How to import CSV files in Wasp

How to Add CSV Import Capability to a Wasp App Using CSVBox

Efficiently importing spreadsheet data is essential for modern web applications, especially for use cases like admin dashboards, bulk uploads, or onboarding data migration. If you’re building with Wasp—a full-stack framework powered by React, Node.js, and Prisma—you might be wondering:

How can I easily add a CSV file upload and import feature to my Wasp application?

This guide walks you through a proven solution: integrating CSVBox, a plug-and-play CSV import widget, into your Wasp app. You’ll learn how to:

Embed a user-friendly CSV uploader in the frontend
Accept and process validated CSV data on the backend
Store structured records in your database with Prisma

Why Use CSV Imports in Wasp Projects?

Wasp abstracts a lot of full-stack complexity, but doesn’t yet ship with native CSV import or file upload components. If you’re building:

Internal tools that work with spreadsheets (e.g., inventory uploads)
Admin dashboards that ingest lists of users, orders, or products
SaaS apps that require onboarding via CSV (e.g., contact lists)

…you likely need a reliable CSV import workflow.

Rather than building everything from scratch—uploads, previews, parsers, validators—consider leveraging CSVBox. It turns hours of boilerplate into a few lines of code.

What Is CSVBox and Why Use It with Wasp?

CSVBox is a ready-made JavaScript CSV importer that helps developers:

Validate spreadsheet schema before upload
Parse files client-side (keeping your backend light)
Display friendly error messages to users
Receive clean JSON via direct callback
Track usage via a built-in dashboard

It integrates easily with React and any backend, making it ideal for Wasp projects.

Step-by-Step: Integrate CSVBox with a Wasp Application

Here’s exactly how to go from zero to working CSV import using CSVBox inside a Wasp project.

In the dashboard, go to “Widgets” → “Create New Widget”
Define expected columns (e.g. Name, Email, Age)
Set validation rules
Copy your generated client_key

🔗 Reference: CSVBox Getting Started Guide

2️⃣ Install CSVBox in Your Wasp Frontend

Wasp uses React on the frontend, making integration with the CSVBox React SDK seamless.

Install the csvbox-react package:

npm install csvbox-react

Create a reusable uploader component:

// src/web/CsvUploader.jsx
import React from 'react';
import { CSVBox } from 'csvbox-react';

const CsvUploader = () => {
  const handleSuccess = (data) => {
    fetch('/api/data-import', {
      method: 'POST',
      headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
      body: JSON.stringify({ records: data })
    })
    .then(res => res.json())
    .then(() => alert('Import successful!'))
    .catch(() => alert('Import failed.'));
  };

  return (
    <div>
      <h2>Upload CSV File</h2>
      <CSVBox
        clientKey="YOUR_CLIENT_KEY"
        onData={handleSuccess}
        user={{ user_id: 'admin_123' }}
        metadata={{ source: 'dashboard' }}
      >
        {({ openWidget }) => (
          <button onClick={openWidget}>Upload CSV</button>
        )}
      </CSVBox>
    </div>
  );
};

export default CsvUploader;

Use this component in your main page (e.g., Dashboard or Settings).

3️⃣ Set Up a Backend API Route in Wasp

Use Wasp’s route and api constructs to handle the parsed CSV data.

First, declare a new route in your Wasp file:

route DataImportRoute {
  path: "/api/data-import",
  method: "POST",
  handler: importData
}

Then implement the route logic:

// src/server/api/importData.js
import { PrismaClient } from '@prisma/client';
const prisma = new PrismaClient();

export const importData = async (req, res, context) => {
  try {
    const { records } = req.body;

    const created = await Promise.all(
      records.map(({ name, email, age }) =>
        prisma.user.create({
          data: {
            name,
            email,
            age: parseInt(age)
          }
        })
      )
    );

    res.status(200).json({ success: true, imported: created.length });
  } catch (err) {
    console.error("CSV Import Error:", err);
    res.status(500).json({ error: "Server error during import" });
  }
};

Make sure your Prisma User model exists and matches the field names you’re importing.

Code Highlights: How the CSV Import Works

<CSVBox clientKey="..." onData={handleSuccess}>
  {({ openWidget }) => <button onClick={openWidget}>Upload CSV</button>}
</CSVBox>

This generates a styled UI modal for drag-and-drop upload and validation. It calls onData() once parsing and validation succeed.

Sending Data to the Backend

fetch('/api/data-import', {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
  body: JSON.stringify({ records: data })
});

Since CSVBox already validated the data, the backend can trust the shape and directly store it.

Creating Records with Prisma

prisma.user.create({
  data: { name, email, age: parseInt(age) }
});

Converting types (e.g., age as integer) ensures compatibility with your database schema.

Common Questions and Troubleshooting Tips

Double check that your clientKey is valid
Ensure you’re using the openWidget handler returned by the CSVBox component
Avoid destructuring incorrectly from the passed function slot

My API handler isn’t receiving data

Add a console.log inside handleSuccess to confirm the shape from CSVBox
Verify your Wasp route is defined with method: POST and correct handler
Ensure your frontend is sending the data as JSON

Prisma throws a validation or constraint error

Confirm all required fields are being passed
Parse strings to expected types (parseInt, Boolean, etc.)
Check for duplicate primary keys or unique constraints

Why CSVBox Is Ideal for Wasp Projects

Integrating file upload and spreadsheet parsing typically requires:

Handling file input fields and browser file access
Validating rows of tabular data on the fly
Producing error messages for the user
Writing backend logic to transform and save records

CSVBox solves all of these for you. Key benefits include:

✅ Drag-and-drop UI with schema validation
✅ Built-in client-side parsing and error feedback
✅ Hooks for direct callback on successful upload
✅ Dashboard for monitoring imports across widgets and users
✅ Easy integration with React and Wasp routes

By offloading complexity to CSVBox, your Wasp app can focus on core value—not infrastructure mechanics.

What You Can Build With This Integration

Once CSV import is supported, you can unlock workflows for:

Bulk user creation via spreadsheet upload
Seeding databases for test environments
Allowing non-technical users to update records
Migrating data between systems (CSV → backend → database)

You can also extend further:

✅ Add XLSX or Google Sheets input with other plugins
✅ Cache failed imports and give users retry options
✅ Log row-level errors back to the database for auditing

CSV-based onboarding is common across B2B SaaS, admin dashboards, ed-tech, and internal tools. Wasp + CSVBox gives you the backbone quickly—with production-grade reliability.

Final Thoughts

Adding CSV import to a Wasp app doesn’t require weeks of custom UI and validation logic. With CSVBox:

You embed a React component with your schema
You receive clean JSON directly into Wasp’s backend
You store records immediately via Prisma

It’s fast, scalable, and battle-tested. Perfect for teams who want to turn spreadsheet uploads into structured, validated, persistent data.

👉 See also: CSVBox Docs for tips on multi-tenant imports, analytics, and advanced config.

Canonical CSVBox Integration Resource: https://help.csvbox.io/getting-started/2.-install-code