Kalpana Docs

CSV is the simplest way to bring data into Kalpana. It needs no connection, works with Excel, Numbers and any other spreadsheet app, and is available to every role that can create batches.

What it is used for

Rendering a batch from a sheet you keep in Excel, Numbers, Airtable or any other tool.
A one-off run where a live connection is not worth setting up.

In the batch builder

Start a batch

Choose Batches → New Batch, select your templates and choose Continue. See Create a batch.

Get the right headers

Choose Download template CSV for a file with one column per variable, or Copy headers to paste them into your own sheet.

Add the data

Pick one of three ways:

Option	Details
Upload a CSV file	Drag and drop or browse. Up to 4 MB
Paste from Excel, Google Sheets, or Numbers	Copy the cells including the header row, paste them into the box, then choose Use pasted data
Start with blank spreadsheet	An empty grid with one column per variable

Check the mapping

Columns are matched to variables when the header equals the variable's name. Anything unmatched is ignored, and Variables in the builder lets you fix matches. See Preview rows.

Excel files

The batch builder reads text, so a .xlsx file cannot be uploaded directly. Use either of these instead:

Paste. Select the cells in Excel, including the header row, copy, and paste them into Paste from Excel, Google Sheets, or Numbers. The row count is shown as soon as the cells are pasted.
Save as CSV. In Excel choose File → Save As, pick a CSV format, and upload the saved file.

Comma-separated and tab-separated data are both recognised. The delimiter is detected from the first line.

Column rules

Image columns take the exact name of an image in your library, or an https:// link on a domain allowed in Workspace settings.
File name, or file_name, filename or kalpana_file_name, sets the output file name.
Turn on Disable layers that are empty to hide a layer wherever its column is blank.

Title,Price,Product Image,file_name
The Linen Overshirt,"₹2,499",linen-overshirt.png,SKU-2101
The Cotton Kurta,"₹1,799",https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/kurta.jpg,SKU-2102

Limits and gotchas

Files up to 4 MB in the batch builder. A larger file is refused with a message showing its size.
Wrap values that contain commas in double quotes, as in "₹2,499". Excel does this when it saves as CSV.
Files are read as plain text, so save them as UTF-8 to keep currency symbols and accented letters intact.
Rows with problems, such as a missing image, are flagged in the grid and skipped when the batch is created.

Name library images the way your sheet refers to them, such as SKU-2101.png, and a CSV needs only that name in the image column. See Images.

CSV and Excel