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Importing Data

Published February 27, 2026 · Last updated March 7, 2026 · 5 min read

This guide walks you through bringing your data into Obvious. You'll learn how to import CSV, Excel (.xlsx, .xls), and JSON files into sheets — whether you ask the agent, drag a file into chat, or use the + button.

Ask the Agent

The quickest way to import data: drop your file into the chat and tell the agent what you want.

Import this CSV into a new sheet

Create a workbook from this spreadsheet and clean up the column names

The agent reads your file, creates a workbook with the right columns, and loads your data. You can include instructions in the same message — rename columns, filter rows, or set up field types — and the agent handles it in one step.

Drag and Drop

Drag a file from your computer directly into the chat area. Obvious accepts:

  • CSV (.csv)
  • Excel (.xlsx, .xls)
  • JSON (.json)

When you drop a file, it uploads immediately. A file card appears in the chat showing the file name, type, and size. From there, you can either send a message telling the agent what to do with it, or Obvious processes spreadsheet files automatically — creating a workbook with your data ready to go.

Upload with the + Button

  1. Click the + button at the bottom-left of the chat input.
  2. Select Upload File from the menu.
  3. Choose your file from the file picker.

The file uploads to your project. For CSV and Excel files, Obvious creates a workbook and sheet automatically. The sheet appears in your sidebar, and you're navigated to it once processing finishes.

You can also paste a file from your clipboard directly into the chat input. Obvious picks it up the same way.

What Happens During Import

When you upload a CSV or Excel file, here's what Obvious does behind the scenes:

  1. Uploads your file to the project and shows a progress indicator.
  2. Reads the headers from your file's first row and creates matching columns in a new sheet.
  3. Detects field types — numbers, dates, text, booleans — and sets each column to the right type automatically.
  4. Loads your records into the sheet. For Excel files with multiple tabs, each tab becomes its own sheet inside the workbook.

The whole process usually takes a few seconds, even for large files. You'll see your data appear in the sheet as soon as it's ready.

Column Mapping and Headers

Obvious uses your file's first row as column headers. A few things to know:

  • Headers become field names. If your CSV has a column called First Name, the sheet field will be labeled "First Name."
  • No header row? Obvious treats the first row as data and assigns generic column names (Column 1, Column 2, etc.). If that happens, you can rename the fields afterward or ask the agent: "Rename the columns in this sheet based on the data."
  • Duplicate headers get a number appended — Name, Name_1, Name_2 — so nothing gets lost.

When Headers Don't Match an Existing Sheet

If you're importing data into a sheet that already has columns set up, Obvious matches your file's headers to the existing field names. Here's how it works:

  • Exact matches map automatically. A column called "Email" in your file lines up with an "Email" field in the sheet.
  • Extra columns in your file that don't match existing fields are added as new columns.
  • Missing columns — fields in the sheet that don't have a matching column in your file — stay in the sheet but remain empty for the imported records.

Capitalization and spacing matter. "email" won't auto-match "Email" — they need to match exactly. If your columns aren't mapping the way you expect, check for trailing spaces or case differences.

Tip: Ask the agent to handle mismatches for you: "Import this file and map the columns to match my existing sheet." The agent can match columns intelligently, even when the names aren't identical.

Handling Errors

Most imports work without a hitch. When something does go wrong, here's what you'll typically see:

  • File too large. Obvious supports files up to 1 GB. If your file exceeds that, split it into smaller files before uploading.
  • Encoding issues. If your CSV has unusual characters or was saved with non-UTF-8 encoding, some characters might not display correctly. Re-save the file as UTF-8 from your spreadsheet application and import again.
  • Type mismatches. If a column is set to a number type but your file has text in that column, those values get flagged. You can fix them in the sheet directly or ask the agent to clean up the data.

If an import fails entirely, check that your file isn't corrupted and that it's one of the supported formats. Try opening it in another application first to confirm the data looks right.

Next Steps

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