Field Mapping
After parsing, CraftStage needs to know which parsed data goes into which template field. Field mapping connects your data columns (like "Name" and "Position") to your template's defined fields (like name and title).
How mapping works
When you assign a template to your job, CraftStage suggests a field mapping based on the column names it detected during parsing. For example, if your Excel file had a "Name" column and your template has a name field, CraftStage will suggest mapping "Name" → name.
You can accept the suggested mapping or customize it manually.
Setting up a mapping
On the job detail page, select a template from the dropdown. CraftStage will show you the suggested mapping:
| Parsed Column | → | Template Field |
|---|---|---|
| Name | → | name |
| Position | → | title |
| Department | → | company |
Review the mapping and adjust any incorrect connections. Click Apply Mapping to update all items in the job with the new field assignments.
Text transforms
You can apply transforms during mapping to standardize your data:
| Transform | Effect | Example |
|---|---|---|
| None | No change | "john smith" stays as-is |
| Uppercase | All caps | "john smith" → "JOHN SMITH" |
| Lowercase | All lowercase | "JOHN SMITH" → "john smith" |
| Title Case | Capitalize each word | "john smith" → "John Smith" |
| Trim | Remove leading/trailing spaces | " John Smith " → "John Smith" |
Transforms are applied when the mapping is saved. The original parsed data is preserved so you can change transforms later.
Tips
- If your data has columns that don't match any template field, you can leave them unmapped. Unmapped columns are ignored during layout and export.
- If you change templates, you'll need to re-apply the mapping since different templates have different fields.
- The mapping is saved per job, so changing one job's mapping doesn't affect others.
Next step
Learn how to create and configure templates to define your design layout and field positions.