Safety baseline: verify the active identity, project, database, and environment before a connected write. Cengal stages changes for review; sample data stays local.
How to do it
- 01
Start with a Cengal JSON export, or prepare one object or an array of objects containing fields plus path, documentPath, or documentID.
- 02
Open the exact destination account, project, database, and collection. Import compares incoming paths with documents currently loaded in that workspace.
- 03
Choose Import and select a .json file. The main Firestore import accepts JSON or CSV; JSONL is available only in Developer Tools conversion, not this import dialog.
- 04
Review the preview. New paths become creates, changed existing paths become updates, unchanged documents are skipped, and invalid input is rejected before staging.
- 05
Choose Add to Pending, then inspect every destination path and diff. An update replaces the imported document’s complete field map; it is not a merge-fields operation.
- 06
Apply from Pending changes only after confirming the write scope. Successfully applied documents are removed from the queue, while failures remain pending with their error for a deliberate retry.
Know before you apply
- Document IDs and nested collection paths come from each imported path. Import does not create or copy subcollections unless those nested document paths are explicitly present as separate records.
- Keep a backup and refresh fast-changing documents before applying. Cengal stages first, but an imported update is a full field-map replacement rather than a partial merge.
- Import and its preview are available on Free; selected-row bulk operations and local operation history are Pro features.
Related workflows
Still blocked?
Try the troubleshooting guide first. If the problem remains, email support@cengal.app with the Cengal version and non-sensitive error text. Never send OAuth tokens, service-account JSON, private keys, or customer documents.