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Handling Sheets with Missing Identifiers

When you upload a spreadsheet sheet, one of the first things Decode tries to do is find and map the Identifier column you defined when creating the Table.

If Decode cannot automatically find a matching column in the spreadsheet for your designated Identifier, the sheet's status will become MissingIdentifier.

Why is this Status Critical?​

The Identifier is essential for Decode to function correctly:

  • Tracking Records: It's the unique key used to distinguish between different policies, claims, or other entities.
  • Updating Data: When new data arrives (e.g., next month's premium for Time Series tables), Decode uses the Identifier to find the existing record and update it (or add a new period column).
  • Preventing Duplicates: It ensures that the same policy or claim isn't accidentally added multiple times.

Without a correctly mapped Identifier, Decode cannot safely ingest the data into your Table. Therefore, processing is paused until you manually provide the correct mapping.

How to Resolve MissingIdentifier Status​

  1. Locate the Sheet: Find the sheet with the MissingIdentifier status in the recent uploads section.

  2. Open for Review: Click the "Review" button for that sheet. This opens the Preview & Mapping Dialog.

  3. Identify the Identifier Row: In the Mapping Table section, find the row corresponding to your Table's designated Identifier column (it will likely be highlighted or marked as unmapped).

  4. Select the Correct Mapping (Crucial Step):

    • Ensure the Mapping Type toggle is set to "Simple".
    • Click the dropdown in the "Mapping" column for the Identifier row.
    • Carefully select the spreadsheet column name from the list that actually contains the unique identifier (e.g., Policy #, Claim Ref, Member ID). Double-check this selection.

  5. Review Other Mappings: While you're here, review the rest of the mappings as described in Correcting Mappings. This is crucial because once you approve the file, it will be ingested.

  6. Approve: Once you have correctly mapped the Identifier (and are satisfied with other mappings), click the "Approve" button.

What Happens Next?

  • Decode saves your manual mapping for the Identifier.
  • It adds the selected spreadsheet column name to the "possible values" for the Identifier Table column, helping it map automatically next time.
  • The sheet's status will change (e.g., to Ready or Processing), and Decode will proceed with the final data ingestion into your Table.

Resolving the MissingIdentifier status promptly by providing the correct mapping is essential for keeping your data flowing into Decode.

Next, let's look at Mapping Header Data.