How to import CSV files in RedwoodJS

How to Import CSV Files in RedwoodJS (Using CSVBox)

Need to enable CSV upload or spreadsheet imports in your RedwoodJS app? As of 2026, teams building SaaS apps and internal tools still rely on a small set of specialized tools to handle CSV parsing, header mapping, and validation. RedwoodJS gives you the full-stack framework (React, GraphQL, Prisma) but not a built-in CSV import UX — which is why embedding a focused uploader like CSVBox is a practical, production-ready choice.

This guide walks developers through integrating CSVBox into a RedwoodJS project so you can securely accept spreadsheet uploads, validate and map columns, and persist records via Prisma.

Who this guide is for

Developers building internal tools or SaaS apps with RedwoodJS
Engineers who must accept spreadsheet uploads from non-technical users
Teams that need a robust CSV import UX with server-side validation and retries

If you’ve asked “How do I upload a CSV file in a RedwoodJS app?” or “How can users map spreadsheet columns to my data model?” this walkthrough shows a pragmatic pattern: file → map → validate → submit.

Why use an external CSV import tool with RedwoodJS

RedwoodJS provides great developer ergonomics (Prisma, codegen, file-based routing), but CSV import workflows introduce their own concerns:

Validating file contents and schema before persisting
Letting end users map headers to your fields
Processing large or async imports reliably (retries, webhooks)
Providing a friendly import experience (preview, progress, error UI)

CSVBox (see CSVBox docs and help.csvbox.io) handles the CSV UX (drag-and-drop, header mapping, validation) and provides webhook- or client-based delivery of cleaned records, so your Redwood backend focuses on business logic and persistence.

High-level RedwoodJS + CSVBox flow

Create an import form in CSVBox that defines fields and validation rules
Embed the CSVBox uploader widget in your Redwood web frontend
Receive parsed + validated records via a webhook (recommended) or client callback
Persist records in the API (Prisma) and surface job status to users

✅ Prerequisites

A working RedwoodJS project (web + api)
A CSVBox account and an import form created in the CSVBox dashboard
Prisma models (for example, a User model) ready to receive imported records
Your CSVBox Client Key and the Form ID for the import form

🛠 Step-by-step integration (developer-focused)

1) Create the CSVBox import form

In CSVBox:

Create a new Import Form and define expected fields (e.g., name, email, age)
Configure validation rules (required, email format, numeric ranges)
Add your webhook URL (recommended) where CSVBox should POST parsed records
Save the Client Key and Form ID; you’ll use them in your frontend integration

Tip: Keep your Client Key safe; treat server-side delivery (webhook) as the source of truth for processing.

2) Load the CSVBox frontend SDK

Load the CSVBox script once so the widget is available on pages that need it. Add the script to your main layout (for example, web/src/layouts/MainLayout/MainLayout.tsx) in the head:

<head>
  <script src="https://js.csvbox.io" async defer></script>
</head>

Loading the SDK globally avoids repeated loads and ensures window.CSVBox is available when pages mount.

3) Add an upload page in Redwood

Generate a page and add a simple integration that launches the CSVBox import wizard. Example:

yarn rw generate page CsvImport

Then edit web/src/pages/CsvImportPage/CsvImportPage.tsx

import { useEffect } from 'react'

const CsvImportPage = () => {
  useEffect(() => {
    if (window.CSVBox) {
      const inbox = new window.CSVBox('YOUR_CLIENT_KEY')

      inbox.launch({
        formId: 'YOUR_FORM_ID',
        user: {
          userId: 'user-abc',
          userName: 'Jane Developer',
          userEmail: 'jane@example.com',
        },
        onData: (data) => {
          console.log('Import completed:', data)
          // Optional: send data via GraphQL mutation
        },
      })
    }
  }, [])

  return (
    <div>
      <h2>Import Spreadsheet Data</h2>
      <button onClick={() => window?.CSVBox?.open()}>Launch Import Wizard</button>
    </div>
  )
}

export default CsvImportPage

Notes:

Use the Client Key and Form ID from your CSVBox dashboard.
onData() is convenient for client-side flows (small imports or trusted users); prefer a webhook for server-side validation, retries, and secure persistence.
If you use TypeScript, you may need to cast window as any or add a global declaration for CSVBox to avoid type errors.

