Submit rows as JSON rather than as a file

POST /imports/rows

Submit rows as JSON rather than as a file — the entry another service uses when it already holds structured data (a channel app's catalog pull, a migration from another system).

headers are the target's field names and rows the cells in that order, at most 5000 per submission (page a larger set under distinct references). The rows are staged exactly as an upload's would be, the identity mapping is validated as PUT /imports/:jobId/mapping validates one (422 InvalidMapping when a header is not a field or a required field is missing), and — unless run is false — the job is queued at once, so the answer is the 202 a commit gives. Appends import.job-created and import.mapped (and import.queued when it runs). Idempotency key: reference — a second submission with the same reference is acknowledged with the job already staged and appends nothing.

Access

Requires imports:write.

How scopes come from roles: Scopes and roles. Getting a token: Authentication and app tokens.

Retries

Idempotency key: reference — a second submission with the same reference is acknowledged with the job already staged and appends nothing.

A retry with the same key answers 202, with what the first call recorded.

Why every write carries a key: Idempotency and retries.

Facts appended

import.job-created
import.mapped
import.queued

What a fact is: Facts and the journal.

AI agent tool

Agents call this as imports_submit_rows (Imports: Submit rows), in the imports toolset.

Connecting an agent: AI agents.

Example

curl

curl -X POST 'https://import.getmanifold.io/imports/rows' \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $MANIFOLD_TOKEN" \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{
  "reference": "sync:warehouse-sheet:2026-10-20",
  "target": "inventory.location",
  "headers": [
    "name",
    "fulfillable",
    "note"
  ],
  "rows": [
    [
      "Back room",
      true,
      "Behind the shopfront"
    ],
    [
      "Returns shelf",
      false,
      null
    ]
  ],
  "run": true
}'

JavaScript (fetch)

const response = await fetch("https://import.getmanifold.io/imports/rows", {
  method: "POST",
  headers: { Authorization: `Bearer ${process.env.MANIFOLD_TOKEN}`, "Content-Type": "application/json" },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    "reference": "sync:warehouse-sheet:2026-10-20",
    "target": "inventory.location",
    "headers": [
      "name",
      "fulfillable",
      "note"
    ],
    "rows": [
      [
        "Back room",
        true,
        "Behind the shopfront"
      ],
      [
        "Returns shelf",
        false,
        null
      ]
    ],
    "run": true
  }),
});
if (!response.ok) throw new Error(`${response.status}: ${await response.text()}`);
const answer = await response.json();

Request body · application/json

{
  "reference": "sync:warehouse-sheet:2026-10-20",
  "target": "inventory.location",
  "headers": [
    "name",
    "fulfillable",
    "note"
  ],
  "rows": [
    [
      "Back room",
      true,
      "Behind the shopfront"
    ],
    [
      "Returns shelf",
      false,
      null
    ]
  ],
  "run": true
}

Response · 202 · application/json

{
  "jobId": "imp_01a15891-0a40-7b21-9c32-4d5e6f7a8b91",
  "rows": 3
}

The panel writes this call in other languages. It does not send it: Manifold's APIs do not take calls from a web page on another site, so run the call from your own code or terminal. The whole API as OpenAPI: import-export.openapi.json. Base URL https://import.getmanifold.io.

Errors

Every refusal is a status and a JSON body whose _tag names it. A refused call changes nothing.

`401`

Refusal	What it means	What to do
`Unauthorized` reason	The token is missing, expired or not one Manifold issued.	Get a fresh token and send the call again.
`TokenAlreadyUsed` tokenId	A single-use app token was already spent.	Mint a new token for this call.

`402`

Refusal	What it means	What to do
`SubscriptionRequired` status	The organization's subscription has lapsed, so writes are refused.	An owner settles billing. Reads still work meanwhile.

`403`

Refusal	What it means	What to do
`TenantRequired` userId	The token names no organization.	Choose the organization, then get a new token.
`ScopeRequired` required	The token's roles do not grant the scope this call needs.	Ask an owner or admin for a role that grants it.

`409`

Refusal	What it means	What to do
`MirroredFromSource` source	This area is fed by your source system until the organization goes live.	Make the change in the source system, or go live first.

`422`

Refusal	What it means	What to do
`InvalidMapping` reason, field	The column mapping does not fit the target. `field` names the problem.	Map every required field once.

`503`

Refusal	What it means	What to do
`RequestLogUnavailable` tokenId, reason	The service could not record the request, so it did nothing.	Send the same request again, with the same key.

How refusals work everywhere: Errors.

Used in

Bulk import from a spreadsheet, step 8: Hand rows over as JSON