Map custom columns during import
Match your spreadsheet columns to Upper's stop fields in the import wizard. Headers auto-map, and Upper remembers your layout for the next import.
When you import stops from a spreadsheet, Upper Route Planner asks you to match each column in your file to one of its stop fields. Your spreadsheet doesn't have to use Upper's exact field names — column mapping is the translation layer. Map your columns once, and Upper remembers the layout the next time you import a file with the same headers.
Why mapping matters
Your CRM, dispatch sheet, or order export rarely uses the same labels Upper does. Your file might call a column "Delivery Address" while Upper calls it "Address Line 1," or "Recipient" instead of "Full Name." Mapping lets you keep your source columns exactly as they are and tell Upper which Upper field each one feeds. You don't rename anything in your system — you point each column at the right field and import.
Only one mapping is required: Address Line 1. Everything else is optional, and you can leave a column unmapped if you don't need it.
Open the import wizard
You map columns inside Import with Preview, the recommended spreadsheet import flow.
Open the route you want to add stops to, then go to the Add Stops tab.
Click Import with Preview ("Preview & validate data before import"). The Upload spreadsheet wizard opens.
On step 1 Upload, drag in or upload your file. Upper supports .csv, .xls, and .xlsx.
On step 2 Select header, click the row that contains your column headers. This tells Upper which row holds your labels and which rows hold stop data.
Click Next to move to step 3 Review & Import, where you map columns.
"Import with Preview" and "Import File" use the same import engine, and both save your column mappings. The difference is the screen: Import with Preview lets you see and edit your data inline before importing. Import File is an older drag-and-drop screen kept for some existing accounts.
Map your columns
On the Review & Import step you'll see a Column Mapping area with a counter (for example, "6 of 6 columns mapped"). Each row shows one of your data columns on the left and a Map to field dropdown on the right.
Check the rows Upper mapped for you. When a column header matches an Upper field name, Upper fills in the target field automatically.
For any row marked Needs mapping, open the Map to field dropdown and pick the matching Upper field. The dropdown is searchable and grouped by category.
To clear a mapping, use the X on that row. To remove a column you don't want imported, leave it unmapped.
Make sure Address Line 1 is mapped — you can't import without it. When the counter shows your columns are mapped, review the preview grid below.
Click Import N rows (the button shows the row count, for example "Import 23 rows") to load the stops.
The fields you can map to
The Map to field dropdown is grouped. The standard groups and fields are:
| Group | Fields |
|---|---|
| Address | Address Line 1 (required), Address Line 2, City, State, Zip Code, Country |
| Contact | Full Name, Nick Name, Business Name, Country Phone Code, Phone, Email |
| Stop | Pin Color, Service Time, From (Time Window), To (Time Window), additional time-window fields, Stop Type, Parcel Count, Pre-Assigned Driver/Technician |
| Other | Notes |
Any custom fields, capacity fields, and barcode fields you've defined also appear in this dropdown as mappable targets.
A workspace can be configured to use Technician and Service labels instead of Driver and Delivery — for example, the Pre-Assigned field may read "Pre-Assigned Technician." Both refer to the same feature.
How auto-mapping and saved layouts work
When a column header matches an Upper field name, Upper maps it for you. Auto-matching is case-sensitive and order-sensitive — Upper looks at both the header text and the column sequence.
Because of that, Upper can remember your mapping. The next time you import a file with the same headers in the same order, Upper recognizes the layout and the wizard's button reads Next (Previous mapping found) on the Select header step — your mapping is already applied. If you change the column names or reorder them, the saved mapping no longer matches and you simply re-map. There's no harm in re-mapping; it just takes a moment.
To get the most out of auto-mapping, keep your export's columns consistent from one import to the next — same headers, same order. You can download Upper's sample spreadsheet (the Download sample data link in the wizard) and match your headers to it.
Custom fields need to exist first
If you want to import business-specific data (for example, an order number or service type), create the matching custom field in Settings before you import. Custom fields only appear in the Map to field dropdown once they're defined, so a column with no field to map to gets skipped.
Address columns: pick one format and stick to it
Upper accepts three ways of providing the address, and the rule is consistency — don't mix formats in the same file:
- One cell with the full address.
- One cell with bracketed latitude, longitude.
- Separate columns (street / city / state / zip, or separate latitude and longitude columns).
If you use a single-cell address, keep every row single-cell. If you split the address across columns, keep every row split.
Troubleshooting
Related
Link pickups and deliveries
Control when pickups happen relative to deliveries in Upper. Use Pickup Settings in a route's Advanced Settings to run pickups before, between, or after deliveries.
Optional import fields
Reference for the optional fields you can map during an Upper import — contact info, stop settings, priority, parcels, capacity, barcodes, and custom fields.