Smart FAQs accepts CSV (Comma-Separated Values) files for bulk importing FAQs. Your spreadsheet should be saved as a .csv file with properly formatted columns.
Quick Start:
Required columns: Question (or Questions) and Answer (or Answers)
File format: CSV (Comma-Separated Values)
Maximum file size: 50MB
Maximum rows: 1,000 FAQs per import
Step 1: Required Columns
Your CSV file must include these columns:
Question Column
Column name: Question or Questions (case-insensitive)
Purpose: The FAQ question that users will see
Limits: Maximum 500 characters
Example: How do I reset my password?
Answer Column
Column name: Answer or Answers (case-insensitive)
Purpose: The FAQ answer content
Limits: Maximum 10,000 characters
Supports: Multi-line text (use quotes in CSV)
Example: Click on 'Forgot Password' on the login page...
Step 2: Optional Columns
Visible Column
Column name: Visible, Visibility, or Show (case-insensitive)
Purpose: Control whether the FAQ is visible to users
Accepted values:
Yes, True, 1, Y → FAQ will be visible (published)
No, False, 0, N, or empty → FAQ will be hidden (not visible)
Default: If not specified, FAQs are published and visible
Tags Column (Comma-Separated)
Column name: Tags, Tag, Categories, or Category (case-insensitive)
Purpose: Assign multiple tags to an FAQ
Format: Comma-separated list of tag names
Example: "Support,Billing,Account"
Limits: Maximum 10 tags per FAQ
Individual Tag Columns
Column name: Any name (e.g., Support, Billing, Technical)
Purpose: Assign specific tags using Yes/No values
Format: Yes or No (case-insensitive)
Example: If you have a column named Support with value Yes, that FAQ will be tagged with "Support"
Step 3: File Requirements
File Format
File type: CSV (.csv extension)
Encoding: UTF-8 (recommended)
Delimiter: Comma (,)
File Size Limits
Maximum file size: 50MB
Maximum rows: 1,000 FAQs per import
Tip: Split larger files into multiple imports if needed
Special Characters
Multi-line text: Use double quotes (") to wrap fields containing line breaks
Quotes in text: Use double quotes ("") to escape quotes within text
Commas in text: Must be inside quoted fields
Step 4: CSV Format Examples
Basic Example (Minimal)
Question,Answer
"How do I reset my password?","Click on 'Forgot Password' on the login page and follow the instructions sent to your email."
"What are your business hours?","We're open Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 6 PM EST."
"How do I cancel my subscription?","You can cancel your subscription anytime from your account settings under the Billing section."
With Tags (Comma-Separated)
Question,Answer,Tags
"How do I reset my password?","Click on 'Forgot Password'...","login,password"
"What are your business hours?","We're open Monday to Friday...","hours,contact"
"How do I cancel my subscription?","You can cancel...","subscription,billing"
With Individual Tag Columns
Question,Answer,Support,Billing,Technical,Account
"How do I reset my password?","Click on 'Forgot Password'...",No,No,Yes,Yes
"What are your business hours?","We're open Monday to Friday...",Yes,No,No,No
"How do I cancel my subscription?","You can cancel...",No,Yes,No,Yes
With Visibility Control
Question,Answer,Visible,Tags
"How do I reset my password?","Click on 'Forgot Password'...",Yes,"login,password"
"What are your business hours?","We're open Monday to Friday...",Yes,"hours,contact"
"Upcoming feature preview","This feature will be available soon...",No,"announcements"
Complete Example (All Features)
Question,Answer,Visible,Support,Billing,Technical,Tags
"How do I reset my password?","Click on 'Forgot Password' on the login page and follow the instructions sent to your email.",Yes,No,No,Yes,"login,security"
"What are your business hours?","We're open Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 6 PM EST. Weekend support is available via email.",Yes,Yes,No,No,"hours,contact"
"How do I cancel my subscription?","You can cancel your subscription anytime from your account settings under the Billing section.",Yes,No,Yes,No,"subscription,billing"
"Do you offer refunds?","Yes, we offer a 30-day money-back guarantee for all new subscriptions.",Yes,No,Yes,No,"policy,refunds"
"Upcoming feature preview","This feature will be available in the next update.",No,No,No,No,"announcements"
Multi-Line Answers
Question,Answer
"What is your return policy?","Our return policy includes:
1. 30-day money-back guarantee
2. Items must be in original condition
3. Return shipping is free
Contact support@example.com for assistance."
Step 5: Working with Tags
Method 1: Comma-Separated Tags Column
Use a single Tags column with comma-separated tag names.
Method 2: Individual Tag Columns
Use separate columns for each tag with Yes/No values.
Column names become the tag names.
You can also combine both methods.
Step 6: Setting Visibility
Control whether FAQs are visible to users using the Visible column.
Visible Values:
Yes, True, 1, Y → Visible
No, False, 0, N, or empty → Hidden
Not specified → Visible
Step 7: Common Formatting Issues
Issue 1: Missing Required Columns
Solution: Ensure your CSV has Question and Answer columns spelled correctly.
Issue 2: Multi-Line Text Not Working
Solution: Wrap fields containing line breaks in quotes.
Issue 3: Commas in Text
Solution: Wrap fields containing commas in quotes.
Issue 4: Quotes in Text
Solution: Escape quotes by doubling them ("").
Issue 5: Empty Rows
Solution: Remove completely empty rows.
Issue 6: Special Characters
Solution: Save your CSV with UTF-8 encoding.
Issue 7: File Too Large
Solution: Split your file into multiple imports.
Step 8: Step-by-Step Import Process
Prepare your spreadsheet
Include Question and Answer columns
Add Tags and Visible if needed
Save as CSV
Excel: Save As → CSV UTF-8
Google Sheets: Download as CSV
Upload to Smart FAQs
Go to Dashboard → FAQs → Bulk Import
Upload and map columns
Choose Append or Replace
Verify Import
Check for success message
Review imported FAQs
Step 9: Troubleshooting
If import fails, check for missing columns, invalid visibility values, or malformed CSV.
Best Practices
Start with a template from the import page
Test with a small sample before importing a full file
Keep data clean and simple
Backup before replacing FAQs
Always save CSV as UTF-8
Quick Reference
Required: Question, Answer
Optional: Visible, Tags, custom columns
File limits: 50MB, 1,000 rows
Accepted values: Yes/No, True/False, 1/0, Y/N
Need Help?
If you encounter issues, check error messages, test with a small file, and contact Smart FAQs support.