From Sustainability Program, you can import multiple elements at once — including new topics, metrics, dimensions, and so on — from Spreadsheet templates. When you start to import a template, Sustainability Program automatically validates the Spreadsheet and its rows, and identifies errors to resolve for the import.
Identify rows with errors
When Sustainability Program validates an import, it checks each row of the templates and identifies any errors that would prevent a successful import. From Errors to resolve, you can view how many rows in total a sheet has, and how many of them have errors, are ready to import, or are already imported.
Tip: Sustainability Program imports only rows with a status of Ready, so you can select to import the ready rows at any time — even as you continue to resolve other rows' errors.
To resolve a row with an error:
- Review the error:
- To review all errors found, click Errors to resolve, then browse through each issue.
- To view a specific error, click Error in the Status column of its row.
- To review all errors found, click Errors to resolve, then browse through each issue.
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Troubleshoot the error, then choose whether to resolve or remove its row:
- To resolve an error, click Fix error, then double-click and edit its cell as necessary.
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To instead exclude the row from the import, click Remove from import.
Tip: To return a removed row to the import, click Removed in Status, then select Include in import.
- As you resolve errors, click Validate to save your edits and ensure they fix the issues.
Troubleshoot errors
To help ensure items import correctly, Sustainability Program automatically checks for errors both when you first select a Spreadsheet template, and again when you begin to import its rows.
If the Program finds an error with the selected template, resolve it before your begin the import.
| Error | Description | Resolution |
|---|---|---|
| Missing details | The selected section is blank and has no details to import. | Choose another template or section to import. |
| File too large | The template exceeds 1 GB. | Choose another template, or try again with multiple smaller templates. |
| Extra columns | The template includes columns added after the Program generated the file. | Choose another template, or remove any custom columns from the template. |
| Missing columns | The template lacks columns from when the Program generated the file. | Choose another template, or return all default columns to the template. |
| Incorrect format | The template's initial rows differ from the order when the Program generated the file. | Choose another template, or return the rows to the same order as when generated. |
| Invalid template | The selected file isn't the template generated by the Program. | Choose another file to import. |
If the validation finds an error with a row within a template, choose whether to resolve the issue or remove the row from the import.
To help troubleshoot rows, you can focus on specific rows or columns as necessary:
-
To focus on specific rows, click Filters,
and select the criteria of the rows to view, based on their
columns' values. For example, to help find duplicates in
the template, filter the rows to only those with the duplicate
name or ID.
-
To arrange and group rows based on a column's values, choose
whether to sort the values in ascending or descending order
from the column's menu.
- To focus on specific columns, click Columns, and select the columns to view.
Note: No topics, metrics, tags, or dimensions can share the same name. Ensure these items all have unique names.
| Error | Description | Resolution |
|---|---|---|
| Detail missing | The row lacks information required to import its item. | Enter the required information in its cell, or remove the row from the import. |
| Duplicate found | Another item with the same name or ID appears in the template or Program. | Edit names or IDs as necessary, or remove the duplicate row from the import. |
| Too long | The row contains a value that exceeds its supported character count. | Enter fewer characters in the value's cell, or remove the row from the import. |
| Too many... | The import would exceed the Program's limit for the selected item, such as tags, dimensions, or their values. | Remove unnecessary items from the Program or template, and try again. |
| Topic 1 required | For a Topics import, the row's required Topic 1 cell is blank. | Enter the highest level topic that contains the topic to import in Topic 1, or remove the row from the import. |
| Incorrect topic hierarchy | For a Topics import, the row includes a topic that appears in the Program, but at a different level of the outline. | Adjust the topic's hierarchy within the Program's outline, or remove the row from the import. |
| Duplicate topic or hierarchy mismatch | For a Topics import, the row includes a topic that appears elsewhere in the template but at a different level of the hierarchy. | Remove the duplicate row from the import, or adjust the topic's level as necessary. |
| Topic hierarchy missing | For a Topics import, the row lacks topics at levels between the highest and lowest topics of the hierarchy. | Specify all levels of the hierarchy for row's topic, or remove the row from the import. |
| Topic not found | For a Metrics import, the row include a topic that doesn't appear in the Program. | Check the spelling of the topic's name, or import or add the new topic to the Program and try again. |
| Incorrect value type | For a Metrics import, the row includes a Value type not supported by Program. | Enter a value type of Text, Number, Date, Currency, or Percent. |
| Incorrect unit | For a Metrics import, the row includes a Unit not supported by Program. | Edit the unit entered to match the Units of measurement sheet of the Reference section of the template, or add the custom unit to the Reference section and try to import again. |
| Invalid unit | For a Metrics import, the row includes an unnecessary or invalid unit of measurement. | Enter the respective unit for a Number, Currency, or Percent value types only. |
| Incorrect value | For a Metrics import, the row includes a Require notes or Require supporting attachments value other than Yes or No. | Enter a value of Yes or No in the cell. |
| Metric not found | For a Metric content and tags or Metric dimension import, the row includes a metric that doesn't appear in the Program. | Check the spelling of the metric's name, or import or add the new topic to the Program and try again. |
| Referenced content not found | For a Metric content and tags import, the row includes unrecognized Framework references. | Verify the framework content is enabled in Sustainability Explorer, and enter the content's name exactly as it appears in the Reference section of the template. |
| Tag not found | For a Metric content and tags import, the row includes a tag that doesn't appear in the Program. | Check the spelling of the tag's name, or import or add the new tag to the Program and try again. |
| Tag value not found | For a Metric content and tags import, the row includes a tag value that doesn't appear in the Program. | Check the spelling of the tag value, or import or add the new tag value to the Program and try again. |
| Dimension not found | For a Metric dimension import, the row includes a dimension that doesn't appear in the Program. | Check the spelling of the dimension's name, or import or add the new dimension to the Program and try again. |
| Inactive dimension | For a Metric dimension import, the row includes a dimension that is set as Inactive in the Program. | Set the dimension as Active in the Program, or remove the row from the import. |
Download columns of import
You can download the columns of an import for use outside of the Workiva Platform, such as to help troubleshoot errors or save an offline record of imported items.
From the import's validation, click Export, and select whether to:
- Download the columns as a comma-separated values (CSV) or Microsoft® Excel® file.
-
Send the columns to a printer on your network.
Tip: To download the columns as a portable document file (PDF), select Print, then select Save as PDF and a paper size and orientation that includes all the columns.
Delete an import
If you no longer need an import, you can delete it from Sustainability Program. For example, you may choose to delete an import after all its items are successfully imported or to start over with a new template that includes recent updates in the Program.
Note: When you delete an import, imported rows remain added to the Program, but any edits made to rows not yet imported will be lost.
To delete an import:
- From the menu of either Program overview or the outline, select Import.
- Select Continue existing import, then choose the import to resume and click Next.
- From Errors to resolve or Import, select Delete import.
- Click Delete.