How to Import CSV in ParadeDB

Galaxy Glossary

How do I import a CSV file into ParadeDB?

Loads data from a local or server-side CSV file into a ParadeDB (PostgreSQL) table through the COPY command.

Welcome to the Galaxy, Guardian!
You'll be receiving a confirmation email

Follow us on twitter :)

Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

Description

Example H2

Example H3

Why use COPY to import CSV into ParadeDB?

COPY is ParadeDB’s fastest bulk-load method because it streams rows directly into shared buffers, bypassing client round-trips.It supports CSV, sets column order, handles headers, and can transform data on the fly with SELECT.

Which prerequisites should I check first?

Confirm the target table exists, the CSV columns match the table order (or list columns explicitly), and the ParadeDB role has INSERT permission plus access to the file path on the server (or use \copy from psql).

What is the basic syntax?

Use either server-side COPY or client-side \copy. Server-side requires superuser or the pg_read_server_files role.Client-side works from psql and reads the file from your workstation.

How do I import customers from a file?

Execute COPY Customers FROM '/data/new_customers.csv' WITH (FORMAT csv, HEADER true);.ParadeDB will append every CSV row to Customers, auto-parsing commas and ignoring the first header line.

How can I load only specific columns?

List them: COPY Customers(name, email) FROM '/data/new_customers.csv' WITH (FORMAT csv, HEADER true); Missing id and created_at will receive their DEFAULT values (such as a sequence and now()).

How do I redirect bad rows?

PostgreSQL 14+ supports the LOG ERRORS extension, but for ParadeDB pre-14 use a staging table.COPY into staging, validate, then INSERT … SELECT into the live table.

How can I import a CSV from psql without superuser rights?

Run \copy Orders FROM '~/Downloads/orders_q1.csv' CSV HEADER;.The file is read by psql, then streamed over the client connection so server file privileges are unnecessary.

Tip: Wrap in a transaction

BEGIN; COPY …; COMMIT; lets you ROLLBACK if the load fails, preserving data integrity.

Tip: Disable indexes and triggers for huge loads

For massive files, drop or defer constraints, or use ALTER TABLE … DISABLE TRIGGER ALL; COPY; ALTER TABLE … ENABLE TRIGGER ALL; to speed up ingest.

What are typical e-commerce use cases?

• Migrate a product catalog from a supplier
• Backfill historical orders
• Sync stock counts from a warehouse system
• Seed test environments with anonymized customer data

How do I monitor progress?

Watch pg_stat_progress_copy, check log_line_prefix for duration, or run \\watch on SELECT relname, tuples_imported FROM pg_stat_progress_copy;

Best practices recap

Validate CSV format, use HEADER true, load into a staging table for complex checks, wrap in explicit transactions, and analyze the table afterward to update statistics.

Why How to Import CSV in ParadeDB is important

How to Import CSV in ParadeDB Example Usage


-- Load new products and set default stock to 0 if missing
COPY Products(name, price, stock)
FROM '/imports/supplier_products.csv'
WITH (
    FORMAT csv,
    HEADER true,
    DELIMITER ',',
    NULL '',
    FORCE_NULL stock
);

-- Verify
SELECT id, name, price, stock FROM Products ORDER BY id DESC LIMIT 5;

How to Import CSV in ParadeDB Syntax


Server-side:
COPY target_table [(column_list)]
FROM '/absolute/path/file.csv'
WITH (
    FORMAT csv,
    HEADER [true|false],
    DELIMITER ',',
    NULL '',
    QUOTE '"',
    ENCODING 'UTF8'
);

Client-side (psql):
\copy target_table [(column_list)] FROM 'relative/or/absolute/file.csv' CSV HEADER;

Example with ecommerce data:
COPY Orders(id, customer_id, order_date, total_amount)
FROM '/var/lib/paradedb/imports/orders_2024.csv'
WITH (FORMAT csv, HEADER true, DELIMITER ',');

Common Mistakes

Using server-side COPY without superuser or pg_read_server_files role — results in “must be superuser” error. Fix: run \copy from psql or grant the role.
Omitting HEADER true when the first CSV line contains column names — causes a data type mismatch on row 1. Always include HEADER true or delete the header row.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Can I load compressed CSV files?

Yes. ParadeDB supports COPY … FROM PROGRAM 'gunzip -c file.csv.gz' to stream decompressed data, but it requires superuser privileges.

How do I skip bad rows automatically?

ParadeDB lacks native row-level error skipping. Load into a staging table, then use WHERE clauses or CHECK constraints to filter invalid data before inserting into production tables.