Overview
An Excel import can be used to populate any sheet in Fieldguide. This article will cover how to import data into a risk control matrix, which is a sheet that contains your controls, tests, and additional control data.
Before you begin
Data can only be imported to a sheet that has no existing rows. If your sheet already has rows (even if blank), the import option will not be available. To import additional columns to a sheet that already has data, you can append data to the sheet.
Import a sheet
Step #1: Download the CSV import template
Open your sheet.
Go to Utilities > Import sheet.
Click Download Template. Open the template file in Excel.
Step #2: Populate the CSV file
Use the template you downloaded in the previous step to create a CSV file with your sheet rows.
Every row underneath the header in the CSV represents a unique row. For the import to work correctly:
The first line of your CSV file must be the column headers specified in the template provided by Fieldguide.
Every row must have a value in the required columns. See below for information on the columns in the CSV.
Don't delete empty columns or rename any column headers that were provided by the template. Leave the column heading in the import file even if the rest of the column is blank.
You can use this sample CSV as a reference. Note that every unique sheet has a unique CSV template, and your template may differ from this one.
Description of the columns in the CSV file
Column | Description |
Section (required) | The section header a row will be added under. If your sheet is connected to a framework, section headers represent the criteria/requirement a row is mapped to. |
Key | The key associated with the row in your sheet. Appears in the Key column next to a sheet row.
You can leave the row key blank and use auto-rename to easily set sheet row keys after completing the import. If you prefer to fill this manually, we recommend creating unique keys for each unique row, even if they have the same control. |
Control Key | The key associated with that row's control activity inside the client's Controls menu. Can optionally be displayed on your sheet in Fieldguide in a separate column.
We recommend leaving this blank, and Fieldguide will automatically assign unique control keys to prevent conflicts. Every unique control language should have one unique control key. |
Control Activity (required, if it exists in your sheet) | The control language. |
Control Tags | Add tags to a control. Tags will not display in your imported sheet, but they will display in your Control Library. |
Custom columns | Any other text columns on your sheet, such as test procedures. You can populate any text columns that you’d like to import into your Fieldguide sheet.
Magic columns (like Requests, Documents, and Sign Offs) can't be populated via CSV import, and we recommend deleting these columns from the CSV file if they exist there. |
Adding a control with multiple tests to the CSV
If one control needs to have multiple different tests, create a separate row in your CSV for each unique test. Think of every row as representing a unique control/test pairing. You can have multiple rows with the same control but a different test.
We recommend differentiating the row key column for rows with the same control but different tests by adding a letter to the end of the key. For example, CC1.1.1a and CC1.1.1b.
Adding a control with multiple mappings to the CSV
If one control has mappings to multiple different sections, create a separate row in your CSV for each unique mapping. Think of every row as representing a unique control mapping. You can have multiple rows with the same control but a different section mapped.
If you're copying from a source file where a control and multiple mappings are listed in one combined row, it may be helpful to fill out the Section column last. Duplicate the row to account for additional mappings and then fill out the Section column as the final step. On duplicated rows, be sure to keep all data identical aside from the section.
Saving the import file
For the best results, save your import file in .csv format.
Step #3: Import and preview data
Open your sheet.
Go to Utilities > Import sheet.
Click Upload CSV or XLSX and select your import file.
You'll see a preview of the imported data before finalizing. Use the buttons in the top-left to filter the preview to all rows, all rows with new controls, and all rows with warnings. For more information on warnings, see the troubleshooting section below.
In the top-right, you'll see how many identical rows will be sync'd. These are rows that are identical in your imported sheet but mapped to multiple sections. Fieldguide will sync these together upon import unless you disable it here.
If you notice anything you'd like to correct before import, click Cancel, update your import file, and then re-import. Click Finalize Import to bring in your data.
Troubleshooting
If there are any problems with your sheet import CSV file, you’ll see the number of rows with warnings displayed at the top of the preview. Click this radio button to view which rows have warnings. Hover over the warning symbol to see a description.
Importing a sheet that was previously exported
You may want to import a sheet using data that was previously exported from another Fieldguide sheet. Before you import an exported Excel file, you must edit it in Excel to match the required format. Use the CSV import template provided by Fieldguide.
If you import an Excel file without using this template, you may encounter errors during import, unintended columns being added, and other issues.
Every sheet in Fieldguide has a unique CSV import template. Make sure you download and use the template provided by Fieldguide in the import menu on the same sheet you're importing into.
Unable to add row to section
If a row has this warning, it means that the section listed in the row's Section column does not exist in the Fieldguide sheet. The section in your CSV must exactly match one in your Fieldguide sheet. This error can happen if you have a typo or extra spacing in the section name.
Cancel the import, and correct this by either:
Fixing the section entered into column A in your import sheet.
Renaming the section in your Fieldguide sheet to match the one in your CSV file, if appropriate. This option works well for SOC 1 Control Objectives. We do not recommend renaming SOC 2 sections.