Bring your existing spreadsheet into Heirloom

If you've been keeping records in a spreadsheet, a document, or even a notes app, you don't have to start from scratch. Heirloom can import a CSV file and turn each row into a full heirloom record.

Step 1 — Prepare your CSV

Your file needs a header row. The only required column is name — everything else is optional but recommended. Here are the column names Heirloom recognises:

Column names are case-insensitive and spaces are treated as underscores. If Heirloom doesn't recognise a column name, it will be ignored rather than causing an error.

Step 2 — Download the template

If you'd prefer to start from a known-good template, click Import from CSV on the Import page and download the template. It includes all supported columns and a sample row.

Step 3 — Import

Go to Import in the navigation. Click Import from CSV, then choose your file. Heirloom will preview the first several rows so you can confirm the mapping looks correct before committing.

Once imported, each row becomes a draft heirloom record. You can then open each item to add photos, stories, and inheritance details.

Tips for a smooth import

• Dates should be four-digit years (e.g. 1952) rather than full dates.
• For tags, separate multiple values with spaces (e.g. Victorian silver Ireland).
• Condition values Heirloom recognises: excellent, good, fair, poor, unknown.
• If a custodian name matches a family member in your vault, the item will be linked to them automatically.
• Values should be plain numbers without currency symbols (e.g. 1500 not $1,500).

Importing family members

You can also import family members from a CSV. Go to Family and click Import CSV. The expected columns are:

Alternatively, you can import a GEDCOM file exported from Ancestry, MyHeritage, or any standard genealogy application. Go to Family → Import GEDCOM.