REDCap does not have a survey builder import wizard. It populates projects through a Data Dictionary CSV upload — a structured spreadsheet that defines every field, field type, and instrument in the project. Pirai AI generates that CSV automatically from any source document. Upload it to a new REDCap project and all your fields are created instantly.
What Is a REDCap Data Dictionary?
A REDCap Data Dictionary is a CSV file with specific column headers that REDCap reads to build your project's instruments and fields. It defines field names, field types (radio, checkbox, text, notes, dropdown), field labels, answer choices, and validation rules. Rather than building fields one by one in the Online Designer, uploading a Data Dictionary creates the entire project structure in a single step.
What Pirai AI outputs for REDCap
A .csv file in REDCap Data Dictionary format. Every column REDCap requires — Variable / Field Name, Form Name, Field Type, Field Label, Choices — is populated correctly. Upload the file via Project Setup > Data Dictionary > Upload File and click Commit Changes.
File Types Pirai AI Converts for REDCap
| Your File | Extension | Common Source |
|---|---|---|
| Word document | .docx | Microsoft Word, Google Docs (downloaded) |
| Native PDFs, scanned documents, CRFs | ||
| Excel spreadsheet | .xlsx | Survey specs, codebooks, tabular data |
| CSV file | .csv | Structured question lists, existing data dictionaries |
| Plain text | .txt | Simple questionnaire text, pasted content |
| XML file | .xml | LimeSurvey, SurveyMonkey exports |
| Qualtrics survey | .qsf | Migrating from Qualtrics to REDCap |
You can also paste plain survey text directly into the platform without uploading a file.
Ready to convert? Upload your document and get a REDCap Data Dictionary CSV in minutes.
Convert NowStep 1: Create a New REDCap Project
Permissions required: You must have permission to create projects in REDCap. If you do not have this access, contact your REDCap administrator. If you select Research as the project purpose, all required fields must be completed before proceeding.
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1Download your Data Dictionary CSV from Pirai AI Go to platform.piraiai.com, upload your document, select REDCap, and download the .csv Data Dictionary file.
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2Log in to REDCap and click New Project Click New Project from the top menu. On the Create a New REDCap Project screen, enter a Project Title and select the Purpose from the dropdown.
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3Select Empty project and click Create Project Under Project Creation Option, ensure Empty project (blank slate) is selected. Click Create Project.
Step 2: Upload the Data Dictionary
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1Go to Project Setup and open Data Dictionary On the Project Setup tab, under Design your data collection instruments, click the Data Dictionary button.
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2Confirm the date format and upload your CSV On the Data Dictionary tab, confirm the correct Format for min/max validation values for date and datetime fields is selected from the dropdown. Click Choose File, browse to your Pirai AI .csv file, and select it. Click Upload File.
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3Review the upload summary REDCap validates the file and displays a summary of all fields to be imported. Review the summary carefully. If no errors are shown, click Commit Changes to apply the Data Dictionary to your project.
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4Confirm success and review in the Online Designer A Changes Made Successfully confirmation will appear. From here, go to the Online Designer to review your instruments and fields, make any adjustments, and continue with your project setup.
REDCap Field Types Pirai AI Generates
| Source Question Type | REDCap Field Type | Supported |
|---|---|---|
| Single-line text / short answer | text | Yes |
| Long answer / open text | notes | Yes |
| Multiple choice (single answer) | radio | Yes |
| Multiple choice (multi-select) | checkbox | Yes |
| Dropdown / select list | dropdown | Yes |
| Calculated field | calc | Yes |
Unique to REDCap: field-level structure
Unlike other platforms where questions map directly to survey items, REDCap organises content into instruments and fields. Pirai AI maps your source document questions to the correct REDCap field types, assigns them to instruments, and generates the full Data Dictionary structure — so the uploaded CSV works cleanly on the first commit.
Supported File Types and Conversion Details
A reference index of every file type Pirai AI converts for REDCap Data Dictionary export.
- .docx (Word)
- Microsoft Word documents. Pirai AI extracts all questions and answer options and generates a REDCap Data Dictionary CSV with correct field types, labels, and choices columns.
- .doc (Legacy Word)
- Older Word format. Pirai AI extracts all content and generates a REDCap-compatible Data Dictionary CSV.
- .pdf (PDF)
- Native and scanned PDFs. Pirai AI extracts questions, options, and field structure and generates a REDCap Data Dictionary CSV. Useful for converting paper CRFs and legacy forms.
- .xlsx (Excel)
- Excel spreadsheets with survey or codebook data. Pirai AI reads the structure and generates a REDCap Data Dictionary CSV with correct column mapping.
- .csv (CSV)
- CSV files with question data or existing partial data dictionaries. Pirai AI structures the content into a complete REDCap Data Dictionary CSV.
- .txt (Plain text)
- Plain text survey files. Pirai AI maps the content to REDCap field types and generates a Data Dictionary CSV.
- .xml (XML)
- XML exports from LimeSurvey, SurveyMonkey, and others. Converted to REDCap Data Dictionary CSV format.
- .qsf (Qualtrics)
- Qualtrics Survey Format files. Pirai AI converts QSF question types to REDCap field types and generates a full Data Dictionary CSV for migration.
- Plain text (pasted)
- Survey text pasted directly into Pirai AI. Generates a REDCap Data Dictionary CSV output.
- Google Docs
- Download as .docx (File > Download > Microsoft Word), upload to Pirai AI, select REDCap.
- Paper CRFs
- Scan paper case report forms to PDF, upload to Pirai AI, select REDCap. Pirai AI generates a Data Dictionary CSV from the scanned content.
This guide covers how to: import a Word document into REDCap, convert a PDF to REDCap, upload an Excel questionnaire to REDCap, convert a CSV to REDCap data dictionary, create a REDCap data dictionary from Word, generate a REDCap data dictionary CSV, upload a data dictionary to REDCap, import a survey into REDCap, build a REDCap project from a Word document, convert a CRF to REDCap, convert a paper form to REDCap, migrate Qualtrics to REDCap, convert Qualtrics QSF to REDCap data dictionary, migrate SurveyMonkey to REDCap, import a questionnaire into REDCap without manual entry, convert a survey spec to REDCap format, create REDCap instruments from a document, digitize a paper questionnaire into REDCap, and convert any document format to REDCap Data Dictionary CSV.
Get Started
Upload your document at platform.piraiai.com. Select REDCap, download your Data Dictionary .csv, and upload it to a new REDCap project via Project Setup > Data Dictionary > Upload File > Commit Changes.
For the full import reference across all platforms, see the Pirai AI Platform Import Guide. To compare with other platforms, see How to Convert into Qualtrics or How to Convert into SurveyMonkey.