How to Upload Data to Mirata (Create a Data Table)

How to Upload Data to Mirata (Create a Data Table)


In the Admin Tool, you can upload a CSV file (which can be generated from any Microsoft Excel-compatible file) to create a Mirata Data Table.


To demonstrate this, let’s use an example dataset that holds states, their abbreviation codes, and population. This is what the data looks like in Microsoft Excel: 


(1) Set up your CSV file

  1. Title your columns: In Microsoft Excel, make sure that the first cell in each column (cells A1, B1, C1, …) hold the title of that column. In our example, we have 3 columns: “State”, “Code”, and “Population”.
  2. Add the key column: In a Mirata Data Table, you’ll always have one column, “key”, that is the unique identifier for each record (a row in Excel = a record) in your table. For example, here “AK” is the unique identifier for the record which is row 2 and “AL” is the unique identifier for the record which is row 3. Your key values can be anything, they just need to be unique. Two records cannot have the same key. 

    In this example, we can use the state codes as the keys because we know we will have 50 unique code values. 


    In other scenarios, and based on personal preference, it might be easier to just fill a numbered list (1, 2, 3, …) in Excel for the keys. 

  3. Save as CSV: Using “Save As”, Save your file as a comma delimited CSV file. 



(2) Upload the CSV file in the Admin Tool

  1. Navigate to the ADMIN TOOL tab of the Admin Tool
  2. Click the +ADD A DATA TABLE button in the top right
  3. Click IMPORT
  4. Select your CSV file
  5. You can change the name and description of your table. Do not change the table type or storage type.
  6. Click SAVE
  7. Go to the SCHEMA tab
  8. Click the pencil icon and:
  1. Change the data types of any columns, if necessary. In this example, we will change the Population column to a decimal. 
  2. Uncheck the required checkmark if a value is not required in that column for every record in the table


  1. Go to the RECORDS tab
  2. Click the upload icon 
  3. Click SELECT FILE
  4. Select your CSV file 
  5. The “key” column from your CSV file should automatically be selected in the Key Field Name dropdown, but, if it’s not, select “key” from the list 
  6. Click GENERATE DATA TABLE RECORDS
  7. If everything looks good, scroll down and click SAVE


That’s it! Now your dataset is in Mirata and you can reference it in forms.