diff --git a/frontend/package.json b/frontend/package.json
index b0e9bd78..ac32490f 100644
--- a/frontend/package.json
+++ b/frontend/package.json
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
     "angular2-multiselect-dropdown": "^4.6.6",
     "angular2-toaster": "^11.0.1",
     "bootstrap": "^4.5.0",
+    "papaparse": "^5.5.2",
     "rxjs": "~6.6.0",
     "tslib": "^2.0.0",
     "zone.js": "~0.10.2"
diff --git a/frontend/src/app/app.module.ts b/frontend/src/app/app.module.ts
index 7c7b44d9..7eea0060 100644
--- a/frontend/src/app/app.module.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/app/app.module.ts
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ import {
     SuggestedFieldsComponent,
     SuggestedFieldsCreateComponent,
     SuggestedFieldsListComponent,
-    PreviewLinkComponent
+    PreviewLinkComponent,
   ],
   providers: [
     CommonsService,
diff --git a/frontend/src/app/components/details/rule-management/rule-management.component.ts b/frontend/src/app/components/details/rule-management/rule-management.component.ts
index 5cb6dd83..4e4003a6 100755
--- a/frontend/src/app/components/details/rule-management/rule-management.component.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/app/components/details/rule-management/rule-management.component.ts
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ import {
   UpDownRule,
   PreviewSection
 } from '../../../models';
+import {randomUUID} from '../../../lib/uuid';
 import {
   CommonsService,
   FeatureToggleService,
@@ -284,7 +285,7 @@ export class RuleManagementComponent implements OnChanges, OnInit, AfterContentC
     console.log('In SearchInputDetailComponent :: addNewSynonym');
 
     const emptySynonymRule: SynonymRule = {
-      id: this.randomUUID(),
+      id: randomUUID(),
       synonymType: 0,
       term: '',
       isActive: true
@@ -308,7 +309,7 @@ export class RuleManagementComponent implements OnChanges, OnInit, AfterContentC
     console.log('In SearchInputDetailComponent :: addNewUpDownRule');
 
     const emptyUpDownRule: UpDownRule = {
-      id: this.randomUUID(),
+      id: randomUUID(),
       term: '',
       isActive: true
     };
@@ -340,7 +341,7 @@ export class RuleManagementComponent implements OnChanges, OnInit, AfterContentC
     console.log('In SearchInputDetailComponent :: addNewFilterRule');
 
     const emptyFilterRule: FilterRule = {
-      id: this.randomUUID(),
+      id: randomUUID(),
       term: '',
       isActive: true
     };
@@ -369,7 +370,7 @@ export class RuleManagementComponent implements OnChanges, OnInit, AfterContentC
     console.log('In SearchInputDetailComponent :: addNewDeleteRule');
 
     const emptyDeleteRule: DeleteRule = {
-      id: this.randomUUID(),
+      id: randomUUID(),
       term: '',
       isActive: true
     };
@@ -393,7 +394,7 @@ export class RuleManagementComponent implements OnChanges, OnInit, AfterContentC
     console.log('In SearchInputDetailComponent :: addNewRedirectRule');
 
     const emptyRedirectRule: RedirectRule = {
-      id: this.randomUUID(),
+      id: randomUUID(),
       target: '',
       isActive: true
     };
@@ -560,17 +561,6 @@ export class RuleManagementComponent implements OnChanges, OnInit, AfterContentC
     return idxMinimumDistance;
   }
 
