---
schema_version: "1"
id: 8f04f611ba2c3ae4b18739efc5cbbb2e0be059b65ece70138f2c2fe69d48228a
title: Set Article Import Parameters
collection: admin
version: current
locale: en-us
portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/admin/current/en-us/service/264-0-0/knowledge_article_importer_03parameters.md
canonical_url: https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.knowledge_article_importer_03parameters.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5
source_site: help.salesforce.com
content_type: documentation
content_hash: bfde05d538aa43c06c417044dab192b25ad4b6eb0ed666a20fc89a9161cbd8f1
description: Specify import parameters in a property file using key names and corresponding values. For example, use the key DateFormat to specify that a date custom field appears in the DateFormat=dd/MM/YYYY format. Or, specify the character encoding and field separator used for the import file.
products:
  - Service Cloud
release: "264"
---
# Set Article Import Parameters

Specify import parameters in a property file using key names and corresponding values. For example, use the key `DateFormat` to specify that a date custom field appears in the `DateFormat=dd/MM/YYYY` format. Or, specify the character encoding and field separator used for the import file.

### Required Editions

<table class="slds-table slds-table_bordered slds-max-medium-table_stacked slds-m-bottom_small edition"><colgroup><col></colgroup><tbody><tr class=""><td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;">Available in Salesforce Classic and Lightning Experience. <a href="https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.service_editions_reference.htm&amp;language=en_US" target="_blank">View supported editions</a>.</td></tr></tbody></table>

<table class="slds-table slds-table_bordered slds-max-medium-table_stacked slds-m-bottom_small permission">
        <colgroup>
          <col style="width:50%">
          <col style="width:50%">
        </colgroup>
        <thead class="slds-text-title_caps ">
          <tr class="">
            <th scope="colgroup" class="slds-cell-wrap" colspan="2" style="text-align:center;vertical-align:top;" id="d183042e64">User Permissions
              Needed</th>
          </tr>
        </thead>
        <tbody>
          <tr class="">
            <td data-label="User Permissions Needed" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d183042e64 ">To import articles:</td>

            <td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d183042e64 ">
              <p>Manage Salesforce Knowledge </p>
              <p>AND</p>
              <p>Manage Articles</p>
              <p>AND</p>
              <p>Manage
                Knowledge Article Import/Export</p>
              <p>AND</p>
              <p style="margin-bottom:0;">Read, Create, Edit, and Delete on
                the article type</p>
            </td>

          </tr>
        </tbody>
      </table>

1. Create a file with required parameters, as described in this table.
    
    <table class="slds-table slds-table_bordered slds-max-medium-table_stacked slds-m-bottom_small ">
            <colgroup>
              <col style="width:33.33333333333333%">
              <col style="width:33%">
              <col style="width:33.666666666666664%">
            </colgroup>
            <thead class="slds-text-title_caps ">
              <tr class="">
                <th scope="col" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" id="d183042e119">Key</th>
                <th scope="col" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" id="d183042e122">Description</th>
                <th scope="col" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" id="d183042e125">Default Value</th>
              </tr>
            </thead>
            <tbody>
              <tr class="">
                <td data-label="Key" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d183042e119 ">DateFormat</td>

                <td data-label="Description" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d183042e122 ">Format of the date to read in the .csv file</td>

                <td data-label="Default Value" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d183042e125 ">yyyy-MM-dd</td>

              </tr>
              <tr class="">
                <td data-label="Key" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d183042e119 ">DateTimeFormat </td>

                <td data-label="Description" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d183042e122 ">Format of the date and time to read in the .csv file</td>

                <td data-label="Default Value" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d183042e125 ">yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss</td>

              </tr>
              <tr class="">
                <td data-label="Key" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d183042e119 ">CSVEncoding </td>

                <td data-label="Description" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d183042e122 ">Character encoding used to read the .csv file</td>

                <td data-label="Default Value" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d183042e125 ">ISO8859_15_FDIS</td>

              </tr>
              <tr class="">
                <td data-label="Key" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d183042e119 ">CSVSeparator</td>

                <td data-label="Description" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d183042e122 ">.csv field separator</td>

                <td data-label="Default Value" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d183042e125 ">,</td>

              </tr>
              <tr class="">
                <td data-label="Key" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d183042e119 ">RTAEncoding</td>

                <td data-label="Description" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d183042e122 ">
                  <p>Default encoding used for the HTML files (if not specified in the <code>charset</code> attribute from the HTML <code>meta</code> tag).</p>
                  <p style="margin-bottom:0;">Salesforce does not support UTF-32
                    character encoding. We recommend using UTF-8. If you use specify UTF-16 character
                    encoding, ensure that your HTML files specify the right byte-order mark.</p>
                </td>

                <td data-label="Default Value" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d183042e125 ">ISO8859_15_FDIS</td>

              </tr>
            </tbody>
          </table>
    
    ![Note](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-service-support-264-0-0-production-enus/dd14551c-a772-4db6-9a1d-d84df8df2980/images/icon_note.png)
    
    Note Specify only Java date formats. Make sure that the date format is not misleading. For example, if you choose the format yyyy-M-d, a date entered as 2011111 can be interpreted as 2011-01-11 or 2011-11-01. Specify at least:
    
    - Two digits for month and day format (MM, dd)
    - Four digits for year format (yyyy)
    
    If a date in the .csv file does not match the date format specified in the property file, the related article is not imported.
2. Save the file with the .properties extension.

![Example](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-service-support-264-0-0-production-enus/dd14551c-a772-4db6-9a1d-d84df8df2980/images/icon_example.png)

Example

Example `offerarticlesimport.properties` property file:

```
DateFormat=yyyy-MM-dd
DateTimeFormat=yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss
CSVEncoding=ISO8859_15_FDIS
CSVSeparator=,
RTAEncoding=UTF-8
```

[Create a .zip file](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.knowledge_article_importer_04zip.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "To complete your article import, create a .zip file with your parameters, .csv, and .html files, and upload them to Salesforce Knowledge.") and import into Salesforce Knowledge.

#### See Also

- [Create an Article .zip File for Import](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.knowledge_article_importer_04zip.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "To complete your article import, create a .zip file with your parameters, .csv, and .html files, and upload them to Salesforce Knowledge.")
- [Import External Content into Salesforce Knowledge](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.knowledge_article_importer.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "Import external articles or an information database into Salesforce Knowledge. To move content from Classic to Lightning Knowledge, use the migration tool.")