How to Load listings into your directory (CSV, Listing Generator, or Demo Mode)

This guide shows three simple ways to load a small number of listings into your directory so you can preview how listings look and behave before adding your full dataset.

Option 1 — Import a CSV

1. Go to Listings → Import CSV.
2. Click Upload CSV file and choose a CSV file containing your listings. Use a small file with a few sample rows if you only want to test.
3. On the next screen, Map your columns to listing fields. Match your CSV headers to the platform fields (for example: title/name, category, address, phone, description, image URL).
4. When mapping is complete, click Run Import.
5. After the import finishes, open Listings to review the newly imported items.

CSV tips

• Include a header row so the mapping screen can detect column names.
• Keep the file small for testing (just a few rows).
• Use simple text fields for testing; if you include image URLs, make sure they are publicly accessible.
• Use UTF-8 encoding and commas as delimiters unless your CSV is exported with a different delimiter; adjust accordingly before upload.
• If your CSV has duplicate rows, remove or deduplicate them before importing.

Troubleshooting CSV imports

• If mapping fails or fields look empty, verify your CSV header names and encoding.
• If images did not import, confirm the image URLs work in a browser and that they point to direct image files.
• If the import stops with an error, retry with a single-row CSV to isolate which row or column causes the issue.

Option 2 — Use Listing Generator

1. Go to Listings → Listing Generator.
2. Enter a niche and a location (for example, a business category and the area you want listings for).
3. Adjust any available filters to narrow results. Review the estimated API cost shown on the screen before running.
4. Click Run to generate listings automatically.
5. Open Listings to review and edit the generated items.

Listing Generator tips

• Run the generator with narrow criteria if you only want a few test listings.
• Review generated data carefully — these listings are meant as examples and may require editing before publishing.
• If generated listings include unwanted fields or categories, adjust filters and run again.

Troubleshooting Listing Generator

• If no listings are generated, try broader search criteria or a nearby location.
• If you receive an error about costs or API limits, check the estimated API cost on the generator screen and adjust the scope before running.

Option 3 — Seed demo data

1. Go to Settings → Demo Mode.
2. Choose Seed to populate your directory with demo businesses for previewing the site.
3. After seeding completes, open Listings to review and delete any demo items you do not want to keep.

Demo Mode tips

• Use demo data only for testing and layout checks. Remove demo listings before going live with real data.
• The seeded data is intended to be easy to delete; use bulk actions on the Listings page to remove many items at once.

Common next steps

• After adding listings, review them on the Listings page and edit any fields that need correction.
• If you need to load a full dataset later, prepare a complete CSV and use the Import CSV workflow with careful column mapping and validation.
• If you want help with a specific method, pick one (CSV import, Listing Generator, or Demo Mode) and follow the steps above; you can also request guided assistance for the chosen option.

When to contact support

• If imports consistently fail even with a simple test CSV.
• If the Listing Generator returns no results or shows unexpected errors after trying broader criteria.
• If seeded demo data will not delete, or you encounter permission errors on the Listings page.

If you want step-by-step help with one of these methods, choose which option you'd like to try and the support team can walk you through it.