-  // taken from https://stackoverflow.com/questions/105034/create-guid-uuid-in-javascript
-  private randomUUID() {
-    /* eslint-disable */
-    return 'xxxxxxxx-xxxx-4xxx-yxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx'.replace(/[xy]/g, function(c) {
-      const r = (Math.random() * 16) | 0,
-        v = c == 'x' ? r : (r & 0x3) | 0x8
-      return v.toString(16)
-    })
-    /* eslint-enable */
-  }
-
   private updateSelectedTagsInModel() {
     if (this.detailSearchInput) {
       this.detailSearchInput.tags = this.selectedTags;
diff --git a/frontend/src/app/components/rules-panel/rules-search/rules-search.component.css b/frontend/src/app/components/rules-panel/rules-search/rules-search.component.css
index 8d957cca..f16c4954 100755
--- a/frontend/src/app/components/rules-panel/rules-search/rules-search.component.css
+++ b/frontend/src/app/components/rules-panel/rules-search/rules-search.component.css
@@ -10,3 +10,7 @@
 .create-button {
   margin-left: 0.5rem;
 }
+
+.full-width {
+  width: 100%;
+}
diff --git a/frontend/src/app/components/rules-panel/rules-search/rules-search.component.html b/frontend/src/app/components/rules-panel/rules-search/rules-search.component.html
index 8cf49374..8c546b3d 100755
--- a/frontend/src/app/components/rules-panel/rules-search/rules-search.component.html
+++ b/frontend/src/app/components/rules-panel/rules-search/rules-search.component.html
@@ -45,6 +45,13 @@
       >
         <i class="fa fa-plus" aria-hidden="true"></i> New
       </button>
+      <button
+        class="btn btn-success create-button"
+        type="button"
+        (click)="openFileModal()"
+      >
+        <i class="fa fa-upload" aria-hidden="true"></i> Import
+      </button>
     </span>
   </div>
 </app-smui-card>
@@ -77,3 +84,50 @@
     </button>
   </div>
 </app-smui-modal>
+<app-smui-modal
+  id="file-import"
+  title="Import rules from CSV"
+>
+  <div content>
+    <div class="progress" [style.visibility]="progress ? 'visible' : 'hidden'">
+      <div class="progress-bar"
+        [style.width.%]="progress"
+        [attr.aria-valuenow]="progress"
+        role="progressbar"
+        aria-valuemin="0"
+        aria-valuemax="100"
+      ></div>
+    </div>
+    <p>
+      Your csv must be in the following format (do not include the header row)
+    </p>
+    <table class="table">
+      <thead class="thead-dark">
+        <tr>
+          <th>search term</th>
+          <th>synonym</th>
+          <th>comment</th>
+        </tr>
+      </thead>
+      <tbody>
+        <tr>
+          <td>boot</td>
+          <td>shoe</td>
+          <td>Requested by footware</td>
+        </tr>
+      </tbody>
+    </table>
+  </div>
+  <div footer class="btn-toolbar full-width">
+    <div class="custom-file">
+      <input
+        type="file"
+        accept="text/csv"
+        class="custom-file-input"
+        id="customFile"
+        (change)="fileSelect($event)"
+      >
+      <label class="custom-file-label" for="customFile">Choose file</label>
+    </div>
+  </div>
+</app-smui-modal>
diff --git a/frontend/src/app/components/rules-panel/rules-search/rules-search.component.ts b/frontend/src/app/components/rules-panel/rules-search/rules-search.component.ts
index a617bc33..7186100b 100755
--- a/frontend/src/app/components/rules-panel/rules-search/rules-search.component.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/app/components/rules-panel/rules-search/rules-search.component.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,8 @@ import {
   Output,
   EventEmitter,
   OnChanges,
-  SimpleChanges
+  SimpleChanges,
+  ChangeDetectorRef
 } from '@angular/core';
 
 import {
@@ -12,9 +13,11 @@ import {
   ModalService,
   RuleManagementService,
   SpellingsService,
-  TagsService
+  TagsService,
+  CSVImportService
 } from '../../../services';
-import {InputTag, ListItem} from '../../../models';
+import {InputTag, ListItem, ApiResult} from '../../../models';
+const fileImportModal = 'file-import';
 
 @Component({
   selector: 'app-smui-rules-search',
@@ -35,6 +38,7 @@ export class RulesSearchComponent implements OnChanges {
   @Output() showErrorMsg: EventEmitter<string> = new EventEmitter();
 
   allTags: InputTag[] = [];
+  progress: number = 0;
   readonly isTaggingActive = this.featureToggleService.isRuleTaggingActive();
   private readonly isSpellingActive = this.featureToggleService.getSyncToggleActivateSpelling();
 
@@ -43,7 +47,9 @@ export class RulesSearchComponent implements OnChanges {
     private ruleManagementService: RuleManagementService,
     private spellingsService: SpellingsService,
     private tagsService: TagsService,
-    private modalService: ModalService
+    private modalService: ModalService,
+    private csvImportService: CSVImportService,
+    private cdr: ChangeDetectorRef
   ) {}
 
   ngOnChanges(changes: SimpleChanges): void {
@@ -65,6 +71,37 @@ export class RulesSearchComponent implements OnChanges {
     });
   }
 
