Importing Data

CityScreen Deals can import records in bulk from spreadsheet files. Three record types support import:

  • Counterparties (customers)

  • Digital displays

  • Printed displays

An import saves its rows in small portions as it runs and cannot be rolled back. If the import fails partway through, the rows already saved remain in the system. Review your data carefully before importing.

How import works

Upload a spreadsheet file and map its columns to CityScreen Deals fields. The system saves the rows in small portions as it reads the file.

Import runs in the background. The status shows Creating while the import is in progress, Created when it completes, or Failed if an error stops processing.

Identity matching

The system uses identity keys to decide whether a row creates a new record or updates an existing one:

Record type Identity key

Digital display

GID (global identifier from CityScreen Play)

Printed display

GID

Counterparty

Name (matched case-insensitively)

If a record with the matching identity key already exists, the import updates it. If no match is found, the import creates a new record.

Deduplication

Importing counterparties without careful name matching can create duplicate records.

During import, counterparties are matched by name, so a name that exists already updates its record and creates no duplicate. Name variations such as extra spaces or abbreviations create new records, so clean your data before importing.

How long an import takes

A large import can take a while, and it takes longer while other imports are running.

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