# 📤 Allow User to Upload and Import CSV Files Tutorial **URL:** \ **Category:** Community Resources\ **Created:** [June 5, 2025, 7:00pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/allow-user-to-upload-and-import-csv-files-tutorial/82267 "2025-06-05T19:00:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Robert\_Petitto](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/robert_petitto/32/25193_2.png) [@Robert\_Petitto](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Robert_Petitto)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2025, 7:00pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/allow-user-to-upload-and-import-csv-files-tutorial/82267/1 "2025-06-05T19:00:35Z")
# 👋 Hey fellow Gliders! Allowing users to import CSV data is a feature not natively supported in Glide, but it can be achieved through clever workarounds. The video breaks down two primary methods for handling bulk data: ### 1️⃣ Method 1: Looping Workflow (for Smaller Imports) This approach involves creating a workflow that iterates through each row of a CSV file and adds it as a new record. ✅ Pros: Relatively straightforward to set up within Glide. 🚫 Cons: Limited to approximately 1,000 records due to Glide’s operation limits and can be slow for larger datasets, consuming more app updates. ### 2️⃣ Method 2: Glide API with Stashing (for Large Imports) This advanced technique leverages Glide’s API v2, specifically the “stashing” feature, for highly efficient bulk uploads. ✅ Pros: Handles hundreds or thousands of records near-instantaneously, significantly more cost-effective (e.g., 2,000 records cost only 20 updates instead of 2,000). 🚫 Cons: Requires a deeper understanding of API calls, JSON manipulation, and a bit of JavaScript for “chunking” data. It also introduces the need to work with column IDs instead of readable headers, often requiring AI assistance for conversion. The video includes a step-by-step guide for both methods, including: - Building an importer interface. - Validating CSV files and headers. - Converting CSV to JSON. - Enabling manual workflow triggers. - Configuring the API calls leveraging stashing to keep updates to a minimum ### 🍿 Enjoy! [![](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/glideapps/original/3X/7/1/716217d0017138ac082e66f8e356f2358dc5284f.jpeg "Glide: Allow Users to Upload and Import Data from CSV Files") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D04c5Fi2abA) ---
**Author:** ![Mazen](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/mazen/32/84042_2.png) [@Mazen](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Mazen)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2025, 7:31pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/allow-user-to-upload-and-import-csv-files-tutorial/82267/2 "2025-06-05T19:31:48Z")
Cool video! ---
**Author:** ![Robert\_Petitto](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/robert_petitto/32/25193_2.png) [@Robert\_Petitto](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Robert_Petitto)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2025, 11:44pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/allow-user-to-upload-and-import-csv-files-tutorial/82267/3 "2025-06-05T23:44:59Z")
Thanks! Intrigued to see if anyone can leverage this or improve upon it. ---
**Author:** ![ALATBSOL](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/alatbsol/32/57182_2.png) [@ALATBSOL](https://community.glideapps.com/u/ALATBSOL)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2025, 8:19am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/allow-user-to-upload-and-import-csv-files-tutorial/82267/4 "2025-06-09T08:19:09Z")
Very nice! Opens up a ton of new usecases! ---
**Author:** ![joaool](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/joaool/32/68480_2.png) [@joaool](https://community.glideapps.com/u/joaool)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2025, 9:33am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/allow-user-to-upload-and-import-csv-files-tutorial/82267/5 "2025-07-18T09:33:12Z")
Hi Bob. The method works perfectly, but only for Big Tables (I learned this the hard way) . Is there any way (besides Make) to use this to import to Glide Tables (non-Big)? ---
**Author:** ![Robert\_Petitto](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/robert_petitto/32/25193_2.png) [@Robert\_Petitto](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Robert_Petitto)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2025, 11:57am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/allow-user-to-upload-and-import-csv-files-tutorial/82267/6 "2025-07-18T11:57:25Z")
The first method I show works with regular Glide tables. ---
**Author:** ![joaool](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/joaool/32/68480_2.png) [@joaool](https://community.glideapps.com/u/joaool)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2025, 12:20pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/allow-user-to-upload-and-import-csv-files-tutorial/82267/7 "2025-07-18T12:20:51Z")
Thanks Bob! ---
**Author:** ![XceL](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/xcel/32/91079_2.png) [@XceL](https://community.glideapps.com/u/XceL)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2025, 5:22pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/allow-user-to-upload-and-import-csv-files-tutorial/82267/8 "2025-09-30T17:22:07Z")
Brilliant, thanks Bob!