# Unable to import tags csv file in ignition 8.1.38

**URL:** <https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/unable-to-import-tags-csv-file-in-ignition-8-1-38/87327>\
**Category:** Ignition\
**Tags:** ignition81\
**Created:** [March 14, 2024, 11:25am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/unable-to-import-tags-csv-file-in-ignition-8-1-38/87327 "2024-03-14T11:25:50Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 10\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Muhammad\_Awais](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/22d042/32.png) [@Muhammad\_Awais](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Muhammad_Awais)\
**Post date:** [March 14, 2024, 11:25am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/unable-to-import-tags-csv-file-in-ignition-8-1-38/87327/1 "2024-03-14T11:25:50Z")

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Hi

I have tried importing csv files having tag info but ignition keep showing below error

Tag errors occurred during tag import Error\_Exception("Error importing tags: Unknown CSV Format")

tried uploading the core test file as well but same issue. IS there something changed in newer versions, can inductive please provide the correct csv format and guideline, the link available have been tried as well but no luck

Already tried below link and same error

> **[Exporting and Importing Tags | Ignition User Manual](https://docs.inductiveautomation.com/docs/8.1/platform/tags/exporting-and-importing-tags)**
>
> Ignition can export and import tag configurations to and from the JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) format. You can import XML (Extensible Markup Language) or CSV (Comma Separated Value) file formats as well, but Ignition will convert them to JSON...

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**Author:** ![louagejasper](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/louagejasper/32/86311_2.png) [@louagejasper](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/louagejasper)\
**Post date:** [March 14, 2024, 1:07pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/unable-to-import-tags-csv-file-in-ignition-8-1-38/87327/2 "2024-03-14T13:07:20Z")

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The link you share is for exporting and importing datasets in you application, not for exporting/importing tags.

I think exporting tags as csv is not possible anymore, so I can imagine that importing tags as csv is kind of a depricated feature. I would always try to use json files for export/import.

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**Author:** ![Estera\_Cioroch](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/estera_cioroch/32/59889_2.png) [@Estera\_Cioroch](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Estera_Cioroch)\
**Post date:** [March 14, 2024, 1:33pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/unable-to-import-tags-csv-file-in-ignition-8-1-38/87327/3 "2024-03-14T13:33:07Z")

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@Muhammad_Awais Is this your first time importing a csv file or have you done it before? What is your tag format in the .csv file?

Also, consider checking out the following link and scroll to "Tag File Formats": [Exporting and Importing Tags](https://www.docs.inductiveautomation.com/docs/8.1/platform/tags/exporting-and-importing-tags#:~:text=Ignition%20supports%20importing%20tags%20from,paths%2C%20and%20most%20tag%20properties.)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Muhammad\_Awais](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/22d042/32.png) [@Muhammad\_Awais](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Muhammad_Awais)\
**Post date:** [March 14, 2024, 1:45pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/unable-to-import-tags-csv-file-in-ignition-8-1-38/87327/5 "2024-03-14T13:45:04Z")

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well i mistakenly put a scripting link which now i replaced by the tag import export article. I think import should work as its mentioned in the updated article

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Muhammad\_Awais](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/22d042/32.png) [@Muhammad\_Awais](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Muhammad_Awais)\
**Post date:** [March 14, 2024, 1:46pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/unable-to-import-tags-csv-file-in-ignition-8-1-38/87327/6 "2024-03-14T13:46:05Z")

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this format mentioned in the link doesn't work that is why raising here for inductive experts, even the core test csv provided by inductive doesn't upload. you can check yourself in your ignition environment

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**Author:** ![MMaynard](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/mmaynard/32/3366_2.png) [@MMaynard](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/MMaynard)\
**Post date:** [March 14, 2024, 1:59pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/unable-to-import-tags-csv-file-in-ignition-8-1-38/87327/7 "2024-03-14T13:59:40Z")

