Importing a spreadsheet into the Webflow or Wix CMS: field mapping, dates and what gets erased

What an import actually does

Both builders read the first row of your file as headings, treat every following row as an item, and ask you to match each column to a field. Webflow maps automatically when a heading matches an existing field name, lets you set any column to not import, and will not map a column onto a field already used elsewhere in the import. Wix does the same, matching headings or keys to existing fields by default.

The limits differ. Wix accepts a file up to 1 GB with up to 50,000 items and 1,000 fields, requires commas as the delimiter, and needs UTF-8 encoding if any content has non-Latin characters. Webflow's help article gives a 4 MB limit for the file and says the number of items you can import depends on your site plan. Neither builder checks that the content makes sense for the field, which is why the check has to be yours.

• Save the file as a comma-separated UTF-8 file, not an Excel workbook.
• Give each column one clear heading and keep headings unique.
• Check the row count before and after.

The traps that import silently

On Wix, an existing collection field with no column mapped to it is emptied by the import; unticking a column that matches a field's name has the same effect. Only the system fields, such as ID and created date, are exempt. Wix does create a manual backup at each import, and exporting the collection first lets you see exactly what you would lose.

Dates need a stated format on Wix, and the page lists the accepted forms; dates that do not match the format you state will be misread, and times in exported files are in UTC, so a date can appear a day out. Sample dates after the import. True and false values need you to say how they are written, such as Yes and No. Reference fields point at other items: Wix expects the referenced item's ID, while Webflow turns plain text into a slug to find a match, so for an item with a custom slug the plain text finds no match and the value is not imported; put the custom slug in the file instead. Images differ by builder. Wix imports image and document fields only if they link to files already in the media manager. Webflow's Image and Multi-image fields take direct public image URLs, though images imported that way get no responsive variants, while its File field is never filled by an import, so files are uploaded afterwards.

• Export the collection before importing into one that holds items.
• Write the date format into the mapping and sample five dates afterwards.
• Fill the referenced collection first.
• Plan an upload step for Wix images and documents and for any Webflow file fields; Webflow image links can map to an Image field.

Adding rows versus updating them

An import is also how you update items in bulk. On Wix, include the item IDs in your file, which the exported collection supplies, and for each matching ID you choose whether to replace the item or skip it; rows with new IDs are added. Webflow's article describes selectively updating existing items by import, which depends on how the rows are matched, so test it on a copy first.

Repeating a failed import without checking what it left is how duplicates appear. Run the final import once, on a collection you have exported, and count items afterwards.

• Test on a copy or a test collection first.
• Never repeat an import without checking the count.
• Keep the exported collection until the check is done.

What does not fit, and acceptance

Rewriting the text, converting exports from another platform, importing store products with their own import, and files of thousands of rows are separate jobs. The fixed-scope import of up to 200 posts into one collection is priced at £245 as an untested proposal and paid only after you sign off.

It is accepted when the collection holds exactly one item per approved row with none missing or duplicated, a comparison of titles, slugs and dates across all rows shows no difference, twenty rows you choose match the spreadsheet on screen, and five sampled dates and true or false values read correctly.