---
title: "Create an import"
description: "Start a bulk import of historic orders from CSV text (csv), as the bulk import page does. Columns are the page's template (sku, filename, external_url, data_type, link_to_product, custom_product) in that order, or column"
url: https://docs.filemonk.io/v2/api-reference/imports/create-an-import/
api: "API v2 reference"
method: POST
path: "/imports"
---

# Create an import

`POST https://app.filemonk.io/api/v2/external/imports`

Start a bulk import of historic orders from CSV text (csv), as the bulk import page does. Columns are the page's template (sku, filename, external_url, data_type, link_to_product, custom_product) in that order, or column_mapping {sku: 0, filename: 1, ...} gives the 0-based index of each. data_type is sku or variant_id (blank means sku); link_to_product and custom_product are yes, no or blank. Rows run in the background; follow progress with [`GET /imports/:id`](https://docs.filemonk.io/v2/api-reference/imports/get-an-import/).

**Note:** Only one import runs per shop at a time (409 while one is in progress). Rows that reference unknown files, SKUs or urls are reported as 422 with code validation_warnings and nothing is imported; send proceed_with_warnings: true to import the valid rows and skip the rest.

## Request body

- `csv` (string, required): e.g. `sku,filename,external_url,data_type,link_to_product,custo…`
- `filename` (any)
- `column_mapping` (any)
- `proceed_with_warnings` (boolean): e.g. `false`

Rate limit: this call costs 2 points ([rate limits](https://docs.filemonk.io/v2/errors-and-rate-limits/)).

## Example request

```sh
curl -X POST "https://app.filemonk.io/api/v2/external/imports" \
  -H "X-Auth-Token: $FILEMONK_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "csv": "sku,filename,external_url,data_type,link_to_product,custom_product\nWATERCOLOUR-1,guide.pdf,,sku,yes,no\n",
    "proceed_with_warnings": false
  }'
```

## 200

Success: the write completed; the body is the updated resource.

## 202

Accepted: the change was saved and the rest of the work (emails, Shopify sync, a bulk job) continues in the background. The body is the resource snapshot plus `queued: true`; there is nothing to poll.

```json
{
  "id": "de0d7253-b5ed-42cc-921b-e1d90bf2cd76",
  "name": "orders-import.csv",
  "status": "processing",
  "rows": {
    "total": 1,
    "completed": 0,
    "failed": 0
  },
  "completed_at": null,
  "created_at": "2026-10-30T23:03:04Z",
  "queued": true
}
```

## 401

Missing or invalid API key.

```json
{
  "errors": [
    "Invalid API key"
  ]
}
```

## 409

The request conflicts with the current state (an order Shopify is not ready to fulfil, a digital product that already exists). Nothing was changed; read the message, don't retry blindly.

```json
{
  "errors": [
    "This product already has a digital product"
  ]
}
```

## 422

The request failed validation, or sent a key the action does not take (`code: "unknown_parameters"` with `unknown` and `accepted`). Nothing was saved.

```json
{
  "errors": [
    "access.download_limit_count must be an integer of at least 0"
  ],
  "field_errors": {
    "access.download_limit_count": [
      "must be an integer of at least 0"
    ]
  }
}
```

## 429

Rate limited. Cost-weighted per API key, shared with API v1: a read costs 1 point, a write 2, 40 points per fixed 60-second window. Every response carries `X-RateLimit-Limit`, `X-RateLimit-Remaining` and `X-RateLimit-Reset` (Unix time the window ends); a 429 adds `Retry-After` (seconds), `retry_after`, `retryable: true` and a `next_step` in the body. A 429 did nothing: wait `retry_after` seconds, then send the same request again. The budget is per key, so every tool or script using the key shares it; prefer one list call with `per_page` over many single reads.

```json
{
  "errors": [
    "You have exceeded the rate limit of 40 points per 60 seconds. Read requests cost 1 point(s) and write requests cost 2 point(s). Please retry after 12 second(s)."
  ],
  "code": "rate_limited",
  "retry_after": 12,
  "error": "Rate limit exceeded",
  "message": "You have exceeded the rate limit of 40 points per 60 seconds. Read requests cost 1 point(s) and write requests cost 2 point(s). Please retry after 12 second(s)."
}
```