Kumu
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  • About Kumu
    • What is Kumu?
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  • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Does Kumu have a public API?
    • Does Kumu make use of AI?
    • How do I add annotations?
    • How do I add anchors to my map description?
    • How do I add arrows to my connections?
    • How do I add documents to profiles?
    • How do I add more than one element with the same label?
    • How do I add text dropdowns to my map overview?
    • How do I adjust arrow size?
    • How do I avoid duplicating data?
    • How do I change connection curvature?
    • How do I change font color?
    • How do I change font size?
    • How do I change the default for currency fields?
    • How do I change the length or strength of connections?
    • How do I change the order of control options?
    • How do I change the position of my element labels?
    • How do I cite Kumu?
    • How do I collapse duplicate connections?
    • How do I copy a map to another project?
    • How do I control label size while scaling element size?
    • How do I control text wrapping?
    • How do I convert a project from private to public?
    • How do I convert a project from public to private?
    • How do I create dynamic on/off toggles for my map?
    • How do I customize link text in popovers?
    • How do I customize the order of my legend?
    • How do I delete a project, map, or view?
    • How do I delete data from my project?
    • How do I downgrade my subscription?
    • How do I edit virtual elements?
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    • How do I hide elements without connections?
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    • How do I hide labels on my map?
    • How do I hide the settings button?
    • How do I keep elements from moving?
    • How do I list an element's connections in its profile?
    • How do I make elements transparent?
    • How do I make sense of my receipt?
    • How do I open a sub-system when clicking on an element?
    • How do I remove the Opposite entry from my legend?
    • How do I remove unneeded controls?
    • How do I remove unwanted legend entries?
    • How do I rename my map/view?
    • How do I restructure my adjacency matrix?
    • How do I save my changes in Kumu?
    • How do I select options by default in my control?
    • How do I set a minimum or maximum zoom level for my map?
    • How do I show the Settings button?
    • How do I size elements based on number of connections?
    • How do I transfer a project?
    • How do I update my credit card information?
    • How much data can my Kumu project handle?
    • How do my readers switch between maps and views?
    • My data won't import. What can I do?
    • My Kumu embed is not working. What can I do?
    • My map disappeared. How do I bring it back?
    • My PDF won't export. What can I do?
    • What pricing plans does Kumu have?
    • Where can I find my invoices?
    • Where can I find example Kumu projects?
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On this page
  • Three options for importing data
  • Excel /CSV
  • Google Sheets
  • JSON / Blueprints

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  1. Guides

Import

PreviousGrids & GuidesNextStructure your data for Kumu

Last updated 1 month ago

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Kumu's import feature makes it possible to map your existing data, without recreating every bit of it by hand.

Before you import your data, make sure to .

Three options for importing data

Kumu offers three ways to import data. Read about them below!

Excel /CSV

An Excel sheet or a Comma Separated Value (CSV) file is one of the most common ways to hold and edit data.

Pros

  • Great for bulk-editing data by dragging cells and using formulas in your Excel sheet

Cons

  • Not great for cases where data requires frequent updating: each edit to your Excel sheet requires a re-import into Kumu

Google Sheets

Google Sheets provides online spreadsheets that can be edited by multiple people at the same time.

Pros

  • Updates data in your Kumu map after each page refresh

  • Great for crowdsourcing: allow people to add/edit their data without giving direct access to the Kumu map

  • Allows for real-time collaboration: multiple people can work on the sheet at the same time

  • Allows for versioning and activity-tracking: you can always see who made changes and/or restore to an earlier version of your data

Cons

  • Data in Kumu is read-only. Any changes to underlying data must be made in the Google Sheet.

JSON / Blueprints

You can create our JSON imports—we call them blueprints—in any language from any dataset. Kumu can interpret JSON files and JSON remote links. A JSON file simply holds data structures and objects, while a JSON link is commonly used for transmitting data between web applications (e.g., sending some data from an external server to Kumu, so it can be displayed on your map).

Pros

  • A remote JSON link is the closest thing Kumu has to a public API

  • JSON files are great to use as downloadable backups of your project

Cons

  • Not easy for bulk-editing data

  • Requires knowledge of JSON-structured data or a willingness to learn

Most platforms allow you to export data into an .xlsx or a .csv file. You'll then be able to easily and import it into your project

Re-imports into Kumu increase the chances of duplicating data. Read how to prevent this in

As soon as you make changes to your data directly in Kumu, your Excel sheet will be outdated. (Luckily, you can always into an Excel sheet to get the most updated version again)

Some Kumu features (such as , , and ) don’t work for maps connected to a Google Sheet

Want to dive right in? .

Need some inspiration?

Want to add your Kumu project to Projects in the Wild?

structure it for Kumu
this guide
export your Kumu map
Visit our guide to import data with Excel/CSV here
pinning elements in place
popovers
direct decorations
Visit our guide to import data with Google Sheets here
Visit our guide to import data with JSON here
Find some example data sets here
Find some Kumu Projects in the Wild here.
Submit it here.
structure it for Kumu to understand
Full video on importing data