Use CSV import to add multiple categories to SysAid at once instead of creating them one by one. Categories are used to classify service records, knowledge base articles, and configuration items, helping you organize, route, search, and report on them.
Available for:
Customers using SysAid Spaces. If you’re using SysAid Classic, see Import Categories.
How it works
CSV import lets you add new categories in bulk using a CSV file. Each row in the CSV file represents one category. Each column represents a category field, such as the category name, sub-category name, or a Yes/No setting that controls where the category is available.
During the import, you map each CSV column to the matching SysAid field. You can also skip columns you don't want to import.
Please note:
Knowledge base articles can only be categorized using existing service record categories. Importing categories here also makes them available for classifying knowledge base articles.
Limitations
The import processes each row as provided, without validating the data. Keep in mind:
Categories that already exist are skipped, so importing a file that contains existing categories doesn't create duplicates.
Category matching isn't case-sensitive. For example, "hardware" and "Hardware" are treated as the same category.
Fields that are mapped but have no value in a row are imported as blank.
For fields that accept Yes/No values:
Enter Y to enable the setting or N to disable it.
If you leave the value blank, the setting is enabled by default.
Any value other than Y or N (for example, "Yes" or "Enabled") is treated as disabled.
Category fields
The table below lists the fields you can import. We recommend using these field names as the column headers in your CSV file so mapping the columns is easier.
Field | Description | Supported values |
|---|---|---|
Category | The first level category name. | Text, up to 64 characters |
Sub-Category | The second level category name. | Text, up to 64 characters |
Third Level Category | The third level category name. | Text, up to 64 characters |
Description Template | Free text associated with the category. SysAid Copilot uses this text as contextual information to improve intelligent categorization. | Text, up to 5,000 characters |
Visible in End User Portal | Determines whether the category is available to end users in the Self-Service Portal. | Y, N |
Visible in Admin Portal | Determines whether the category is available in the Service Desk. | Y, N |
Incident | Determines whether the category is enabled for incidents. | Y, N |
Request | Determines whether the category is enabled for requests. | Y, N |
Change | Determines whether the category is enabled for changes. | Y, N |
Problem | Determines whether the category is enabled for problems. | Y, N |
CMDB | Determines whether the category is enabled for configuration items. | Y, N |
Step #1: Create the CSV file
Create a CSV file that includes the categories you want to import. You can create the file in Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets and save it in CSV format.
Each row represents one category.
Each column represents one category field.
No field is mandatory. Fields left empty are imported as blank.
For Yes/No fields, use only the values Y or N.
Step #2: Import the categories
To import categories:
Go to Settings > Customization > Categories and select the Import Categories tab.
In Input file, click Choose File and select your CSV file.
If the first row in your CSV contains column headers, select Do not import the head line (the first line).
In Number of fields, enter the number of columns you want to import from the CSV file.
In Read csv file from line number, enter the first row SysAid should import.
For example, if the first row contains headers, start from line 2.
Tip!
If you added new categories to a CSV file you imported before, you don't need to create a new file. Upload the same file and use Read csv file from line number to start the import from the first new row. SysAid skips the rows above it, so the categories you already imported are not processed again.
In the mapping table, use the Field content column to match each CSV column to the correct SysAid field.
Position 1 matches the left-most column in your CSV file.
Position 2 matches the second column, and so on.
To skip a column, leave its dropdown set to Do not import field.
Click Submit.
When the import finishes, a message displays how many records were imported successfully.
Verify the import
After the import completes, go to Settings > Customization > Categories > Manage Categories to confirm that your categories appear in the list.