Bulk Case Data Editing
Bulk Case Data Editing is a web-based tool in CommCare that allows users to efficiently review, stage, and apply batch updates to case data at scale.
This feature requires a paid CommCare Software Plan
This feature is only available to CommCare users with an Advanced Plan or above. For more details, please see the CommCare Pricing Overview.
Permissions Required
A user must have "Full Organizational Access" and "Data" permissions enabled in order to use this feature. If you don’t see this feature, please contact your Project Admin - they can help update your permissions.
Why Use Bulk Case Data Editing?
The Bulk Case Data Editing feature in CommCare empowers users to efficiently update and correct case data directly within the platform, without relying on Excel imports or complex workflows. With a built-in table view, users can filter, sort, and review cases, then apply changes across one or more cases at once. It’s especially useful for large-scale or frequently updated programs, helping teams stage and review batches of edits, correct common data entry mistakes, format text uniformly, or remove irrelevant values. This tool streamlines case management by enabling faster, more consistent data cleaning directly from the web.
How it works
Users start by selecting a case type and applying filters to narrow down the list of cases. The tool then displays a table view where users can review and sort case records, making it easy to spot inconsistencies or values that need correction. After selecting the case property, users choose an editing action such as replacing values, removing white spaces, or formatting text, which is then applied across all selected cases. A preview of the changes is shown before submission, and users can undo or clear staged changes as needed. Once confirmed, the updates are implemented and recorded to maintain clean and consistent case data.
Users can perform multiple editing actions within a single session. After executing one action, you also have the option to select a different case property and set up another action. Once you have added all the desired actions, simply click "Apply" to finalize the updates.
Steps to edit case data
To begin case editing process, navigate to Data Tab and under the Edit Data section, select Bulk Edit Case Data
Select a case type from the dropdown menu. Click Next to continue.
Note: You can only select one case type at a time.
After selecting a case type, you’ll see a table displaying all cases associated with that case type. Before applying any editing actions, you must choose which cases to update.
Start by clicking Configure Columns to choose which case properties are shown in the table. This helps you focus on the most relevant fields, such as name, status, or any custom property specific to your application.
Next, click Filter Cases to narrow down the list of visible records. You can filter these cases using the following options:
Case Owner: Filter by a specific user or group.
Open/Closed: Choose to view only open or closed cases.
Add Filters: Apply custom filters based on case properties. For example, you can filter by registration date, location, or any other case property in your application.
Once your columns are configured and filters are applied, you can select the specific cases you want to update using the checkboxes in the table.
To select individual cases, check the box next to each row.
To select all cases on the current page, use the checkbox in the top-left corner of the table (next to the Name column in the screenshot).
To select all filtered cases across all pages, click Select All at the top of the table.
Red ❌ icon can be used to clear your current selections.
Apply Editing Actions:
After selecting the cases you want to update, click on Edit Selected Cases. This will open the data editing panel where you can choose and configure your editing actions.
Choose the specific case property you want to modify from the dropdown list.
Note: Only properties included in the table view will appear in the list.Select a data editing action from the available options.
Configure the action based on your selection. You'll typically see input fields or dropdowns specific to the chosen action. Click Preview Edits to see a sample of how the updates will be applied to your selected cases.
If you are satisfied with the preview, click Apply to implement the changes. Otherwise, click Clear to discard the current action configuration.
Use the Undo button to reverse the last applied data editing action, if necessary.
Once you have applied changes, you will have an option to continue editing the same case with the same columns and filters or exit the session.
Don’t see your edits right away on the report? Do not fret! Sometimes (especially for big data changes), it may take a minute for it to reflect on the report. You can always refresh the page to see your new data. Your columns and filters will stay the same.
Inline Editing (Quick Edits)
Users can also double-click any editable cell in the table to directly update a value. This is especially useful for one-off corrections or small updates without configuring a full edit action.
Tips
Use Show Whitespace to visualize invisible characters.
Keep your filters narrow to avoid large accidental updates.
Remember to double-check staged actions in Preview before applying.
Available Data Editing Actions
Replace: This action replaces all existing values within the selected case property with a single new value that you specify.
Select the target case property (e.g., "name").
Choose Replace from the list of available actions.
Enter the desired new value in the provided textbox.
Click Preview Changes to review the impact of the replacement.
Click Apply to save the changes or Clear to start over.
Find and Replace: This action allows you to find specific existing values within a case property and replace them with new values that you define.
Example: To correct a common data entry error, you might have added incorrect village name for cases and would like to change it.Select the target case property (e.g., "name").
Choose Find & Replace from the list of available actions.
Fill in the Find field with the value you want to change and the Replace With field with the new value.
Click Preview Changes to see which cases will be affected and the resulting values.
Click Apply to implement the find and replace operation, or Clear to adjust your criteria.
Copy and Replace This action copies the values from one specified case property and pastes them into another selected target property, overwriting any existing values in the target property.
Select the target case property.
Choose Copy & Replace from the list of available actions.
Select the property to copy from using the dropdown menu.
The values from the selected source property will be populated into the chosen target property for the selected cases during the application.
Click Preview Changes to see how the values will be copied.
Click Apply to complete the copy and replace action, or Clear to choose different properties.
Strip White Spaces This action removes leading and trailing white spaces from the selected case property values.
Select the target case property.
Choose Strip White Spaces from the list of available actions.
Click Preview Changes to review how the values will be updated.
Click Apply to update the values, or Clear to cancel.
Users can easily view all whitespace characters in the case properties by selecting the "Show Whitespace" option.
Make Title Case This action converts the selected case property values to title case, where the first letter of each word is capitalized.
Select the target case property.
Choose Make Title Case from the list of available actions.
Click Preview Changes to see the formatting change applied.
Click Apply to confirm the update, or Clear to reset the action.
Make Upper Case This action converts all text in the selected case property to uppercase letters.
Select the target case property.
Choose Make Upper Case from the list of available actions
Click Preview Changes to see the changes.
Click Apply to save the updates, or Clear to cancel.
Make Lower Case This action converts all text in the selected case property to lowercase letters.
Select the target case property.
Choose Make Lower Case from the list of available actions
Click Preview Changes to confirm the update.
Click Apply to proceed, or Clear to discard the action.
Make Value Empty: This action removes the current value from the selected case property, setting it to a blank string.
Select the target case property.
Choose Make Value Empty from the list of available actions
Click Preview Changes to review the change.
Click Apply to confirm, or Clear to undo.
Example use case:
You asked for the respondent’s Village Name in a form, but they chose not to answer. Using Make Value Empty reflects that the question was asked, but left blank.
→Villagename = ""(the property is present but has no value)
Make Value Null This action removes the current value and the case property key itself from the case, effectively making the value non-existent rather than an empty string. This can be important for certain integrations or reports that distinguish between an empty value and a missing (null) value.
Select the target case property.
Choose Make Value Null from the list of available actions
Click Preview Changes to review which properties will be removed.
Click Apply to complete the removal, or Clear to cancel.
Example use case:
Your form never included Village Name question, so the case shouldn’t contain avillagenameproperty at all. Using Make Value Null removes it completely.
→Villaegenameis not stored at all (the property is missing)
10. Reset Changes This action discards all staged editing actions and resets the tool to its initial state. Use this if you want to clear all configured actions and start over.