The geo hierarchy is the backbone of the platform. Everything else — users, teams, stock, reporting, permissions — attaches to a point in it, so load it carefully before anything else.
Prepare your source file
Use one row per unit, with the parent unit named exactly as it appears at the level above. A missing or misspelled parent is the most common reason an import fails.
Required columns:
level— one ofcountry,state,lga,ward,facility,distribution_point,settlementname— the unit name as staff will recognise itparent_name— the unit directly above it, blank only for countrycode— optional, but strongly recommended if you will reconcile against national datasets
Run the import
Go to Administration → Geo hierarchy → Import, upload the file, and review the preview. The preview shows how many units will be created at each level and flags rows whose parent could not be matched. Nothing is written until you confirm.
Handling rejected rows
Rejected rows are downloadable as a corrections file. Fix the parent names and re-upload only that file — re-uploading the whole set is safe but slower, as matched units are skipped rather than duplicated.
Attach GPS coordinates
Facilities and distribution points can carry coordinates, which enables map views and travel-time analysis later. Coordinates are optional and can be added after the initial import.
What to check before moving on
- Spot-check three or four wards and confirm their facility counts match your microplan
- Confirm the settlement count is plausible; a count far below expectation usually means a level was skipped
- Confirm no unit appears twice at the same level under the same parent