You can upload artworks in bulk using a CSV file. This is much faster than entering each artwork individually, and you can upload images and information about multiple artworks all at once.
If you're just getting started using Art Galleria, we recommend you set up your Artist Profiles and Locations before you add your inventory. This will allow you to assign the artworks you upload to the appropriate artist and location immediately.
We have a CSV template to make the process easier, or you can use your own file and map the columns to fields in Art Galleria during the upload process.
This article covers:
Preparing your CSV
Uploading the CSV is a fairly simple process. You can either download our template, and copy over the data you want uploaded, or upload your own CSV file.
It is recommended that when you upload your own file, that you rename your column names to match the names supplied on our CSV, so when you upload, it automatically maps in the platform. However, if the names don't match, they can still be manually mapped in the final step of the upload process.
Downloading our Template
1. Go to Inventory and click Artworks, then click Import CSV.
2. Choose if you would like to import Artworks, Artists or Contacts, then click the download template link.
3. Use this spreadsheet template to format your own data so that Art Galleria knows how to interpret it.
Template Column Definitions
You can complete as much or as little of the template as you need to; blank columns should be deleted. See below for some guidelines on the more complicated template columns.
Inventory ID | If you have existing IDs that you want to retain, enter them into this column, otherwise you can leave it blank, and they will be auto generated upon import. ID auto generation can be configured in Settings > Default Settings. |
Artist First / Last name | Each artwork in the CSV import can only be linked to one artist. If an artwork involves multiple artists, we recommend uploading the artist profiles first (either manually, or with a CSV), then importing the artworks with one artist attached via the CSV. Afterward, you can assign the additional artists directly within the platform. |
Artist Code | Leave this blank, and a code will be auto generated upon import, otherwise input your own. |
Medium / Genre / Category | Input anything you want. Input data will either match pre-existing values in Art Galleria, or create new ones upon import. |
Sublocation | In this column, use the "greater than" symbol (>) as a separator. For example, it should be in this format: A > B > C. Please note the Location column is required for the CSV to be mapped, otherwise the Sublocations cannot be imported as they need to be linked to a specified location. For more on Sublocations please see this article. |
Collection | The Collections column can contain one or multiple collections. If you want to include multiple collections, you need to separate the values. For example a cell in the CSV would look like this: Oil, Acrylic. See the instructions below on selecting either a comma or semicolon as a separator, if required. |
Signature | This field is used to signify if the artwork is signed by the artist, and if so, where on the artwork. |
Artwork Measurement columns | These include:
These fields must be numeric only (1, 2, 3), but can include decimals (e.g., 1.0, 2.0, 3.0). Do not include the measurement denomination in these columns, only number values. |
Retail & Sale Price | These fields must be numeric only (1, 2, 3), but can include decimals (e.g., 1.0, 2.0, 3.0). Do not include the denomination ($, £, €) or currency code (USD, EUR, AUD) |
Original / Framed | There are different options for the values you put in the Original and Framed columns. Select one of the following options:
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Quantity | Leave blank and the artwork will be input with a default quantity of 1. |
Edition | Leave blank and this field will default to "Not part of an edition", otherwise, you can input the following:
If you want to input additional edition information, such as "Edition 1 of 6", you can create a custom text field to display this info. |
Status | The values for this column must match the spelling (case sensitive) for the artwork status options in your account.
For example: "For Sale" and "Sold".
If Art Galleria is not able to match them to existing status labels the artworks will instead be added with “Details Pending” (draft) status in your inventory. |
Notes | The text in the Notes column will be added as notes on artworks in Art Galleria. This can be viewed in the inventory by clicking the speech bubble next to an artwork. |
Custom Fields | Any Custom Fields with Checkbox values you create in Art Galleria must be of type "Checkbox" not "Text".
Values in the CSV need to be either a '0' or '1'. For example '0' represents "No" and '1' represents "Yes". Alternatively you can use the values "Yes" or “No”, as well as “true” or “false” to represent the state of the checkbox item, any other values will not be understood by AG. Please note custom fields need to be setup before importing them into AG from the CSV, for more on creating Custom fields in AG, please see this article. |
Image_files | If you have images of your artworks available via publicly accessible URLS or in Dropbox, use the image_files column to provide a link to the images so that they can be uploaded to the artworks when you upload the CSV file.  |
Private | If you plan to use Art Galleria to sync with your website to display artworks publicly, mark them as Private to exclude artworks from the sync service. |
Use a separator when there are multiple values in one field
Many fields will contain more than one value (e.g., an artwork can be in multiple collections). In this case, you need a consistent separator between the values.
