# Periodic imports with new import data -\> compare changed data

**URL:** <https://air.tableforums.com/t/periodic-imports-with-new-import-data-compare-changed-data/1441>\
**Category:** Airtable Questions\
**Created:** [February 19, 2025, 5:21am UTC](https://air.tableforums.com/t/periodic-imports-with-new-import-data-compare-changed-data/1441 "2025-02-19T05:21:03Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![jochen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/91b2a8/32.png) [@jochen](https://air.tableforums.com/u/jochen)\
**Post date:** [February 19, 2025, 5:21am UTC](https://air.tableforums.com/t/periodic-imports-with-new-import-data-compare-changed-data/1441/1 "2025-02-19T05:21:03Z")

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Hi,  
I am pondering for a while now how I can periodically import data from the same csv template style sheet and being able to compare the changes. Given the different import dates, the Index I would normally be using (Supplier ID) is useless as its not unique any longer if importing in one table. I also tried importing into separate tables for each import but that gets messy and I also did not find a way to compare changes. Once imported, I would like to show deleted and new data (suppliers) and show any changed data between those two import dates? I am new to Airtable: I have been using a more static platform before but finally give up finding work arounds 😉

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**Author:** ![jochen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/91b2a8/32.png) [@jochen](https://air.tableforums.com/u/jochen)\
**Post date:** [February 19, 2025, 5:57am UTC](https://air.tableforums.com/t/periodic-imports-with-new-import-data-compare-changed-data/1441/2 "2025-02-19T05:57:01Z")

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how about using Concatenation in the primary field to combine Supplier ID and import data to get a unique value?

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**Author:** ![ScottWorld](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/air.tableforums.com/scottworld/32/5_2.png) [@ScottWorld](https://air.tableforums.com/u/ScottWorld)\
**Post date:** [February 19, 2025, 2:37pm UTC](https://air.tableforums.com/t/periodic-imports-with-new-import-data-compare-changed-data/1441/3 "2025-02-19T14:37:15Z")

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You would typically need to have a unique identifier in both your CSV file and your Airtable table.

If you can get that setup, then you can use [Airtable’s CSV extension](https://airtable.com/marketplace/blk9eXKffGfv1BjKQ/csv-import) to help you merge the new changes with the old data.

For an even more advanced way of doing this, you can use [Make’s CSV tools](https://www.make.com/en/integrations/csv?pc=scottworld) and [Make’s Airtable tools](https://www.make.com/en/integrations/airtable?pc=scottworld) to do the merging. Make offers an “Upsert Record” module, which you can use to merge new changes with the old data.

I give step-by-step directions on how to do this on [this BuiltOnAir podcast episode](https://youtu.be/cMA4GPj4iNE?list=PLqssva4liHRwHhQIpTXekG8WObEoyC2F1):

https://www.youtube.com/embed/cMA4GPj4iNE?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque&list=PLqssva4liHRwHhQIpTXekG8WObEoyC2F1

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jochen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/91b2a8/32.png) [@jochen](https://air.tableforums.com/u/jochen)\
**Post date:** [February 19, 2025, 3:17pm UTC](https://air.tableforums.com/t/periodic-imports-with-new-import-data-compare-changed-data/1441/4 "2025-02-19T15:17:42Z")

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Thanks a lot Scott, I will try that. Funny enough that was the podcast via which I signed up to Tableforums 😉  
Back to topic: I was surprised that I cannot get the look up functionality to auto link all related fields, only by manually clicking the linked field.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ScottWorld](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/air.tableforums.com/scottworld/32/5_2.png) [@ScottWorld](https://air.tableforums.com/u/ScottWorld)\
**Post date:** [February 19, 2025, 3:33pm UTC](https://air.tableforums.com/t/periodic-imports-with-new-import-data-compare-changed-data/1441/5 "2025-02-19T15:33:03Z")

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Ha, that’s amazing! 😃

Ah yes, that’s one of the unique things about Airtable that is different from other database systems — no automatic linking of records.

However, you can always create an automation to update your linked record field with whatever value you need to put in there.

And you can import data into your linked record fields, too… but only when using Airtable’s [CSV Import Extension](https://airtable.com/marketplace/blk9eXKffGfv1BjKQ/csv-import) or using an API tool like [Make](https://www.make.com/en/integrations/airtable?pc=scottworld).