# Preview and adopt reference or opening-stock imports

Choose the correct importing role, resolve the complete preview and keep provisional stock separate from available pieces.

Source: https://help.smartfact.ai/manuals/remnantrack/imports

Review edition: 25 October 2026

Roles: owner, author, supervisor

Importing is a two-step task: preview the complete file, then deliberately adopt its new rows. Preview changes no stock. Material definitions and aliases belong to Author, racks and bins to Owner, and opening pieces to Supervisor. Adoption requires recent second-factor verification, as well as the role for that file kind.

## Choose the correct file and identity

Open Imports and select What the file holds. Read the displayed required and optional columns for that kind. Save the file as UTF-8 CSV and choose its actual separator. The limit is 5 MiB and 10,000 rows. Preserve the exact source text, including meaningful spaces, case and leading zeros. Unsupported spaces in a code can be refused; correct the source identity rather than relying on automatic trimming.

For opening pieces, enter Where these pieces were recorded before. Use the same exact source namespace for subsequent files from that register: its namespace and source key identify the same opening piece. Changing the namespace to make a conflicting row look new can create a competing physical identity.

For racks and bins, review Material families for bins without a material_families cell. These are defaults for rows without that value, not permission to substitute a different family for known stock. Declare the relevant materials first if the family list is empty.

## Read every refusal before adoption

Choose Preview and open the recorded file. Check its kind, source identity, filename, SHA-256, counts and row decisions. Existing matching rows can be recognised rather than repeated; a conflicting definition must be resolved from the source. Material imports do not overwrite a different existing material silently.

If The file cannot be read as it is appears, correct the file and upload it again. A file containing refused rows cannot be adopted. The preview shows every refused row, with only the first ordinary rows when the file is large, so read its counts as well as the visible rows. Do not infer a complete-file review from the first screenful.

## Adopt the checked complete proposal

The eligible person chooses Adopt the stated number of new rows only after the preview is right. The server compares the whole current proposal with the retained preview and applies all its new rows together, or none if the basis changed. A preview lasts 24 hours; a changed or expired preview needs a fresh preview and review. Another import of the same kind can also supersede it.

Inspect Recent files and the resulting records after adoption. If the answer was lost, establish whether that recorded file is already adopted before preparing more work. Do not use a new namespace or modified identity merely to get another adoption answer.

Materials and aliases remain Waiting for release on Materials until a Reviewer completes their separate release. Opening pieces become provisional records. A person must find each actual object, check its material, measure it and label it through Register, selecting the imported opening piece. Only the subsequent normal put-away process makes a kept piece available.

Continue with [Materials](/manuals/remnantrack/materials), [Register and put away](/manuals/remnantrack/register-and-put-away) and [Site and stations](/manuals/remnantrack/site-and-stations). Importing a file establishes recorded preparation, not a witnessed stock count or physical qualification.