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CSV URL Integration

Import documents directly from publicly accessible CSV files via URL into your AI assistant's knowledge base.

Quick Start​

Get started in 3 steps:

  1. Navigate: Administration → My Assistants → [Assistant Name] → Integrations → CSV URL
  2. Add URL: Enter your public CSV URL and select import type (FAQ/Product/Default)
  3. Import: Click "Add URL" and monitor status

Tip: Test with a small CSV file first to familiarize yourself with the process.

CSV URL Integration Overview

What You Can Do​

  • ✅ Import from public HTTP/HTTPS CSV URLs
  • ✅ Bulk import multiple URLs at once
  • ✅ Auto-detect CSV structure (FAQ, Product, or Generic)
  • ✅ Assign categories and map custom columns
  • ✅ Track import status and history

Prerequisites​

  • Admin access to your AI SmartTalk assistant
  • Publicly accessible CSV files (no authentication required)
  • Proper CSV structure with column headers
  • UTF-8 encoding recommended

Import Types​

1. FAQ Import​

Best for: Support documentation, knowledge bases

Required columns:

  • question
  • answer

Example:

question,answer
"How do I reset my password?","Click 'Forgot Password' and follow instructions."
"What are your hours?","Monday-Friday, 9 AM - 6 PM."

2. Product Import​

Best for: E-commerce catalogs, inventory

Required column:

  • idProduct (or custom mapped column)

Optional:

  • name (or custom mapped column)

Example:

idProduct,name,description,price
"PROD001","Premium Widget","High-quality widget","99.99"
"PROD002","Standard Widget","Basic widget","49.99"

3. Default Import​

Best for: General content, mixed data

  • Auto-detects FAQ or Product structure
  • Falls back to generic document import
  • Handles various CSV formats

Step-by-Step Guide​

Step 1: Access Integration​

  1. Log into AI SmartTalk
  2. Go to Administration → My Assistants → [Your Assistant]
  3. Click Integrations → CSV URL

Step 2: Add CSV URL​

Single URL:

  1. Click Add New CSV URL
  2. Enter CSV file URL
  3. Provide optional name
  4. Select import type (FAQ/Product/Default)
  5. Choose category (optional)
  6. Click Add URL

Single CSV URL Import Form

Bulk Import:

  1. Click Bulk Import URLs
  2. Enter URLs (one per line)
  3. Configure shared settings
  4. Click Import All URLs

Bulk CSV URL Import

Step 3: Configure Column Mapping (Product Only)​

Map your CSV columns to expected fields:

  • ID Product Column: Default idProduct → Map to product_id, sku, etc.
  • Name Column: Default name → Map to product_name, title, etc.

Step 4: Monitor Import​

Track status in Import History:

  • Pending: Waiting to process
  • Imported: Successfully completed
  • Error: Failed (view details)

Import Status Dashboard

Step 5: Re-import (Update Data)​

  1. Find URL in history
  2. Click Re-import
  3. Confirm action
  4. Monitor updated status

Step 6: Verify Import​

  1. Check Knowledge Base for new documents
  2. Test chatbot with questions about imported content

Post-Import Knowledge Base

CSV Requirements​

Valid URLs​

✅ https://example.com/data/products.csv
✅ https://cdn.company.com/catalog.csv
✅ https://raw.githubusercontent.com/user/repo/main/data.csv

❌ ftp://files.company.com/data.csv (FTP not supported)
❌ https://private.site.com/auth-data.csv (Authentication required)
❌ file:///local/data.csv (Local files not supported)

File Requirements​

  • Access: Publicly accessible via HTTP/HTTPS
  • Headers: First row must contain column names
  • Delimiters: Comma (,) or semicolon (;)
  • Encoding: UTF-8 recommended
  • Size: Maximum 10MB per file

Troubleshooting​

Common Errors​

ErrorSolution
URL Not AccessibleVerify URL is public and valid
Invalid FormatCheck delimiter and headers
Missing ColumnsEnsure required columns exist (question/answer or idProduct)
Large File TimeoutSplit file or reduce size below 10MB

Resolution Steps​

  1. Test URL in browser
  2. Validate CSV structure and encoding
  3. Review error messages in import history
  4. Test with smaller sample file
  5. Contact support if issue persists

Best Practices​

URL Management​

  • Use stable, permanent URLs
  • Test URLs monthly for accessibility
  • Use CDN for better performance
  • Include version in filenames: products-v2024.csv

Data Organization​

  • Use clear category names
  • Maintain consistent CSV formats
  • Clean data before import (remove empty rows)
  • Keep files under 10MB

Performance​

  • Test with small samples first
  • Process large imports during off-peak hours
  • Use bulk import for multiple related URLs
  • Monitor import success rate regularly

Security​

  • ✅ HTTPS encrypted transfers
  • ✅ URL validation
  • ✅ Permission-based access control
  • ✅ Temporary file processing (no permanent storage)
  • ✅ Automatic cleanup of old data
  • ✅ Audit logs for all activities

After Import​

Once imported, your data:

  1. Becomes searchable in knowledge base
  2. Powers chatbot responses immediately
  3. Appears organized by categories
  4. Can be verified in Knowledge Base section

Verify your import:

  • Check Knowledge Base for new documents
  • Test chatbot with questions about imported content
  • Review categories and organization

Support​

Need help?

Summary​

You can now:

  • ✅ Import CSV data from public URLs
  • ✅ Handle FAQ, Product, and generic data types
  • ✅ Bulk import multiple sources
  • ✅ Map custom columns for products
  • ✅ Monitor and manage imports
  • ✅ Update data through re-imports

Next steps:

  1. Test with a sample CSV
  2. Import your production data
  3. Set up categories
  4. Schedule regular re-imports
  5. Monitor performance

Questions? Contact our support team anytime.