How to Upload Symbols to a ChartList from a Spreadsheet

Uploading data from a spreadsheet is a great option for adding a large number of symbols to a ChartList. Optional custom chart names and comments can also be added for each ticker symbol in the spreadsheet. If not provided, default chart names will be used.

The in-depth tutorial takes you step-by-step through the process of uploading the symbols in an existing CSV spreadsheet to your ChartList, and also provides guidelines for creating the CSV spreadsheet file.

Learn More: ChartLists

Tutorial: Uploading Symbols to a ChartList from a Custom Spreadsheet

In this step-by-step tutorial, we'll create a CSV spreadsheet file with a list of symbols we want to import, along with custom names and comments for some symbols. Then we'll upload the symbols in the spreadsheet into a ChartList of our choosing.

Step 1: Create or Find the Spreadsheet

You can use Excel or any program that can create CSV files. If you already have a spreadsheet created in the right format, you can skip to the next step.

Follow these guidelines when creating your spreadsheet:

1. Copy and paste a list of ticker symbols into the first column of a new spreadsheet. (Note: Make sure the column doesn't have a header row, and there aren't any blank rows in the middle of the list. A ChartList cannot hold more than 1000 ticker symbols.)

2. (Optional) Add chart names and/or descriptions for each symbol into the second column of the spreadsheet.

3. (Optional) Add comments for each symbol in the third column of the spreadsheet.

4. Save the spreadsheet on your computer in Comma-Separated Value (CSV) format.

Your completed spreadsheet may look something like this:

Step 2: Open the ChartList in Edit View

To start, you'll need to open your ChartList in “Edit” mode. Go to the “Your ChartLists” section of Your Dashboard, then select “Edit List” from the “View As” dropdown next to the ChartList you want to upload symbols to.

Step 3: Click the Add Symbols Button

Click the green “Add Symbols” button at the top of the page.

Step 4: Upload the Spreadsheet

In the small window that opens, choose the “Upload CSV” tab. Click the “Browse” button and select your CSV file from your computer. Then, click the green “Upload” button.

Once the CSV file has been uploaded, it will show the symbols, descriptions, and comments to be added. Click “OK” to add those symbols to your ChartList.

Note: If your CSV file contains symbols that are not in our database, you will not be able to upload it. In that case, open the file, remove those symbols, and try re-uploading.