Import your records
Bring your existing catalog in, keep your object numbers.
Most collections already live in a spreadsheet or an older catalog. If you can save it as a CSV file, you can bring it in an afternoon, check how each column maps, and decide for yourself what is ever shown publicly.
The move, in one afternoon
- Export your catalog from your current system, or save your Excel workbook, as a CSV file.
- In MuseumBuild, open Import and choose the file. Common column names (object ID, object name, description, category, date, value) are recognized automatically. Contacts import the same way.
- Review the mapping, then click Import. Your object numbers come with you, unchanged.
- Everything arrives private. Publish what you choose, when you choose.
Questions about the move
What file types can we bring in?
Catalog records come in as a CSV file; an Excel workbook can be saved as CSV first. Contacts come in as a CSV too. Photos are uploaded as image files (JPEG or PNG) and attached to their objects.
What happens to our object numbers?
They come with you unchanged. Map your object ID column to the object number during import and each object keeps it. Objects you accession in MuseumBuild afterwards get the standard year.accession.item number.
Will imported objects appear on our public page?
No. Every imported object arrives private. You publish what you choose, when you choose, and publishing shares only the name and description you approve.
Can we bring our donors and contacts too?
Yes. The Import screen also takes a CSV of contacts: name, email, phone, address, organization and notes.
Can we try it before we move?
Yes. Start a free 30-day trial yourself, with no credit card and no sales call, and import a sample of your catalog to see how it maps.
Are we locked in?
No. Full-field CSV export is available any time, plus open standards (OAI-PMH, IIIF, Dublin Core API).
New to the registrar side? Read our guides on accepting donations, cataloging and putting a collection online, or see pricing and how your data is kept.