RowPilot · Guide

How to enter data into a portal with no import button

Government sites, insurance systems, supplier portals and client back offices often have no bulk import. That leaves virtual assistants, admins and data entry staff copying records into the same form again and again. Here's how to make that faster without losing control of what gets submitted.

Before you start

Ask about an import: support teams sometimes offer a bulk upload or template that isn't advertised.
Check the rules: some portals restrict automated tools in their terms. If you're working for a client, check with them too.
Protect personal data: follow your client's rules on where their data can be stored and which tools you may use.

Set up your sheet to match the form

Open the form and note every field, including any that appear after the first page.
Make one column for each field, using the form's wording for the column names.
For dropdowns, use the exact choices shown on the form.
Add an ID or name as the first column, so you can tell the rows apart later.

Test with two rows

Load a two-row copy of your sheet first. With RowPilot, open the form, click its icon, load the rows and click Read the form on this page. Check the suggested columns, click Fill this row, and look closely at what appears. Submit a real test only where the portal lets you undo or delete it.

Work through the rows

For each row, fill the form, review it and submit it yourself. Then click Mark done, go to next. RowPilot never submits a form, so nothing goes through without your check.

Multi-step forms: fill the first step and continue. If some fields are on the next page, click Fill this row again there.
Breaks: finished rows stay marked. Load the same data again later and pick up where you left off.
A row you can't finish: click Skip and come back to it.
Handing over: Pro can download a progress log showing each row's status, time and notes.
The same form every week: Pro saves your column matches for each page.

Where this won't work

It's better to know these limits before you commit to a deadline, so test your form first:

Forms inside frames, and custom controls that aren't real form fields, may not fill.
RowPilot skips password and card number fields, and doesn't solve CAPTCHAs.
A portal that logs you out quickly may need a fresh sign-in partway through.
If you have thousands of identical records, ask about an API or a script instead. Reviewing each row by hand takes time.

Try it on your own form. RowPilot is a Chrome extension. The free plan covers up to 25 rows per file from a CSV or pasted rows, and every install starts with a 7-day trial of Pro.