How to Import Assets into Horilla HRMS
If your company is moving to Horilla HRMS and you already have a list of assets sitting in a spreadsheet, you do not need to enter each one manually. Horilla gives you a straightforward import option that lets you bring in all your asset records at once. This post walks you through the entire process step by step, based on what the interface actually looks like and how it works.
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Before getting into the import steps, it helps to know how the Asset module is structured. When you click on the Assets icon in the left sidebar, a sub-menu opens with the following sections:
- Dashboard
- Asset View
- Asset Batches
- Request and Allocation
- Asset History
For importing, you will be working within the Asset Category view, which is where all your categorized assets live. The import function is accessible from this page.
Step 1: Open the Asset Category Page
Navigate to Horilla > Asset > Asset Categories. This is the main page that shows all your asset categories along with the count of assets in each. You will see categories like Laptops, Headphones, Phones, Bags, Camera, Mouse, Car, Digital Asset, and any others you have already set up.
At the top right of this page, you will see three controls: a Search bar, a Filter button, an Actions button, and a Create button.
Step 2: Click on Actions
Click the Actions button at the top right. A small dropdown menu will appear with two options: Import and Export.
Click on Import.
Step 3: The Import Assets Modal Opens
After clicking Import, a modal dialog titled “Import Assets” will appear on your screen. This modal has a file upload area at the top with a cloud icon and the text “Upload a File” along with a drag-and-drop zone. Below that is a standard file chooser button.
You will also notice a “Download Template” link near the bottom of the modal. This is important and should be your first step if you are importing for the first time.
Step 4: Download the Template
Before you fill in any data, you need to download the official import template. Click on “Download Template” inside the Import modal. A confirmation dialog will pop up asking “Do you want to download the template?” with two buttons: Confirm and Cancel.
Click Confirm. The template file will download to your computer.
Step 5: Fill in the Template
Open the downloaded template. It is a spreadsheet file with the following columns already set up in row 1:
- Asset name — The name of the asset, for example “Dell Latitude 5520” or “Sony WH-1000XM5”
- Description — A brief description of the asset
- Tracking id — A unique identifier or tag number for the asset
- Purchase date — The date the asset was purchased
- Purchase cost — The cost of the asset at the time of purchase
- Category — The category this asset belongs to, such as Laptops, Phones, Camera, etc.
- Status — The current status of the asset: Available, In use, or Not-Available
- Batch number — The batch or lot number if applicable
Fill in each row with one asset per row. A few things to keep in mind while filling in the template:
The Category column must match an existing category name in your Horilla setup. If you type “Laptop” but the system has the category named “Laptops,” the import may not map it correctly. Check your existing category names before filling this column.
The Status column should use the exact values the system recognizes. Based on the Asset Category view, those values are Available, In use, and Not-Available. Use them exactly as written to avoid errors on import.
The Purchase date column should follow a consistent date format. Stick to a standard format like YYYY-MM-DD throughout the file — do not mix formats within the same column.
Leave a cell blank rather than entering placeholder text like “N/A” if you do not have data for a particular field, especially for numeric fields like Purchase cost.
Step 6: Upload the Filled Template
Once your template is filled in with all your asset data, go back to the Import Assets modal in Horilla. Either drag and drop your file into the upload zone or click the “Choose file” button to browse and select the file from your computer.
After the file is selected, it will appear next to the Choose file button confirming the file is ready to upload.
Tips for a Smooth Import
- Clean up your data before importing. If your existing spreadsheet has inconsistent naming, extra spaces, or mixed date formats, fix those issues first. A clean input file leads to a clean import.
- Create your categories first. If you are importing assets that belong to categories that do not yet exist in Horilla, create those categories before running the import. The Category column in the template needs to reference existing category names.
- Start with a small test batch. If you have hundreds of assets to import, try importing 10 or 20 rows first to confirm the format is being read correctly. This saves you from having to troubleshoot a large file all at once.
- Keep a copy of your filled template. Save the file you used for the import. It becomes a useful reference if you need to re-import later or if questions come up about where specific records came from.
- Use the Export option to verify. After importing, you can use the Actions > Export option on the same page to download the current asset data and verify that everything came in correctly.
The asset import process in Horilla HRMS follows five clear steps: navigate to Asset Categories, open Actions and select Import, download the template, fill in your asset data across the eight available columns, and upload the completed file. The template structure is simple and well-defined, making it straightforward to migrate existing asset records into the system without manual data entry.
If you are setting up Horilla for the first time or adding a new batch of company equipment, this import flow is the fastest way to get your asset records up to date and ready to manage.
