engagement Score: Enter the score that a visitor will earn once they have viewed the content asset for the specified amount of time (as defined in the Engagement Time field)
  • Engagement Time: Enter the amount of time (in seconds) that a visitor must view the content asset before they earn an engagement score
  • Custom URL Slug: The URL Slug is the last part of the URL for a content asset when it is shown in a content track
  • Internal Name: The Internal Name is only visible within your PathFactory instance, and will not be seen by the public
  • Funnel Stage: Tag content assets with a funnel stage to help you make content tracks for specific stages in the buyer’s journey
  • Estimated Cost: Enter the approximate cost of the content asset, rounded up to the dollar (do not include currency symbols or commas)
  • Language: Enter the language of the content asset; the language must be one found in the list of languages available in PathFactory
  • Business Unit: This must be one of your existing Business Unit tags (to check what Business Units you have, navigate to the Content Tags Configuration page)
  • Expiry Date (YYYY-MM-DD): If you want the content asset to be marked as expired after a certain date, enter that date here using the YYYY-MM-DD format
  • External ID: External IDs can be used for internal tagging and organization
  • Topics: Enter the topic(s) you want to tag the content asset with.
    • If you’re editing the CSV file in Excel and want to add multiple topics, simply separate the topics with a comma
    • If you’re editing the CSV file in a text editor and want to add multiple topics, put the topics in quotations in the following format: “topic1, topic2, topic3”
    • If you use topics which are not yet in your PathFactory instance, uploading with CSV will add these topics (even if you are not an Admin user)

A few more things to note:

  • If you’re editing the CSV file in a text editor: Press the enter key to create a new row (for each new content asset)
  • Any content assets uploaded using the CSV upload will not be reflected in the Recent Uploads list
    imageConfirmation of file uploads

CSV Upload Error Messages

If there are any issues with the CSV file you upload, you will be notified via email once the upload process is complete. It will contain one or more of the following error messages:

Error Message Situation

CSV cannot be empty

File is empty

CSV is improperly formatted or contains invalid columns

File is improperly formatted

CSV is improperly formatted or contains invalid columns

CSV contains extra columns

Uploaded CSV cannot be accessed

Cannot access file on S3

CSV cannot contain duplicate columns

CSV contains duplicate columns

Must provide a content url

URL field empty

FOO is not a valid url

URL field improperly formatted

FOO returned invalid response (404)

URL returns a non-200 response when navigated to. Ensure that you entered a valid URL

Validation failed: Url already exists

URL already exists as another content asset
(URL uniqueness is scoped to the Organization. You can re-add content URLs after the content has been deleted. This validation also covers the same url with different protocols (http vs https))

Validation failed: Url cannot be displayed in a content experience due to frame security policy

URL webpage cannot be iframed

Validation failed: Slug is invalid. Only alphanumeric characters, hyphens and underscores are allowed.

Slug field contains non-alphanumeric characters

Validation failed: Title can’t be blank

Title field empty

Validation failed: Title is too long (maximum is 255 characters)

Title field is longer than 255 characters

Couldn’t find ContentType

Content Type does not exist with the given name

Validation failed: Engagement weight is not a number

Engagement Score field is not a number

Validation failed: Engagement weight must be greater than or equal to 0

Engagement Score field is less than 0

Validation failed: Engagement weight must be less than or equal to 8

Engagement Score field is greater than 8

Validation failed: Engagement threshold is not a number

Engagement Time field is not a number

Validation failed: Engagement threshold must be greater than or equal to 0

Engagement Time field is less than 0

Validation failed: Internal title is too long (maximum is 255 characters)

Internal Title field is longer than 255 characters

Funnel Stage value should be the following options: Bottom of Funnel, Middle of Funnel, Top of Funnel

Funnel Stage does not exist with the given name (Top of Funnel, Middle of Funnel, Bottom of Funnel)

Validation failed: Estimated cost is not a number

Estimated Cost field is not a number

Validation failed: Estimated cost must be greater than or equal to 0

Estimated Cost field is less than 0

Validation failed: Estimated cost must be less than or equal to 9,223,372,036,854,775,807

Estimated Cost field is greater than 9,223,372,036,854,775,807

Validation failed: Language must be a known language

Language field is not found on our list of known languages.

Invalid Business Unit

Business Unit does not exist with the given name

Validation failed: Expiry date is invalid. Please use the format YYYY-MM-DD

Expiry Date field is incorrectly formatted

Validation failed: Expiry date must be in the future

Expiry Date field is in the past

Updated on May 12, 2023

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