When importing articles in bulk, should you use a compressed package or a table, and what scenarios are suitable for each format?

Select whether to import articles as a compressed package or a table, depending on whether the content includes files. Content with images, attachments, and template resources is more suitable for ZIP compressed packages, as it can put the main text and accompanying files in at once; for field-organized and numerous tabular content, an Excel table is more convenient, as column headings, tags, and publishing time can be filled directly. AnQiCMS's batch import document supports both ZIP compressed packages and Excel tables for importing, and there is also an import interface for programmatic integration.

ZIP is suitable for content with attachments.

The value of a compressed package lies in the fact that 'a document and its files are a whole.' Articles exported from the old site usually come with several images and download attachments, and it is easy to miss some manual image replacement, which can also lead to links pointing to non-existent files. When using ZIP, organize the documents into a directory per document, with the main text and resources having the same name, and the attachment relationship remains intact after import. Suitable scenarios include: whole site migration, technical documents with product manuals or drawings, and reports containing download materials.

Pay attention to the size of the compressed package. When there are many attachments, it is easy to encounter restrictions in a single upload. A more stable approach is to divide the columns into volumes, controlling each volume to be within the size that can be re-uploaded. If it fails, only that volume needs to be re-uploaded instead of starting over from scratch.

Excel is suitable for batch processing of structured fields.

The table format is suitable for batch content with many fields and short text, such as Q&A entries, glossaries, and lists of stores and contact information. Its advantage is that it can perform validation and deduplication in the table first, and see empty titles, duplicate rows, and inconsistent date formats before import. Suitable scenarios include: initializing structured entries, batch field supplementation, and lists that need to be maintained in collaboration with operation colleagues.

Common failure points are concentrated in coding and dates: date columns are stored as text, different encoding causes Chinese garbled text, and extra spaces in the title cause duplicate checking and error judgment. It is much more efficient to unify the format of these columns before import than to fix them one by one later.

Before importing, check for duplicates by title

Both formats require a preliminary check: whether this batch of content has duplicate names with existing documents within the site. The cost of repeated import is not just a few more drafts, but also two formal contents of the same topic, which disperses the weight and makes it difficult to know which one to update later. The AnQiCMS document content import interface /api/import/archive supports querying whether it already exists by title, and by checking first and writing later, you can prevent duplicates from entering the door; when programming the connection, write the fixed order of 「check title — create only if not existing — skip or update if existing」instead of submitting all at once, which is easier to control.

Recovery path for failed import

When importing fails, first determine the scope of impact. If only duplicate documents are added, you can go to the recycle bin: deleting formal documents is moving them to the recycle bin rather than physical deletion, which can be recovered, which also means you don't have to worry about deleting the wrong content when cleaning duplicates.If importing modifies existing content, such as batch overwriting fields, it should use backup and recovery rollback - AnQiCMS's backup covers data and includes static files, which can return the entire state to the state before import.The premise is that the backup already exists before the import, so it is customary to fix the sequence of 'backup first, then batch write' as a process, rather than looking for a backup after the event occurs.

Usage of interface batch import

Large-scale imports that need to be repeated are more suitable for using the interface: first check if the title exists, then submit the archived content, to avoid repeated judgment by manual. The interface method can also be connected to the source system to continuously import new entries every day,配合定时发布控制上线节奏. It is noted that the execution frequency and batch size should be considered, large-scale tasks should be scheduled during business off-peak hours, leaving time for observation, and it is easy to locate which batch caused the problem when a problem occurs.

Common questions

Can two methods be mixed?Can be. Common practice is to use ZIP to migrate the main text and attachments, and then use a table to batch fill in fields such as classification, tags, and so on. The two formats solve different problems.

Why can't the picture be displayed after import?It is mostly because the resource files did not enter with the main text, or the directory hierarchy changed, causing the path to not match. Redoing the structure of the compressed package is faster than rebuilding the picture relationships.

How many entries can the table export at one time?Export in batches, rather than compressing all entries into a single submission. Batch processing is convenient for verification and also convenient for locating errors when they occur.