> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.informationhub.io/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.informationhub.io/project/tables/import-data.md).

# Import Data

There are two ways to bring existing data into a table in Information Hub:

1. **Create a new table from a file** - upload a file and let Information Hub build the table structure from it automatically.
2. **Import data into an existing table** - add rows from a file into a table you have already set up, mapping the file's columns to the table's columns.

## Supported formats

{% hint style="info" %}
Supported file formats: CSV (comma-separated) and TSV (tab-separated).
{% endhint %}

***

## Option 1 - Create a new table from a file

Use this when you have a data file and want Information Hub to create the table structure automatically based on the file contents.

1. First, upload your CSV or TSV file to your project's **Storage**. Tables can only import from files already in storage.
2. Navigate to **Tables** in the project sidebar.
3. Click the **+** button to create a new table.
4. Choose the **Create from data** option.
5. Select the file you uploaded from storage.
6. Information Hub auto-detects the columns and their data types based on the file contents.
7. Review the detected columns and types. Adjust if needed.
8. Confirm to create the table.

The table is created with all your data already populated. Each row from the file becomes a row in the table, and each column header becomes a column name.

***

## Option 2 - Import data into an existing table

Use this when your table already exists and you want to add rows from a file.

1. Open the table you want to add data to.
2. Click the **ADD** button in the toolbar.
3. Select **Import Data** from the dropdown.
4. On the import page, click **Select from storage** to choose the file you want to import.
5. Once a file is selected, the **column mapping** section appears. Each column in the source file is shown on the left - use the dropdown next to each one to select the matching column in your table.
6. Map all the columns you want to import. You can skip source columns you do not need.
7. Click **Import** to start the import.

### Column mapping

The column mapping step is important for a clean import. The source file's column names may not exactly match your table's column names, so you manually match them up here. For example, if your file has a column called "Species name" and your table has a column called "species", select "species" from the dropdown next to "Species name".

***

## Tips for a clean import

* Make sure the first row of your file contains column headers.
* Remove any empty rows or columns before uploading.
* Use consistent formatting within each column - for example, don't mix text and numbers in the same column.
* Check that decimal numbers use a consistent separator (dot or comma) throughout the file.


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