4) Recommended: Receive parsed records via a webhook function

For production flows, have CSVBox POST parsed + validated records to a Redwood function. Generate a function:

yarn rw generate function csvImportHandler

Example handler (api/src/functions/csvImportHandler/csvImportHandler.ts):

import { db } from 'src/lib/db'

export const handler = async (event) => {
  if (event.httpMethod !== 'POST') {
    return { statusCode: 405, body: 'Method Not Allowed' }
  }

  const { data: records } = JSON.parse(event.body || '{}')

  try {
    for (const record of records) {
      await db.user.create({
        data: {
          name: record.name,
          email: record.email,
          age: Number(record.age),
        },
      })
    }

    return { statusCode: 200, body: 'Import successful' }
  } catch (error) {
    return { statusCode: 500, body: `Error: ${error.message}` }
  }
}

Set your CSVBox form’s webhook to:

https://your-app.com/.redwood/functions/csvImportHandler

(Deploy and test the function endpoint with a sample POST before connecting the live form.)

Why webhooks:

Server-side processing avoids trusting client data
Webhooks enable retries and asynchronous handling for large imports
You can implement idempotency, logging, and job status tracking in the API

✅ Alternative: Handle parsed records client-side via GraphQL

If your use case fits in-browser processing (small data sets, trusted users), call your GraphQL mutation from onData():

onData: async (data) => {
  await createUsers({ variables: { input: data } })
}

This avoids a webhook but exposes processing to client reliability and security limitations.

🧪 Testing and troubleshooting (quick checklist)

Common issues and checks:

CSVBox widget doesn’t appear
- Verify the SDK script loads (network tab) and that you added it to a layout that renders on the page
onData not firing
- Confirm Client Key and Form ID are correct and the form is in a published state
Webhook POSTs failing
- Check your function logs, confirm the URL is reachable, and inspect payload shape
CORS or hosting errors
- Use your deployed function URL and verify any hosting-specific path mappings; add CORS headers if needed
Schema mismatches or parsing errors
- Use CSVBox’s header-mapping UI and validation rules; add server-side parsing guards (e.g., Number() conversions, fallback values)

Use CSVBox’s test tools in the dashboard (see help.csvbox.io/testing-forms) to validate form configuration before sending real data.

🔍 What CSVBox handles for you (benefits in 2026)

Drag-and-drop upload UX with progress and previews
Header mapping so end users map spreadsheet columns to your data shape
Built-in validation and parsing to reduce malformed records reaching your API
Async webhook delivery with retry semantics and dashboard monitoring

This lets your Redwood API focus on business rules, idempotency, and persistence (Prisma), rather than CSV parsing and UI.

🚀 Next steps and enhancements

Once basic import is working, consider:

Restricting import access (role-based checks) before launching the import UI
Persisting import job metadata and per-user import history
Adding idempotency keys or dedupe logic for repeated uploads
Centralizing validation rules: keep critical checks in the API even if CSVBox enforces client-side validation

These patterns improve reliability and auditability for production imports.

CSVBox Docs - Getting Started: https://help.csvbox.io/getting-started/2.-install-code
CSVBox API Reference: https://help.csvbox.io/reference
RedwoodJS Functions & Serverless docs: https://redwoodjs.com/docs/serverless-functions

✅ Keywords and topics covered

how to upload CSV files in 2026
CSV import validation
map spreadsheet columns
handle import errors
CSV import in RedwoodJS apps
RedwoodJS file upload with serverless functions

By embedding a focused CSV import flow (file → map → validate → submit), you provide users a comfortable, resilient way to upload spreadsheet data into your RedwoodJS app. Happy importing!

How to import CSV files in RedwoodJS