Import from Excel or CSVCopy link
One file can carry orders with time windows and loads, depots, and the fleet. Re-import an updated file when the data changes.
File formats and sheetsCopy link
Routing24 reads XLSX, XLS, and CSV files. An Excel workbook can contain up to four data sheets, each optional:
| Sheet | Contains |
|---|---|
| Orders | One row per stop: ID, address, and any per-stop details |
| Depots | Start and reload locations |
| Vehicles | Vehicle types: capacity, shifts, costs |
| Addresses | Standalone address book entries |
Sheets you leave out are skipped. Column headers are matched by name, in any order, and most columns have accepted aliases: the full list is in the spreadsheet column reference.
Files that do not follow the template still import, with fewer columns recognized. A CSV, or a workbook whose sheets do not use the names above, falls back to a simple import: Routing24 looks for an ID and an address column in the first sheet, creates one order per row, and auto-creates a default vehicle. Other columns (time windows, loads) are ignored on that path, so use the Orders sheet name when you need per-stop details.
Press Download template (on the Home page, or in any list page's More menu) to get a workbook with the right headers, example rows, and a Documentation sheet explaining every column.
Ways to importCopy link
- Home page: press Import Excel file to start a plan from a file.
- Any list page (Orders, Depots, Fleet, Address Book): open the More menu and choose Import from Excel. This imports into the current plan, merging with what is already there.
- More > Import from another plan copies orders, depots, or vehicles straight from one of your saved plans, no file needed. Typical use: reusing a fleet across daily plans.
The review dialogCopy link
Every import ends on a review before anything is committed. It reports each section, for example "24 orders, imported without errors", "not provided, skipped", and how many addresses were geolocated versus not.
If some rows have problems, an error table lists every one with its #, SHEET, CELL, and ERROR. Each error also states its consequence:
- Sheet will be skipped: the sheet is unusable (for example, a required column is missing). Nothing from it imports.
- Row will be skipped: this row is invalid and will not import; the rest of the sheet still does.
- The mildest kind: the row imports, but its address has no location yet. Fix it later in the Address Book, see Fix unrecognized or mislocated addresses.
Copy errors to clipboard exports the table.
Then choose:
- Continue accepts the import. When there are errors alongside valid data, the button reads Save valid instead: the good rows import, the bad ones are dropped.
- Optimize accepts and jumps straight to optimization. It stays disabled while any errors exist.
- Cancel discards the whole import, leaving the plan untouched.
Export and round-tripCopy link
The same More menu also goes the other way:
- Export to Excel downloads the current list (just that sheet) as an .xlsx file.
- Download template downloads a blank, correctly-headed sheet for that entity.
An exported file re-imports cleanly: export, edit in Excel, then re-import to make bulk changes. The full solution export with routes and ETAs is separate: see Export routes to Excel.
Next stepCopy link
The spreadsheet column reference documents every recognized column with aliases and examples.