Adding files to a dataset

Once you have created a dataset, there are a few different ways to add data to it. You can:

• add files directly from a local drive or the cloud
• link directly to a data source through a url
• Connect your data via an integration (check out our super connectors if you don't see your datastore listed)

Adding data files from a local drive

The easiest way to add files from a local drive is to drag and drop them onto the add data box. Drag and drop allows you to add multiple files to a dataset at once:

You can also add files by selecting the Add data button or clicking anywhere in the Add data box. The Add data button opens the add data window which lists all the ways you can add data to a dataset. Note that in addition to the Upload from computer option you still have the option to drag and drop files into your dataset. Upload from computer is similar to drag and drop, but you can only select one file at a time for upload. Dragging and dropping is much more efficient for adding multiple files from a local drive.

The add data window opens by default to the Recently used tab. To see all the options available to you, select the See all option or click on the All tab: 

Adding data files from the cloud

If you want to add data files from the cloud you will need to configure your cloud service account to allow access by data.world. Select the appropriate Add new service link and follow the instructions. Once you have configured a cloud drive, it remains connected for further use. There is no limit to the number of cloud drives you can have configured:

You can select and add multiple cloud-based files at a time, and files sourced from the cloud can also be set to sync regularly--ensuring you'll always have the most up-to-date version of the file in your dataset. 

Sync options can be changed at any time from the overview page of the dataset:

If you manually update a file (delete and re-upload it) or if a file updates automatically from a sync, all the previous versions of the file are preserved in data.world and can be downloaded at any time. In this way your data is preserved for auditing, accountability and versioning. To access past versions of your data go to the Activity tab on the dataset and select Versions, then click on the three-dot menu to the right of the version you wish to recover:

If you'd like to know how to link data through a URL see the article Adding files from a URL.