Importing your Brand Bible from a spreadsheet

ATIYO product documentation · Brand Bible · 6 min read

If you already keep your customer research in a spreadsheet, you don't have to retype it into ATIYO one entry at a time. The Brand Bible supports a bulk import from an Excel or CSV template, so you can load your avatars, core desires, marketing angles, and ad types in a single pass. This guide walks through doing it cleanly the first time.

Bulk import is the fastest way to get value from ATIYO on day one. Instead of a blank library, you start with everything your team already knows, ready to feed straight into briefs.

Before you import

A little prep makes the difference between a clean import and a messy one you have to fix by hand. Get your spreadsheet in shape first.

  • Gather your avatars, sub-avatars, core desires, angles, and ad types into one place.
  • Remove duplicates and half-finished rows you don't actually want in the library.
  • Make sure names are clear and distinct, since these become your selectable labels.
  • Decide which entries are genuinely worth importing rather than dumping everything in.
Import quality in, quality out. A tidy spreadsheet becomes a tidy Brand Bible; a messy one becomes cleanup work you'll do later inside ATIYO.

Step 1: Download the template

ATIYO provides an Excel/CSV template with the exact columns the import expects. Starting from the template is the safest route, because it guarantees your columns line up with how ATIYO reads the file.

  1. Open Brand Bible and find the bulk import option.
  2. Download the provided Excel/CSV template.
  3. Open it in your spreadsheet tool of choice.

Step 2: Fill in the template

Move your existing data into the template's columns rather than importing your original file. This is where prep pays off: matching your content to the template's structure now prevents mismatched or skipped rows later.

  • Keep the header row exactly as provided so the columns are recognized.
  • Put one entry per row, and don't merge cells.
  • Fill the columns that map to avatars, desires, angles, and ad types as the template lays them out.
  • Leave optional fields blank rather than inventing filler you'll have to clean up.
Save the finished file in the format the template specifies (Excel or CSV) before uploading. Exporting to a different format can drop formatting the import relies on.

Step 3: Upload and review

With the template filled in, upload it back into the Brand Bible. Then review the result before you rely on it, the same way you'd proofread anything before your team builds on it.

  1. Return to the bulk import option in Brand Bible.
  2. Upload your completed template file.
  3. Review the imported avatars, desires, angles, and ad types for accuracy.
  4. Fix any entry directly in ATIYO if something didn't come through as expected.
  5. Archive anything that imported but you've decided you don't need.

After the import

Once your library is populated, everything is immediately usable. Your avatars, desires, angles, and ad types become selectable inputs the moment you create a brief. That's the whole point: the spreadsheet you already maintained is now wired into your creative workflow.

Tidy up the library

Imports sometimes bring in more than you need. Spend a few minutes archiving thin or outdated entries so your team sees only the avatars and angles worth briefing against. A focused library is easier to use than an exhaustive one.

Keep the spreadsheet as a backup, not the source of truth

After importing, treat ATIYO as your working Brand Bible. Add and refine entries directly in Brand Bible as tests teach you what wins, rather than editing the old spreadsheet and re-importing. That keeps a single, current source of truth for your whole team.

Troubleshooting a rough import

  • Rows missing after import — check that you kept the template's header row unchanged.
  • Entries in the wrong place — confirm each column matches the template's intended field.
  • Odd characters — re-save as the format the template specifies before uploading again.
  • Still stuck — reach out through contact and we'll help you get it in.

Next steps

With your Brand Bible imported, put it to work by heading to new brief. If you want a refresher on what each building block should contain, revisit Creating customer avatars in ATIYO, defining core desires, and writing marketing angles.

Related articles

Creating customer avatars in ATIYOHow to add strong customer avatars to your Brand Bible in ATIYO, what fields matter, and how avatars power your creative briefs. Managing your ad typesAd types are the creative formats your team produces. Here's how to manage them in ATIYO so every brief references a consistent format. Writing marketing angles that convertMarketing angles are the specific ways you frame your product against a desire. Here's how to write ones that convert and store them in ATIYO.
Can't find what you're looking for? Contact our support team and we'll help you out.