Provider Selection Import/Export

Save and restore your AI provider test configurations using JSON or Excel formats. This feature allows you to quickly switch between different test setups, share configurations with team members, and maintain backups of your testing preferences.

Overview

The Provider Selection Import/Export feature in the Synthetic Dashboard lets you:

• Export your current provider/model selections and group assignments
• Import previously saved configurations
• Share test setups with team members
• Backup configurations before making changes

Note: This is different from the AI Provider Import/Export in /admin/ai-providers, which manages actual provider credentials and API keys. Provider Selection only manages which providers are selected for testing.

Accessing Import/Export

1. Navigate to Synthetic Dashboard (/synthetic)
2. In the AI Provider Configuration section, click Import/Export
3. The import/export panel will expand with options

Export Formats

Excel Export (Recommended)

Excel format provides a spreadsheet-friendly view that's easy to edit and share.

Click "Export Excel" to download a .xlsx file containing:

Sheet 1: Provider Configuration

Column	Description	Example
provider	Provider identifier	openai
displayName	Human-readable provider name	OpenAI
model	Model identifier	gpt-4o
modelDisplayName	Human-readable model name	GPT-4o
qualityTier	Model quality tier	quality, fast, cheap, secure
selected	Whether model is selected	yes or no
group	Assigned groups (comma-separated)	Production, High-Quality
inputCost	Cost per 1K input tokens	0.003
outputCost	Cost per 1K output tokens	0.015
healthStatus	Provider health status	healthy, degraded, unknown

Sheet 2: Metadata

Contains export timestamp, version, and summary statistics.

JSON Export

JSON format is ideal for programmatic processing and version control.

Click "Export JSON" to download a .json file containing:

{
  "version": "1.0",
  "exportedAt": "2024-01-15T10:30:00.000Z",
  "selections": {
    "openai": ["gpt-4o", "gpt-4o-mini"],
    "anthropic": ["claude-3-5-sonnet-20241022"]
  },
  "groupAssignments": {
    "openai:gpt-4o": ["group-id-1", "group-id-2"]
  },
  "providers": [
    {
      "provider": "openai",
      "displayName": "OpenAI",
      "models": [
        {
          "name": "gpt-4o",
          "displayName": "GPT-4o",
          "qualityTier": "quality",
          "groups": [
            { "id": "group-id-1", "name": "Production" }
          ]
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}

Import Formats

Excel Import

Import configurations from .xlsx or .xls files.

Required Columns

Column	Required	Description
provider	Yes	Provider identifier (must match existing provider)
model	Yes	Model identifier (must match existing model)

Optional Columns

Column	Default	Description
selected	no	Set to yes, true, or 1 to select the model
group	(none)	Group name(s) to assign (comma-separated)
displayName	(ignored)	For reference only
qualityTier	(ignored)	Must be: cheap, secure, fast, or quality

Example Excel Import

provider	model	selected	group
openai	gpt-4o	yes	Production, High-Quality
openai	gpt-4o-mini	yes	Development
anthropic	claude-3-5-sonnet-20241022	yes	Production
google	gemini-1.5-pro	no

JSON Import

Import configurations from .json files exported previously.

The JSON structure must include either:

• selections object with provider → model array mapping
• providers array with nested model information

Validation

When you import a file, the system validates:

Structure Validation

• Required columns/fields are present
• Data types are correct
• Provider and model names are valid

Value Validation

• qualityTier must be one of: cheap, secure, fast, quality
• selected must be: yes/no, true/false, or 1/0
• Group names must match existing groups

Validation Status

Status	Icon	Description
Valid	✅	File passed all checks, ready to import
Warnings	⚠️	Minor issues (optional fields missing) - can still import
Error	❌	Critical issues - must fix before importing

Common Validation Errors

Error	Cause	Solution
Missing required column	provider or model column not found	Add the missing column to your file
Missing provider value	Row has empty provider	Fill in the provider name
Invalid qualityTier	Tier not in allowed values	Use: cheap, secure, fast, or quality
Invalid JSON format	Malformed JSON syntax	Check for missing commas, brackets

Workflow Examples

Example 1: Share Test Configuration with Team

1. Configure your provider selections in the Synthetic Dashboard
2. Click Import/Export → Export Excel
3. Share the .xlsx file with team members via email or shared drive
4. Team members import using Choose File → select the file → Apply Excel Import

Example 2: Switch Between Test Environments

1. Export your Production configuration as prod-providers.xlsx
2. Export your Development configuration as dev-providers.xlsx
3. When switching environments, import the appropriate file

Example 3: Bulk Edit Selections

1. Export current configuration to Excel
2. Open in spreadsheet application (Excel, Google Sheets)
3. Edit the selected column to yes/no as needed
4. Save and Import the modified file

Example 4: Add Models to Groups

1. Export current configuration to Excel
2. Edit the group column, adding group names (comma-separated)
3. Import the modified file - groups will be assigned automatically

Best Practices

Before Importing

• Export your current configuration as a backup
• Validate the import file using the preview feature
• Review warnings before applying

File Management

• Use descriptive filenames: synthetic-config-prod-2024-01.xlsx
• Keep exports organized by date and purpose
• Store in version control for audit trail

Team Collaboration

• Establish naming conventions for shared configurations
• Document what each configuration is for
• Use Excel comments to explain non-obvious selections

Comparison: Provider Selection vs AI Provider Import

Feature	Provider Selection (/synthetic)	AI Provider (/admin/ai-providers)
Purpose	Test configuration	Platform configuration
Data	Selections, groups, presets	Credentials, API keys, endpoints
Sensitivity	Low (preferences only)	High (contains secrets)
Users	Testers, operators	Administrators only
Formats	JSON, Excel	CSV, Excel
Scope	Per-user/session	Company-wide

Troubleshooting

Import Not Applying

Symptom: File shows as valid but selections don't change

Solution:

• Ensure selected column contains yes (not just truthy values)
• Check that provider/model names exactly match existing providers
• Verify you clicked "Apply Import" after validation

Groups Not Assigned

Symptom: Models imported but group assignments missing

Solution:

• Group names must exactly match existing groups (case-insensitive)
• Create groups first in Provider Groups management
• Check for typos in group names

Excel File Won't Parse

Symptom: Error reading Excel file

Solution:

• Ensure file is .xlsx or .xls format
• Remove any password protection
• Try re-saving from Excel/Google Sheets
• Check for corrupted formulas or special characters

Related Documentation

• Synthetic Testing Overview
• AI Provider CSV Import/Export (Admin)
• Provider Groups Management
• Synthetic Testing API Reference