## Import glossary from CSV File

URL: https://docs.atlan.com/product/capabilities/governance/glossary/how-tos/how-to-import-from-file

> Step-by-step guide to importing glossary terms, categories, and glossaries into Atlan using a local CSV file.

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# Import glossary from CSV File 

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You can bulk import or update glossaries, categories, and terms in Atlan using a CSV file. This makes it easy to seed new glossaries, enrich existing ones, or apply large-scale corrections without manual entry.

This guide shows you how to set up and run a workflow to import glossaries from a CSV file. 

## Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have: 

- Access to the **Asset Import** app. If you don't have access, [contact Atlan support](https://docs.atlan.com/support/submit-request) or your Atlan customer team to request it. 
- Permissions in Atlan to run workflows and edit glossary objects. 
- A CSV file that follows the [Business Graph CSV format](https://docs.atlan.com/llms/governance/glossary/asset-import-glossaries/llms.txt).
- An exported backup of your glossary metadata (recommended) in case you need to roll back. You can export existing glossaries using [Asset Export](https://docs.atlan.com/llms/governance/integrations/export-assets/llms.txt) or the glossary export functionality.

## Setup workflow

1. In your Atlan workspace, go to the homepage and click **New workflow** in the top navigation bar. 

2. Search for **Asset Import**, and then select **Set up workflow**. 

3. In the **Workflow name** field, enter a descriptive name such as:

 ```
 Finance Business Graph Import — Q3 update
 ```

4. In the **Import metadata from** section, select **Direct file uploads**. This enables you to upload a CSV directly from your local machine.

 :::info File upload limits 
 Direct file uploads are limited to a maximum file size of **20 MB**, with a rate limit of **10 uploads per minute per client**, and support only one file per run. Executable file types such as `.exe`, `.bat`, `.sh`, `.ps1`, `.cmd`, `.com`, `.dll`, and `.so` are blocked. For larger or recurring imports, use [object storage](https://docs.atlan.com/llms/governance/glossary/asset-import-glossaries/llms.txt). 
 ::: 

 If you want to handle larger or recurring imports, you can instead use [**Object storage**](https://docs.atlan.com/llms/governance/glossary/asset-import-glossaries/llms.txt) (S3, GCS, or ADLS). 

5. In the **Glossaries file** field, click **Upload** to add your CSV file. Make sure the CSV contains rows for glossaries, categories, or terms, along with attributes such as name, anchor, parent category, owners, and tags. 

 You can use this [sample CSV](https://docs.atlan.com/files/sample_glossary_import.csv) as a reference. For complete details, see the [Glossaries CSV file reference](https://docs.atlan.com/llms/governance/glossary/asset-import-glossaries/llms.txt). 

6. In the **Input handling** section, select **Create and update**. This option creates new glossaries, categories, and terms from the CSV and also updates any that already exist in Atlan.

7. In the **Options** section, select **Default**, which ignores blank fields, fails on invalid values, and is recommended for most glossary imports. For details on using **Advanced**, see the [Glossaries options reference](https://docs.atlan.com/llms/governance/glossary/asset-import-glossaries/llms.txt). 

8. Click **Next** through the remaining screens, then select **Run** to start the workflow. After the import completes, review the workflow logs and verify a few glossary items in Atlan to confirm that categories, terms, and tags were applied as expected. 

 This ensures the glossary is updated consistently and any new terms or categories from the CSV are created in Atlan. 

## Need help? 

If you run into issues while importing glossaries, contact [Atlan support](https://docs.atlan.com/support/submit-request) for assistance. 

## See also 

- [Asset Import for Glossaries: Reference](https://docs.atlan.com/llms/governance/glossary/asset-import-glossaries/llms.txt) 
- [Asset Import for Tags](https://docs.atlan.com/llms/governance/tags/asset-import-tags/llms.txt) 
- [Asset Import for Assets](https://docs.atlan.com/llms/catalog/discovery/asset-import/llms.txt) 
- [Asset Import for Data Products](https://docs.atlan.com/llms/governance/data-products/asset-import-data-products/llms.txt)

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