You can use a comma (,) or semicolon (;) as the separator, but it is important to use only one or the other. You can configure this in Art Galleria by going to Settings > Default Settings, and scrolling to the bottom of the page. Click Update Settings when done.
Include text only, and remove special characters
CSV files can handle text only, so please check that:
There are no emojis or special characters.
The pricing column only includes numbers and no other symbols, such as currency.
How to upload images
CSV files are are text-only, but you can upload images from a publicly available website, Dropbox, or similar service. In the CSV include a column with a link to the images so that they can be uploaded to the artwork records when you upload the CSV file.
Publicly accessible images: Use the complete URL (e.g. http://www.example.com/example.jpg). If you have multiple images per artwork, you can separate them with a semicolon (;).
Images in Dropbox: Append ?dl=1 at the end of the URL, otherwise the images will not accessible as downloadable files (Dropbox interface setting). For example, https://www.dropbox.com/s/123abc/example.
If your images are not available via URLs, you can send them to us as image files and our team can assist importing them using our servers.
Review or remove empty cells
Before you import a CSV file into our system, we strongly recommend the following:
Deleting any empty columns, and
Identifying any empty cells.
This step is essential when you already have data in the system.
You might unintentionally overwrite existing data in the system because the system interprets empty cells in as an instruction to clear any pre-existing data in the corresponding fields in Art Galleria.
Taking this step protects the integrity of your data, ensuring the system imports only the information you intend. Time spent in preparation will enhance the accuracy and completeness of your data within our system, and save you time in the future.
Uploading your CSV file
1. Go to Inventory and click Artworks, then click Import CSV.
2. Clicking in the area 'Click here to select your CSV or TSV file to upload', select your file, then click Upload CSV.
Mapping Your Fields
The system will automatically map columns in the spreadsheet to Art Galleria fields that have the same name.
You can change the mapping by clicking [Change] and selecting a different field. Unmapping a field will not upload the data into Art Galleria.
2. If a column is not automatically mapped to an Art Galleria field, you can click [Map] to choose where it should appear.
3. When you're ready, click Next Step: Process Import.
4. Click View Artworks to see all new artworks.
Troubleshooting
When I upload my CSV file, it says Invalid CSV file.
This happens because Excel exports CSV files without UTF-8 formatting. To prevent this you need to save the file using the Unicode (UTF-8) option as shown in this article: https://www.webtoffee.com/how-to-save-csv-excel-file-as-utf-8-encoded/#save-csv-microsoft-excel
Import your CSV file into Google Sheets and export as a CSV from there, or contact us for assistance.
Break your CSV file into multiple files, containing 100 rows each. This may also solve your upload issue.
I'm experiencing other issues when uploading.
Please check that:
There are no emojis or special characters in the CSV file.
The pricing / dimension / weight columns should only include numbers and no other symbols such as currency, denominations, etc.
FAQ
Q: Can I just send my CSV to the Art Galleria team so I don't have to do it?
A: Yes, you can! Just send us a copy of your CSV and we can configure your data and import it for you.
Q: I have custom data fields that I want to import, how will this work?
A: Prior to your CSV import, it's key that you create your custom columns in Art Galleria, so that when you import, the custom data has a location to be mapped to.
Q: How do I create custom artwork fields in Art Galleria before importing my CSV?
A: This article should help you with that.
Q: Where can I download the CSV template?
A: Right Here → Click me.
Q: How long does the CSV import take?
A: Not long at all! In most cases it'll be done before you can get up and boil the kettle. If your CSV contains image links, then it will take considerably longer.
Q: Can I upload multiple images for an artwork with a CSV?
A: Yes you can! Just separate each image link with your chosen separator ("," or ";")
Q: How do I update existing artworks with a CSV?
A: Please see this article for information on how to do that.