How to import CSV files in Encore.dev

How to Import CSV Files in Encore.dev Using CSVBox

Adding CSV import functionality is a critical feature for many SaaS apps and internal tools—whether you’re onboarding customer data, configuring settings via spreadsheet, or populating databases quickly. If you’re building with Encore.dev, a modern backend framework in Go, this guide walks you through the most efficient way to add CSV support using CSVBox, a plug-and-play uploader that simplifies everything from UI to secure data ingestion.

This step-by-step tutorial is ideal for:

Full-stack developers building on Encore.dev
SaaS teams looking to streamline spreadsheet uploads
Engineers who want secure, validated, and embeddable CSV import

Why Add CSV Upload to Your Encore.dev Backend?

Encore.dev helps teams ship type-safe cloud services (APIs, jobs, storage, infra) in Go—rapidly and with fewer bugs. But it doesn’t include built-in support for:

File uploads
CSV parsing and validation
Interactive column mapping interfaces

That’s where CSVBox becomes invaluable.

CSVBox provides:

A secure, embeddable upload widget
Schema-defined validation and mapping
A hosted flow that submits clean JSON via webhooks

Rather than build custom parsers, forms, or admin tools, you can offload the entire CSV-handling UX to CSVBox while keeping logic cleanly routed to your Encore API.

Use case examples:

Importing new user accounts from a spreadsheet
Uploading product inventory from CSVs
Bulk updating employee records via admin UI

Integration Overview: CSV Upload in 5 Steps

Here’s how you can add CSV import support to any Encore.dev app using CSVBox:

Set up a CSVBox account and define your CSV importer
Embed the CSVBox widget inside your frontend code (React, Vue, etc.)
Create a webhook endpoint in Encore.dev to handle uploaded data
Point your CSVBox webhook to the Encore HTTP route
Store or process CSV rows in your database or backend logic

Let’s break it down.

Step 1: Create a CSV Importer with CSVBox

Start by configuring CSVBox for your specific use case.

Go to csvbox.io and create a free account
From the dashboard:
- Set expected columns (e.g., Name, Email, Role)
- Add data validations (required fields, type checks, regex)
- Customize instructions and mapping UI
Once created, note the:
- Importer ID
- Client Key

These are used when embedding the widget.

Step 2: Embed CSVBox in Your Frontend

CSVBox provides a ready-made, embeddable JavaScript widget.

Here’s a sample integration using plain HTML + JS:

<script src="https://js.csvbox.io/widget.js"></script>
<button id="csv_upload_button">Import CSV</button>

<script>
  document.getElementById('csv_upload_button').addEventListener('click', function () {
    CSVBox.init({
      client_id: 'your-client-id',
      importer_id: 'your-importer-id',
      user_id: 'current-user-id',
      metadata: {
        team_id: 'abc123'
      }
    });
  });
</script>

✔️ This launches a sleek modal with file selector, preview, column mapping, and validation.

🛠️ You can style the button to match your design or use your framework’s component system.

Step 3: Handle CSV Import Webhook in Encore.dev

CSVBox posts imported rows to any webhook you define. In Encore, you can create an HTTP handler using its typed HTTP module.

Here’s a basic implementation:

importhook.go:

package importer

import (
	"context"
	"encore.dev/storage/sqldb"
	"encoding/json"
	"net/http"
)

// Struct for uploaded row
type ImportRow struct {
	Name  string `json:"Name"`
	Email string `json:"Email"`
	Role  string `json:"Role"`
}

// HTTP webhook handler
func ImportWebhook(ctx context.Context, w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
	var payload struct {
		Rows []ImportRow `json:"data"`
	}

	if err := json.NewDecoder(r.Body).Decode(&payload); err != nil {
		http.Error(w, "Invalid JSON", http.StatusBadRequest)
		return
	}

	for _, row := range payload.Rows {
		if err := saveRow(row); err != nil {
			http.Error(w, "Failed to store row", http.StatusInternalServerError)
			return
		}
	}

	w.WriteHeader(http.StatusOK)
}

// Save each row to your DB
func saveRow(row ImportRow) error {
	_, err := sqldb.Exec(
		`INSERT INTO users (name, email, role) VALUES ($1, $2, $3)`,
		row.Name, row.Email, row.Role,
	)
	return err
}

// Register endpoint in Encore
var _ = encore.NewHTTPHandler("/api/import-callback", ImportWebhook, encore.HTTPConfig{
	Method: "POST",
})

This creates a secure POST route you can use as your CSVBox webhook.

