# Recognized Column Names
URL: https://docs.valsight.ai/recognized-column-names/
Description: The column headers a data source upload links to measures, time levels and the Sequence dimension automatically.
## Overview

Valsight reads the header row of every uploaded sheet and tries to link each column to something in the project. The general rule is the one worth remembering: **a column whose header matches the name of a level in the project is linked to that level.** No configuration is needed, and this is what makes a well-named sheet load without any manual mapping.

On top of that rule, Valsight recognizes the fixed header names listed below, which link to levels a project may not have named that way. Matching ignores case and surrounding spaces, so `Year`, `YEAR` and `year ` all behave identically.

For guidance on naming your own columns and levels, see [Naming Guidelines](/naming-guidelines/).

## Columns that become measures

A column with one of these headers is treated as a measure rather than a level:

```
AMOUNT, MEASURE, VALUE, MEASURE_DISTRIBUTION
```

This only applies while the column's type is still undetermined, so a column you have already mapped in the upload wizard is never overridden.

## Columns that link to the time dimension

These headers link a column to a time level, provided the project has that level. The level value in the cells has to match the shape shown, otherwise the upload reports an invalid value.

| Column header | Time level | Level value shape                     | Example  |
| ------------- | ---------- | ------------------------------------- | -------- |
| YEAR          | Year       | four-digit year                       | 2025     |
| QUARTER       | Quarter    | year, hyphen, `Q`, quarter number     | 2025-Q4  |
| MONTH         | Month      | year, hyphen, two-digit month         | 2025-01  |
| ISOMONTH      | Month      | year, hyphen, two-digit month         | 2025-01  |
| DATE          | Day        | eight digits, no separators           | 20250101 |
| SAPDATE       | Day        | eight digits, no separators           | 20250101 |
| BLDAT         | Day        | eight digits, no separators           | 20250101 |
| CALWEEK       | Week       | year, hyphen, `W`, two-digit ISO week | 2025-W04 |

Which of these levels exist depends on the project. A week-based project has no Quarter and no Month level, and its top level holds the ISO week-based year, so a `YEAR` column links there instead. See [The time dimension](/time-dimension/) for both structures.

## Columns that link to the Sequence dimension

The headers `SEQ` and `SEQUENCE` link a column to the Sequence level.

Sequence level values are fixed-width and padded with leading spaces, and the padding depends on the configured maximum, so they need care in Excel. See [Configure the Sequence Dimension](/configure-the-sequence-dimension/).

## Related documentation

* [The time dimension](/time-dimension/): how the time levels above come to exist
* [Naming Guidelines](/naming-guidelines/): naming your own sheets, columns and levels
* [Data Source Upload](/data-source-upload/): structuring the Excel file as a whole