Task Import

In this article, you will learn how to import tasks using a CSV or Excel sheet onto the Onfleet dashboard. 

Onfleet's task import allows you to upload large quantities of tasks in a batch rather than creating them one at a time through the dashboard. You can upload CSV, XLS, or JSON files.

This article will cover:

Create an Import sheet

For Onfleet to import all the task attributes successfully, your file should contain at a minimum the required fields found in the sample import sheet attached at the bottom of this article.

Make a copy of the sample import template, remove the same data, and add your own.  To get started go to:

  • File > Make a Copy 
  • populate your data 
  • File > Download as ...

 Return to Top

Required Fields

The Recipient_Name field is used to indicate the name of the customer you are delivering to. This should be formatted as "FirstName, LastName."

The Recipient_Phone field should include a valid, unique phone number for your recipient. 

The Address_Line1 field should include the street number (including letters, if any) without spacing, followed by a space and the street name details, including the full word form of the street type (e.g. "Street" instead of "St" and "East" instead of "E").

Also required: City/Town, Postal_Code, State/Province, and Country.

 Return to Top

Optional Fields

The Address_Line2 field should include an apartment, suite or any additional information about the address (this will not be used during geocoding).

The Notification field allows you to enable/disable automated SMS notifications for certain recipients. Set the cell value to TRUE if you would like the recipient of the task to receive notifications, and set it to FALSE to disable notifications for that recipient. If this field is not used, the task notification setting is defaulted to TRUE and a notification will be sent unless the Recipient has notifications disabled.

The Recipient_Notes field is used to store information or special instructions pertaining to that particular Recipient. Text placed in this field will overwrite any existing notes.

The Longitude and Latitude fields allow you to use coordinates instead of an address to add a task. Although the address fields will still be required, the geocoding process will be entirely skipped and their data will be used for display purposes only. See this post for more details on utilizing Longitude and Latitude coordinates for Onfleet imports.

The Task_Details field is used to store task-specific information like an order number or list of items to deliver.

The Pickup field is used to designate if a given task is a pickup. In order to designate that a task as a pickup, you must input TRUE in the task's cell. If this cell is empty, or contains anything but TRUE, the task will be imported as a drop-off by default.

The completeAfter field allows you to input a date and time after which a task should be completed. The completeBefore field allows you to input a date and time before which a task should be completed.

You can choose to import the completeAfter and completeBefore fields in the following date/time formats:
 
  1. Unix timestamp
  2. MM/DD/YYYY hh:mm A (Example: 12/17/2015 2:30 PM)
  3. MM/DD/YYYY HH:mm (Example: 12/17/2015 14:30)
  4. DD/MM/YYYY hh:mm A (Example: 17/12/2015 2:30 PM)
  5. DD/MM/YYYY HH:mm (Example: 17/12/2015 14:30)
 
If you deliver across multiple time zones, converting these values to Unix time is recommended. To convert local times to Unix timestamps in Excel, first make sure your times are in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), then use the formula: =(cell-DATE(1970,1,1))*86400000

The Organization field is used if you are assigning tasks to other Onfleet registered organizations that you are connected with (see Connections). The name listed must exactly match the connected organization's name for the assignment to occur. If you are only assigning to your own drivers you do not need to use this field.

The Driver field can be used to immediately assign tasks upon import. This is useful if routing or assignment was planned outside of Onfleet (manually or via a third-party tool). The name listed in this field must match a driver's name in Onfleet for the assignment to occur. Tasks imported that have a Driver in this column will be assigned in the order listed on the spreadsheet.

The Team field can be used to immediately assign tasks to a specific team upon import. The team name listed in this field must match a team name in Onfleet for the assignment to occur. Tasks imported that have a Team in this column will appear as unassigned tasks within that team.

The Service Time field can be used to add service time to a task upon import.

 Return to Top

Upload Sheet and Map Columns

To import tasks, click the Page icon located in the upper right corner of the dashboard (next to the + icon):

upload1.gif

Select "Choose File" in the window and select the file from your computer. Once uploaded, you will be prompted to map each column header with a corresponding attribute within Onfleet.

ScreenRecording2024-03-21at11.06.22am-ezgif.com-video-to-gif-converter.gif

Return to Top

Error Handling

If there are any issues with the data provided in your file, the system will alert you and describe the errors. If you would like to correct these errors on your file before proceeding, click Back twice to upload the corrected file.

errors.png

Note: For your convenience, the attached Onfleet Import Template (Unix) includes fields that will automatically convert your local date/time into unix time. Simply enter your desired date/time into the completeBefore (Local) and completeAfter (Local) fields, enter your timezone's UTC offset and unix time will be generated in the completeAfter (Onfleet Unix) and completeBefore (Onfleet Unix) fields.

 Return to Top

Downloadable Import Sheets

Download a Google Sheet Template