Mapping fields break when importing from Google Sheets with preset note type and deck

Anki Help
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I’m trying to import data from a Google Sheet into Anki using a preset note type and deck, but the field mapping gets messed up during import.

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In the field mapping step, only the tag field shows up none of the other fields appear. What did I do wrong?

Edit: In spreadsheet I set up this
#notetype column:1
#deck column:2

At the first 2 cells above every other text.

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Show us the file headers and a sample note/line from your CSV – paste it \`between backticks \` so we get the full text.

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I was hoping you’d give that to us as text – from the plain-text file, not the spreadsheet – but I’ll tell you the potential issues I can see from your screenshots. Work on solving those first, and you can respond again if you have other issues.

(I don’t know what’s you’ve changed between the first import screenshot you posted and this one. Obviously, Anki can see the data now.)

  1. You have column 1 designated for your note type. Is that the actual name of an existing note type?
  2. You have column 2 designated for your deck. Is that the actual (and complete) name of an existing deck?
  3. What’s going on in row “3” after the file headers? It looks like you’re trying to use it for column labels, but Anki doesn’t use those during import – it just treats that as the first “note” row, and it’s incomplete.
  4. Something you’re doing in the file makes Anki think you have columns 5, 6, 7, etc. I can’t tell what that is.
  5. When you save this file as plain text/CSV, what separator are you using? Anki is guessing Tab, but is that correct?
  6. If you’re having trouble figuring out what your CSV is supposed to look like, the easiest way to learn is to create a note of this note type in Anki, and then export that as plain text. You’ll get a text/CSV file that you can open and follow the format of.
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Thanks for being willing to help.

I was hoping you’d give that to us as text – from the plain-text file, not the spreadsheet.

  • Sorry.

(I don’t know what you’ve changed between the first import screenshot you posted and this one. Obviously, Anki can see the data now.)

  • I just hid the text in the first screenshot using Paint, as I thought those details didn’t matter. :slight_smile:

You have column 1 designated for your note type. Is that the actual name of an existing note type?
You have column 2 designated for your deck. Is that the actual (and complete) name of an existing deck?

  • Yes and yes.

What’s going on in row “3” after the file headers? It looks like you’re trying to use it for column labels, but Anki doesn’t use those during import – it just treats that as the first “note” row, and it’s incomplete.

  • Yes, I use that row for headers and later just delete or suspend those cards. It’s more convenient to manage the deck with headers in the spreadsheet.

Something you’re doing in the file makes Anki think you have columns 5, 6, 7, etc. I can’t tell what that is.

  • I have a few columns like word count per cell and some archived columns that I keep far to the right in the spreadsheet to avoid including them by mistake (e.g., as tags or other mapped fields).

When you save this file as plain text/CSV, what separator are you using? Anki is guessing Tab, but is that correct?

  • Yes, tab.

If you’re having trouble figuring out what your CSV is supposed to look like, the easiest way to learn is to create a note of this note type in Anki, and then export that as plain text. You’ll get a text/CSV file that you can open and follow the format of.

  • I think I wasted your time by not being specific enough. I regret that.

Please let me explain:

I set up both the note type and deck name correctly. That part worked.

But I don’t understand why the front and back fields disappeared. I’ve never seen this behavior before.

Should it be this way? Should those fields disappear?

If I can’t see them, how am I supposed to be sure I mapped each field correctly?

Anki manual says this: “deck Deck name or id Presets the deck, if it exists.”
If I understand this correctly, deck = presetting the deck. But where are my fields?

Initially, by noticing hidden fields and not being able to check the mapping, I asked for help without doing an import.
Right now I did the import, and everything was seemingly good.
But my question is: where are the fields, and how am I supposed to understand my mapping without being able to look at them?
Is there a way to see them, to turn them on?

And is it me who misunderstood the manual?
As the manual says:
“deck / Deck name or id / Presets the deck, if it exists.”
It doesn’t mention anything about fields being hidden.

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You’re designating your note type, so the columns are mapped in order to the fields of that note type. Text Files - Anki Manual

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