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CSV is very limited in what you can setup for import of tags.  
XML is much simpler to use and manage creating tag lists for import outside of ignition.  
Below example contains a UDT instance, a memory tag, and an OPC Tag.

```auto
<Tags MinVersion="8.0.0" locale="en_US">
   <Tag name="Test" type="UdtInstance">
      <Property name="typeId">AlmCond</Property>
      <Tags>
         <Tag name="AlmTag" type="AtomicTag">
            <CompoundProperty name="alarms">
               <PropertySet>
                  <Property name="mode">10</Property>
                  <Property name="name">Alarm</Property>
                  <Property name="activeCondition" bindtype="Expression">(({[.]Condition1}=1)&amp;&amp;({[.]Condition2}=1))</Property>
               </PropertySet>
            </CompoundProperty>
         </Tag>
         <Tag name="Condition1" type="AtomicTag">
            <Property name="value">0</Property>
         </Tag>
         <Tag name="Condition2" type="AtomicTag">
            <Property name="value">1</Property>
         </Tag>
      </Tags>
   </Tag>
   <Tag name="Bool1" type="AtomicTag">
      <Property name="valueSource">memory</Property>
      <Property name="dataType">6</Property>
      <Property name="value">true</Property>
   </Tag>
   <Tag name="TestOPCtag" type="AtomicTag">
      <Property name="valueSource">opc</Property>
      <Property name="opcItemPath">ns=1;s=[PLCName]Array1[0].ArrayNumValue</Property>
      <Property name="dataType">2</Property>
      <Property name="opcServer">Ignition OPC-UA Server</Property>
   </Tag>   
</Tags>

```

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Muhammad\_Awais](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/22d042/32.png) [@Muhammad\_Awais](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Muhammad_Awais)\
**Post date:** [March 14, 2024, 2:16pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/unable-to-import-tags-csv-file-in-ignition-8-1-38/87327/8 "2024-03-14T14:16:09Z")

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i know about xml and json it works flawlessly but i need to configure and add 400,000 tags and have multiple plants,

with csv i can convert to excel, copy from plc tag files and other data files, and convert back to csv and upload

How to do that with xml and json? i am not much experienced on this

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![MMaynard](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/mmaynard/32/3366_2.png) [@MMaynard](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/MMaynard)\
**Post date:** [March 14, 2024, 2:36pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/unable-to-import-tags-csv-file-in-ignition-8-1-38/87327/9 "2024-03-14T14:36:24Z")

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You can code using VBA in excel to write it out to a text file (xml)  
Just a matter of grabbing the cell values and plug them into the xml file.

The below VBA code is an example you could modify.

```auto
Private Sub CommandButton1_Click()
Dim fso As Object
Set fso = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
Dim oFile As Object
Dim Rng As Range, cel As Range, sht As Sheet1
Set oFile = fso.CreateTextFile("c:\data\XMLImport.xml")
oFile.writeline "<Tags>"
Set Rng = Sheets("Sheet1").Range("A2:A1000")
For Each cel In Rng
    oFile.writeline Chr(9) + "<tag name=""" & cel.Value & """ path="""" type=""OPC"">"
    oFile.writeline Chr(9) + Chr(9) + "<Property name=""Value""></Property>"
    oFile.writeline Chr(9) + Chr(9) + "<Property name=""DataType"">" & cel.Offset(0, 6).Value & "</Property>"
    oFile.writeline Chr(9) + Chr(9) + "<Property name=""OPCServer"">" & cel.Offset(0, 16).Value & "</Property>"
    oFile.writeline Chr(9) + Chr(9) + "<Property name=""OPCItemPath"">ns=1;s=" & cel.Offset(0, 1).Value & "." & cel.Offset(0, 3).Value & "</Property>"
    oFile.writeline Chr(9) + Chr(9) + "<Property name=""ScanClass"">Default</Property>"
    oFile.writeline Chr(9) + "</tag>"
Next cel
oFile.writeline "</Tags>"
oFile.Close
End Sub

```

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Dustin\_VanKeuren](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b782af/32.png) [@Dustin\_VanKeuren](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Dustin_VanKeuren)\
**Post date:** [October 22, 2024, 1:01pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/unable-to-import-tags-csv-file-in-ignition-8-1-38/87327/10 "2024-10-22T13:01:53Z")

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No, csv is by far the easiest way to create and import tags in most systems (just not Ignition). Anything else is a pain unless you are using something to make it easier.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![TonyD\_MM2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@TonyD\_MM2](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/TonyD_MM2)\
**Post date:** [January 13, 2026, 7:57pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/unable-to-import-tags-csv-file-in-ignition-8-1-38/87327/11 "2026-01-13T19:57:46Z")

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so what would a simple csv import file look like in excel??? I did a nice job building my UDT to use the tagname in the opc address to save time, but I’m stuck trying to create the udt tags for about 100 motors: I’m sure it’s a simple thing once I figure out the csv format that ignition is looking for, but this isn’t working:

 ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/original/3X/7/6/7664bca4d28d009713aca52dddb6cbf0dee8ee4a.png)