> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.astrobee.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# File Uploads

> Upload CSV and Excel files to AstroBee

Upload spreadsheets directly to AstroBee for quick data exploration without configuring external connections.

## Supported Formats

| Format | Extensions  | Max Size |
| ------ | ----------- | -------- |
| CSV    | .csv        | 300 MB   |
| Excel  | .xlsx, .xls | 300 MB   |

## Uploading Files

1. Navigate to **Data Sources** in the sidebar
2. Click **Add New**
3. Drag and drop files into the upload zone, or click to browse

<Frame caption="File upload area">
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/astrobee-f4b330e6/ppM7q3dJGmeBWRIe/screenshots/03-add-data-source-options.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=ppM7q3dJGmeBWRIe&q=85&s=e386783859742f4b3e4daa6fef99f961" alt="Upload files" width="2850" height="1608" data-path="screenshots/03-add-data-source-options.png" />
</Frame>

### Multiple Files

Upload multiple files at once to create a data source with multiple tables. Each file becomes a separate table.

### Excel Workbooks

For Excel files with multiple sheets, each sheet becomes a separate table within the data source.

## After Upload

Once uploaded, AstroBee:

1. **Parses the file** — Reads rows and columns
2. **Detects types** — Identifies strings, numbers, dates, etc.
3. **Analyzes patterns** — Discovers ID formats, email patterns, etc.
4. **Finds linkages** — Identifies potential relationships between tables

## Data Type Detection

AstroBee automatically detects column types:

| Detected Type | Examples                          |
| ------------- | --------------------------------- |
| String        | "John Smith", "Active", "SKU-123" |
| Integer       | 42, 100, -5                       |
| Float         | 19.99, 3.14159                    |
| Date          | 2024-01-15, 01/15/2024            |
| Datetime      | 2024-01-15 14:30:00               |
| Boolean       | true, false, yes, no              |

<Tip>
  If types are detected incorrectly, ensure your source data is consistently formatted. For example, don't mix "N/A" text in a numeric column.
</Tip>

## Best Practices

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Use headers">
    Include column headers in the first row. AstroBee uses these as field names.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Consistent formatting">
    Keep data types consistent within columns. Don't mix numbers and text.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Meaningful names">
    Use descriptive column names like "customer\_id" instead of "id1".
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Clean data">
    Remove empty rows and columns before uploading.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="UTF-8 encoding">
    Save CSV files with UTF-8 encoding for special characters.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Updating Data

File uploads are one-time imports. To update the data:

1. Prepare your updated file
2. Upload it with the same name
3. The existing data is replaced

<Note>
  For data that changes frequently, consider using an external connector with automatic sync instead.
</Note>

## Limitations

* Maximum file size: 300 MB
* Maximum rows: No hard limit, but very large files may take longer to process
* Password-protected Excel files are not supported

## Next Steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Preview Your Data" icon="eye" href="/features/data-hub">
    Explore uploaded tables in the Data Hub
  </Card>

  <Card title="Build a Data Layer" icon="sitemap" href="/features/data-layer">
    Create entities from your uploaded data
  </Card>
</CardGroup>