How to import briefs?

If you have a list of briefs somewhere and you don't want to manually import them one by one to your project, you can compile them into a CSV file and import all of them at once. This article will cover two ways to accomplish that.

The first one is by using a spreadsheet software to create your import file. This method is pretty straightforward and you only have to remember a few rules.

The second one is by using a text editor. This method can be pretty complicated as this requires you to closely follow a predefined format in order to avoid import errors.

EasyContent accepts CSV files using the comma (,) delimiter. Here's the format:

"brief title", "category 1;category 2;category 3", "keyword1, keyword2, keyword3", "brief description", "template name"

Let's get started in learning how to create your import files!

Creating a CSV Import File using a Spreadsheet Software

Creating a CSV import file using a spreadsheet software is fairly easy. You just need to make sure that the order of the brief properties is correct.

You will be using up to five columns. You can leave one or more columns blank if you wish, just make sure you leave the correct one blank. For example, if you don't want to add a description, then you'll need to leave Column D blank.

Here's the column order you should follow:

• Column A: Brief name (this is required).
• Column B: Brief categories.
  • ⚠️Note: If you need to assign multiple categories, you must separate them with a semicolon. It's important that there is no space before and after the semicolon (;) separator. Example: WordPress;Content Marketing;Blogging
  • Category names are case insensitive.
  • If no matching category is found, it's omitted.
• Column C: Brief keywords.
  • Separate multiple keywords with a comma. No other special rules apply. Example: tips & tricks, content marketing, seo
• Column D: Brief description.
• Column E: Brief template.
  • ⚠️Note: Template names are case-sensitive. For example, if you have a template called "Product description" and you put "product description" with a small "p" in your import file, it will be discarded and your brief will use the default template.

Once you're done, save your file as CSV and import it to EasyContent.

Creating a CSV Import File Manually

Unless you have a specific reason to do so, it's best to use a spreadsheet software (the method above) to create your import files. But if you want to create your import files manually (or programmatically), then follow this section carefully.

For example, let's say you have this brief:

• Name: How to Update WordPress
• Template: blogging template
• Category: WordPress, Blogging
• Keywords: WordPress, updates, how-to
• Description: This is an article teaching non-tech-savvy users how to update WordPress on their own.

You would format this as:

"How to Update WordPress", "WordPress;Blogging", "WordPress, updates, how-to", "This is an article teaching non-tech-savvy users how to update WordPress on their own.", "blogging template"

Note: this is one entry (one brief). Everything inside a double quote (") is one property (i.e. category, keyword, etc.).

Important things to know:

• The properties should be in this order:
  1. Brief name (this is required)
  2. Categories
  3. Keywords
  4. Description
  5. Template
• Each property should be enclosed by a double quotation mark ("property").
• Properties should be separated by comma "," ("property 1", "property 2", "property 3").
  • You don't have to add a comma after the last property of a brief.
• When you import multiple keywords, treat them as one property and enclose all of them with double quotes ("). Use a comma to separate them ("keyword one, keyword two, keyword three").
• When you import multiple categories, treat them as one property and enclose all of them with double quotes ("). Use a semicolon to separate them ("Category 1;Category 2;Category 3"). It's important that there is no space before and after the semicolon (;) separator.
• Template names are case-sensitive. For example, if you have a template named "Product description" and in your CSV import you put "product description" with a small "p", it will be discarded and your brief will use the default template.
• One entry, one line. Use a plain text editor to create your CSV files. Do not use rich text editors (like Microsoft Word). Examples of plain text editors are the default notepad in Windows or the TextEdit in Mac (make sure you enable "plain text mode" in TextEdit). If you're going to create your import files programmatically, each entry (brief) must be created in a newline.

Once you're done, save your file as CSV and upload it to EasyContent.

Notes About Importing Categories

Make sure that the categories you define in your CSV import file have already been created in the project you want to import it to. Right now, EasyContent can't auto-create a new category based on a CSV import. You have to manually create them before or after importing your briefs.

When your CSV file is read and EasyContent sees the categories, it will try to find a matching one in the project. If nothing is found, it will leave the category blank. For multiple category imports, only the ones with the matching category will be imported.

Categories are case insensitive. So when trying to find a match, "content marketing" is equal to "cOnteNT MARKETIng". Once imported, however, all categories will be converted to use the same letter case as the one used in the project.

Note About Imported Brief's Order

When you import briefs from a CSV file, no matter how you created it, the last brief in your import file will appear on top of the brief list in EasyContent.

Example Import Files

Below we have two example import files: one that's manually created and another that's made with Microsoft Excel. You can use these examples to see how things get imported.

• Download the manually created example import file
• Download the example import file created via Microsoft Excel

For these examples to work properly, create a project with the following categories and templates (or you can simply add them to your existing project):

Categories:

• WordPress
• Blogging
• Content Marketing
• Finance
• Marketing

Templates (all small letters):

• guide
• blog

Use these to play around and see how things get imported. If you need help, don't hesitate to contact us through support@easycontent.io and we'll be glad to help!