Importing Locations via CSV

Location Bulk Import lets you import locations and location network mappings into Direct Print using a CSV file. This is particularly useful for large or complex environments where managing locations individually can be time consuming.

Locations in Direct Print represent the physical hierarchy where printers are deployed — from Region down to Area. Each location can be associated with IP ranges, gateway addresses, and Wi-Fi SSIDs, which the system uses to assign printers to locations automatically.

Location Hierarchy

Direct Print locations follow a five-level hierarchy. Each level is optional but must be consistent within your CSV file.

Level Description
Region Top-level grouping, typically a country or large geographic area (e.g. NZ, US).
Site A campus, office park, or city within a region (e.g. R&D, Main).
Building A specific building within a site (e.g. Auckland, Rochester).
Floor A floor or level within a building (e.g. Level 2, Ground).
Area A zone or department within a floor (e.g. Finance, Reception). Optional.

CSV File Format

The Location Import CSV must contain the following columns. Column headers are case-sensitive and must match exactly as shown.

Column Required Description
Region Yes Top-level location name. Must not be blank.
Site No Second-level location name. Leave blank if not applicable.
Building No Third-level location name.
Floor No Fourth-level location name.
Area No Fifth-level location name.
IP_Ranges No One or more IP ranges used to match printers to this location. Separate multiple ranges with a comma. Format: 10.0.1.0-10.0.1.254
Gateways No Gateway IP address(es) for the location. Used as an additional matching signal. Separate multiple values with a comma.
Wifi_SSIDs No Wi-Fi SSID name(s) associated with the location. Used to assign mobile/wireless devices. Separate multiple values with a comma.
Action Yes The operation to perform. Valid values: Create or Remove (case-sensitive).

  • Create: If the location does not exist, it is created with the specified hierarchy. If it already exists, its attributes (IP ranges, gateways, SSIDs) are updated.

  • Remove: If the location exists, it and all its sub-locations are deleted. Any printers assigned to those locations become unassigned. This cannot be undone.

CSV Example

The following example shows two locations being created:

Region,Site,Building,Floor,Area,IP_Ranges,Gateways,Wifi_SSIDs,Action
NZ,R&D,Auckland,Level 2,,10.0.1.0-10.0.1.254,10.0.99.1,Pharos NZ,Create
US,Main,Rochester,Ground,,10.0.3.0-10.0.3.254,10.3.99.1,Pharos US,Create

The image below shows a sample CSV file opened in Microsoft Excel

How to Import Locations

  1. Navigate to Direct → Direct Printers.

  2. In the Locations panel, click the dropdown arrow next to the Printers button and select CSV Location Import.

  3. On the Import screen, click Select a File and select your prepared CSV file.

  4. Map the CSV columns to the corresponding Direct Print fields. The field mapping UI allows you to confirm or adjust which CSV column corresponds to each expected field.

  5. Click Submit to start the import.

The import runs asynchronously. You can monitor progress on the import screen. When complete, a summary is displayed showing how many locations were created, updated, or failed.

Import Behaviour

Create Actions

  • If the location path (Region / Site / Building / Floor / Area) does not exist, it is created.

  • If the location path already exists, its network attributes (IP ranges, gateways, SSIDs) are updated to match the CSV row.

  • Parent levels are created automatically if they do not exist. For example, importing a Building-level location will create the Region and Site above it if they are missing.

Remove Actions

  • If the location exists, it is deleted along with all sub-locations beneath it.

  • Printers assigned to any deleted location become unassigned. They remain in Direct Printers but will need to be reassigned to a new location.

  • If the specified location does not exist, the row is skipped without error.

WARNING! Remove operations cascade downward through the location hierarchy. Removing a Region will delete all Sites, Buildings, Floors, and Areas within it. Review your CSV carefully before submitting a file containing Remove actions.

What Location Import Does Not Cover

  • Location Import does not import printers or print queues. Use the Device Import (Direct Print → Printers → Device Import) to bring in printer inventory separately.

  • Location Import does not deploy Print Scout or configure workstations. Desktop deployment remains the responsibility of the administrator.

  • Location Import does not automatically upload printer drivers. If new drivers are required for queue creation, they must be uploaded separately before running queue creation.