Step 4: Link Webhook to CSVBox

In your CSVBox dashboard:

Edit your importer
Go to Settings → Webhooks
Set the “Success Webhook URL” to:

https://<your-enclave-id>.encore.dev/api/import-callback

Now, when a user uploads and submits a CSV, the cleaned data will POST directly to your Encore dev backend.

Step 5: Customize Processing or Storage Logic

Once rows are received from CSVBox, you can:

Validate data server-side (e.g., check email uniqueness)
Insert into related or normalized DB tables
Queue background jobs for downstream tasks
Log each import for audit and observability

Encore makes this seamless using built-in logging:

log.Info("Imported user", "email", row.Email)

You can also hook into background workflows or send notifications based on import content.

CSVBox Payload Format (Reference)

Example webhook payload structure:

{
  "import_id": "abc123",
  "importer_id": "xyz987",
  "user_id": "u001",
  "data": [
    {
      "Name": "Alice",
      "Email": "[email protected]",
      "Role": "Admin"
    },
    {
      "Name": "Bob",
      "Email": "[email protected]",
      "Role": "User"
    }
  ]
}

Fields map directly to your Go struct via json tags. Customize column mapping in the CSVBox dashboard as needed.

Common Issues & Fixes

Having trouble with CSV import in Encore.dev? Here are quick fixes:

Webhook Not Triggering?

Double-check the webhook URL in CSVBox settings
Ensure your Encore endpoint is deployed publicly
Tail logs using Encore’s devtools

JSON Parsing Errors?

Field names are case-sensitive in both JSON and your Go structs
Use struct tags like json:"Email" to map fields

Insert Failures?

Sanitize data before DB writes
Ensure proper constraints and validation
Use SQL transactions for atomic inserts

ENV Separation?

Tip: Create both dev & prod importers in CSVBox with different webhook targets.

Why Use CSVBox with Encore.dev?

CSVBox handles the hard parts of CSV import so you don’t have to:

✅ Interactive column mapping UI
✅ Field-level validation (required, regex, type)
✅ Browser-safe CSV parsing
✅ Real-time error reporting for end users
✅ Automatic webhook submissions
✅ Seamless embedding in any JS frontend

With Encore.dev as your backend and CSVBox on the frontend, you get:

A cleanly typed webhook pipeline for CSV ingest
Async workflows and logging
Minimal boilerplate and fast integration (<15 min setup)

Next Steps

Now that you’re successfully importing CSV data into Encore.dev:

Add authentication or tokens to validate webhook payloads
Connect uploads to user sessions or team IDs
Handle large import events via background workflows
Track import statuses per request
Explore additional CSVBox events like “Upload Started” or “File Rejected”

📘 Full CSVBox Docs: https://help.csvbox.io/
🔗 Encore API Reference: https://encore.dev/docs/reference

Importing data doesn’t have to be a pain.

By combining Encore.dev’s developer-friendly infrastructure with CSVBox’s battle-tested import plugin, you deliver a professional CSV onboarding experience with minimal code and maximum reliability.

Happy shipping! ✅

Related keywords: csv import in Go, encore.dev webhook, spreadsheet upload for SaaS, csv file upload for backend developers, best csv parser tools, csvbox integration, importing data securely in Go apps, bulk inserts from CSV, encore csv tutorial

Canonical URL: https://help.csvbox.io/getting-started/2.-install-code

How to import CSV files in Encore.dev