Data Import Guide

Import data from CSV, Excel, JSON, and PDF files into Dashboard Maker AI.

CSV Import

CSV is the most common format for importing structured data.

Import methods:

1. Drag and drop — Drag a .csv file onto the dashboard canvas. A new CSV container is created automatically.
2. File browser — Click the "Import" button in the toolbar, select "CSV," and browse for your file.
3. Paste data — Copy CSV text from a spreadsheet and paste directly into a CSV container's editor.
4. AI Chat — Paste your CSV data in the chat and say "Create a chart from this data."

Supported delimiters:

• Comma (,) — default
• Semicolon (;) — common in European locales
• Tab (\t) — TSV files

Excel Import

Import .xlsx and .xls files with full sheet support.

1. Drag and drop — Drag an Excel file onto the canvas.
2. File browser — Use the Import button and select "Excel."
3. The file loads with all sheets available as tabs.
4. Select a sheet to use as the data source for visualizations.

JSON Import

Import structured JSON data — arrays of objects, nested structures, or raw arrays.

Supported formats:

// Array of objects (most common)
[
  { "name": "Alice", "sales": 45000 },
  { "name": "Bob", "sales": 52000 }
]

// Nested structure
{
  "metadata": { "title": "Sales Report" },
  "data": [
    { "region": "North", "revenue": 120000 }
  ]
}

// Simple array
[10, 25, 30, 45, 60]

1. Paste JSON directly into a container editor, or drag a .json file onto the canvas.
2. The AI can parse JSON from the chat — paste your data and ask for a visualization.
3. For nested JSON, specify the data path: "Use the data field for the chart."

PDF Import

Import PDF documents and automatically extract tables and text data.

1. Drag a PDF file onto the canvas or use the Import button.
2. Tables within the PDF are automatically detected and extracted.
3. Extracted data can be used to generate charts and visualizations.
4. The original PDF can also be embedded as a PDF container for reference.

Visualizing Imported Data

After importing data, you can quickly generate visualizations:

• Auto-visualize — Click the chart icon on a CSV/Excel container to auto-generate a chart based on the data structure.
• AI-assisted — Tell the AI: "Create a visualization from the imported CSV data" and it will choose the best chart type.
• Manual — Reference imported data in any container type by using the data reference syntax.