Map old fields to Mapstore CSV columns
What this article helps you do
Translate column names from your previous store locator or spreadsheet into the columns Mapstore expects. Mapstore uses column aliases so many common names work without renaming.
Before you start
- You have an exported CSV or spreadsheet from another app
- You can edit the header row (column names) in a spreadsheet app or text editor
- You know which columns contain store name, address, and any extra fields
Step-by-step instructions
1. Required columns
Mapstore requires two columns for every valid row: name and address. Rows missing either will be skipped. These are not optional.
2. Name column aliases
Mapstore accepts any of these as the store name column:
name,store_name,location_name,title
Use one of these as your header. Column names are case-insensitive.
3. Address column aliases
Mapstore accepts any of these as the address column:
address,full_address,location,addr
Use one of these as your header.
4. Optional column aliases
| Mapstore column | Aliases you can use |
|---|---|
| phone | phone, telephone, tel, phone_number |
email, email_address, contact_email | |
| website | website, url, web, site_url |
| description | description, store description, desc, details, info |
| status | status, active, enabled, visible |
| pinned | pinned, featured |
| lat / lng | lat, latitude, y / lng, longitude, lon, x |
| googlePlaceId | googlePlaceId, google place id, google_place_id, place_id |
| filters | filters, tags, categories, category |
| note | note, notes, internal notes, internal_note, comments |
| image | image, photo, picture, img_url |
| customMarkerImage | customMarkerImage, custom marker image url, marker_image, icon |
| customDirectionsUrl | customDirectionsUrl, custom directions url, directions_url, directions |
| sortOrder | sortOrder, priority, order, position, sort_order, row order, row_order |
Unmapped columns are ignored. Rename headers to one of these values if you want them imported.
5. Keep or rename headers
Either rename your exported headers to match Mapstore, or leave them and use one of the aliases. For example, if your old app exports Store Name and Full Address, rename them to name and address (or store_name and full_address), or ensure the CSV parser can match them (case-insensitive, trimmed).
6. Save and test
Save as CSV and do a test upload in Stores -> Bulk. Check the import summary; if rows are skipped, fix missing name or address values and try again.
How to verify it worked
- Import summary shows no skipped rows (or expected skips explained)
- Stores appear with the correct name, address, phone, etc.
- Extra fields like filters or description show in the store editor
Common issues and fixes
| Issue | Fix |
|---|---|
| ”Missing required column: name” or “address” | Add a column with one of the required aliases and ensure every data row has a value. |
| Column not recognized | Use a header from the alias table above. Unmapped columns are ignored. |
| Extra columns ignored | Rename to a Mapstore column or alias. See Preparing a CSV file for store import. |
| Rows still skipped | Required columns need values in every row. See Understand skipped rows and import warnings. |