Updating device settings one by one can be time-consuming—especially when managing hundreds or even thousands of Kontakt.io devices. In Device Management 2.0, you can save time by updating multiple devices at once using a CSV file. This process is often referred to as a bulk edit.
This article explains how to export devices and use the import feature to apply bulk updates in Device Management 2.0.
Topics include:
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Exported CSV file
The file includes configuration settings and read-only data from both the Device Management 2.0 interface in Kio Cloud and the Device Management API.
You can find the API configuration specifications in the Device Management API create config endpoint. You can find more setting details that can be helpful when updating settings from the CSV file. For example, the name setting is limited to 15 characters and importing a value greater will result in the import failing.
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Export/import limitations
The system supports exporting and importing up to 50,000 devices at a time.
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Column editing rules (import CSV file)
Do not delete the uniqueId column — this field is mandatory and maps directly to each device.
Include the uniqueId column and the specific column(s) you want to modify/update (e.g., UUID, Name, etc.). This reduces the risk of unintentionally changing other settings.
Avoid including columns with no values. If a column is present with an empty value, the corresponding device setting will be overwritten and cleared during import.
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Device settings (post-export precedence)
Any configuration changes made in Device Management 2.0 after the original export will be overwritten. The values in the import CSV file take precedence over the current settings in Device Management.
For example, if you perform an export on Monday at 1 PM and from Device Management 2.0 you update a device's Deployment Status from "To Be Deployed" to "Deployed" at 2 PM, importing a CSV file with the original status of "To be deployed" will overwrite the change made at 2 PM.
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Timestamp data is in the UTC timezone.
The first step is to export and download the devices and their data.
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From your Kio Cloud Launchpad, go to Device Management 2.0 .
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From the left menu, select the category of the device(s) being updated. That being either Tags or Infrastructure devices.
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When you need to only update a specific set of devices, it's recommended to apply a filter to limit the devices exported to only those requiring an update.
For example, if you only need to update the configuration for Asset Tag 2 devices. As shown in the image below, from the Search & Filter feature, set the Criteria to Product > set the Product filter to IS then select Asset Tag 2.
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From the Bulk option (displays the number of devices being exported), select EXPORT CSV > select Download CSV. The file is automatically downloaded to your computer's default download location.
Important
The link "Download CSV file" will expire in 60 seconds.
Tip
When importing an updated CSV file, this process cannot be rolled back. It's recommended to save a copy of the original CSV export file in the event you need to manually rollback the updates or to retain the original data for historical purposes.
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Open the CSV file using a third-party editor such as Excel. Be sure to follow the guidelines when using third-party apps to edit the CSV file.
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Locate the relevant columns and apply the necessary changes.
You may delete any columns you're not updating (recommended), but do not delete the uniqueId column or the header row.
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Save the file in a CSV format and continue to the next step
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With the updated CSV file ready, navigate back to Device Management 2.0,
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From the left menu, select Tags or Infrastructure (matching the category of the original export)
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Select IMPORT CSV > UPLOAD CSV FILE > select the updated file, click Open to initiate the import process.
If there was an error that prevented an Import update, review the message to correct the CSV import file and repeat the import process.
Once completed, the configuration updates are applied to each device.
Synchronization is required to ensure a device's local configuration is in sync with its Kio Cloud configuration. Synchronization varies by the type of setting and your BLE to Wi-Fi Infrastructure.
Type of setting:
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Virtual setting (Deployment Status, Tag, Note): devices are not required to be synchronized and updates are automatically applied to the device. Virtual settings are only attributes stored in Kio Cloud and not stored in a device's local configuration.
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For all other settings: devices are required to synchronize to receive and download pending configuration updates. These settings are stored locally on a device and must be kept in sync with Kio Cloud.
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Type of BLE to Wi-Fi Infrastructure:
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Kontakt.io Portal Lights: Tags and Infrastructure devices automatically synchronize and receive pending configuration updates.
Portal Lights connect to the local WiFi network every one minute to send data to and download pending configuration updates from Kio Cloud.
BLE-only Tags and Infrastructure devices receive and download pending configuration updates from a nearby Portal Light.
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Non-Portal Light Infrastructure: Tags and BLE Infrastructure devices are required to be synchronized locally at the device.
To learn how to synchronize devices locally, see Synchronize device pending updates with the Kio Setup Manager app.
From both the Tags and Infrastructure menus, the list view displays a Synchronizing column that indicates if a device has a pending configuration. If you do not see the column, select Customize Table to add the Synchronizing column to the view.
From the profile of a device, there is also a PENDING update notification and the sync icon displayed at the tab and setting level to visually indicate a pending configuration.
When editing CSV files using third-party applications like Excel or Google Sheets, automatic formatting may misinterpret data (e.g., converting long numeric strings to scientific notation), which can lead to errors during import.
Follow these guidelines to ensure compatibility:
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Open Excel and create a new blank workbook.
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Go to the Data tab.
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Select From Text/CSV in the Get External Data section.
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Locate and import your CSV file.
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For each column, set the data type to Text. By specifying the columns as a text format, Excel preserves the original data format.
Do not select General or any other format.