# File uploads

[Mandates](../mandates) and [collections](../collections) can both be created and amended by means of a file upload. You can perform multiple actions with minimal effort by simply uploading a file that adheres to the file structure requirements.

## How to upload a file

To upload a file, click on the **Upload** button in the menu bar and select the **Upload new** option. If you want to upload amendments, click on the **Upload changes** option in the dropdown.

A modal window with instructions will appear. It is important that the uploaded file is completed according to the latest file template. Once the file is ready to be uploaded, click on the **Select file** button to browse for the file or drag the file into the drag-and-drop zone.&#x20;

There is a validation process which ensures that the data fields are populated with the correct input types. Click on the **Upload** button to complete the process.

### Where to get the template

The upload modal window contains links to download the latest Excel file template which has preconfigured, mandatory columns for the file to be accepted. Click on the **Get template** button or the **latest file template** link in the modal window text. Once downloaded, the file can be edited locally in Excel or any other editor that supports the XLSX file format.

### What to do if the upload fails

If the file upload fails, you can download a report file with details about any compliance issues. Note that most of the fields need to be in a specific format and/or have a character length limit. To learn more about the field specifications, refer to the following sheets in the file template: **Guide\_Fields**, **Guide\_Values** and **Guide\_Branch**.

## Downloading to support file uploads

You can download existing mandates or collection data in the required file upload format. This is useful when creating new mandates or collections, as well as making changes in bulk, because of the time saved with prepopulated data. Specific filters and column options can also be applied before downloading. Learn more about file downloads [here](..#file-downloads).

## More resources

More information on the file upload process can be found in the [Mandates](../mandates) and [Collections](../collections) section, respectively.