+  openFileModal(): void {
+    this.modalService.open(fileImportModal);
+  }
+
+  fileSelect(event: Event): void {
+    const element = event.currentTarget as HTMLInputElement;
+    if (element?.files?.length && this.currentSolrIndexId) {
+      const files: FileList = element?.files;
+      const file = element?.files?.[0];
+      const ruleCreations = this.csvImportService.import(
+        file,
+        this.currentSolrIndexId,
+        (percentage: number) => {
+          this.progress = percentage;
+          this.cdr.detectChanges();
+        }
+      );
+      ruleCreations
+        .then(
+          () => {
+            this.progress = 0;
+            this.modalService.close(fileImportModal)
+            this.refreshAndSelectListItemById.emit();
+          }
+        ).catch(err => {
+          this.showErrorMsg.emit(err.message)
+          this.progress = 0;
+        });
+    }
+  }
+
   createNewSpellingItem() {
     if (this.currentSolrIndexId) {
       this.spellingsService
diff --git a/frontend/src/app/lib/csv.spec.ts b/frontend/src/app/lib/csv.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c5d6cfbc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/app/lib/csv.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+import {rowsToSearchInputs} from './csv';
+
+describe('rowsToSearchInputs', () => {
+  it('parses no inputs when there are no rows', () => {
+    expect(rowsToSearchInputs([])).toHaveSize(0);
+  });
+
+  it('ignores rows with less than 3 columns', () => {
+    expect(rowsToSearchInputs([['abc', '123']])).toHaveSize(0);
+  });
+
+  it('ignores rows with more than 3 columns', () => {
+    expect(rowsToSearchInputs([['abc', '123', 'def', '456']])).toHaveSize(0);
+  });
+
+  it('parses rows with 3 columns', () => {
+    const inputs = rowsToSearchInputs([
+      ['term', 'synonym', 'comment']
+    ]);
+    expect(inputs).toHaveSize(1);
+    expect(inputs[0].id).toBeInstanceOf(String);
+    expect(inputs[0].term).toEqual('term');
+    expect(inputs[0].redirectRules).toEqual([]);
+    expect(inputs[0].filterRules).toEqual([]);
+    expect(inputs[0].tags).toEqual([]);
+    expect(inputs[0].upDownRules).toEqual([]);
+    expect(inputs[0].synonymRules).toHaveSize(1);
+    expect(inputs[0].synonymRules[0].term).toEqual('synonym');
+    expect(inputs[0].synonymRules[0].isActive).toEqual(true);
+    expect(inputs[0].synonymRules[0].synonymType).toEqual(0);
+    expect(inputs[0].synonymRules[0].id).toBeInstanceOf(String);
+  });
+
+  it('groups rows with the same search term', () => {
+    const inputs = rowsToSearchInputs([
+      ['term', 'synonym', 'comment'],
+      ['term', 'another synonym', 'comment'],
+    ]);
+    expect(inputs).toHaveSize(1);
+    expect(inputs[0].synonymRules).toHaveSize(2);
+  });
+
+  it('creates one SearchInput per term', () => {
+    const inputs = rowsToSearchInputs([
+      ['term', 'synonym', 'comment'],
+      ['term2', 'another synonym', 'comment'],
+    ]);
+    expect(inputs).toHaveSize(2);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/frontend/src/app/lib/csv.ts b/frontend/src/app/lib/csv.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f9392b5c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/app/lib/csv.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+import {SynonymRule, SearchInput} from '../models';
+import {randomUUID} from './uuid';
+
+function makeActiveSynonymTerm(synonymTerm: string): SynonymRule {
+  return {
+    term: synonymTerm,
+    isActive: true,
+    synonymType: 0,
+    id: randomUUID()
+  };
+}
+
+export function rowsToSearchInputs(rows: string[][]): SearchInput[] {
+  return rows
+    .filter(row => row.length === 3)
+    .reduce((searchInputs, row) => {
+      const [term, synonymTerm, comment] = row;
+      const searchInput = searchInputs.find(searchInput => searchInput.term === term);
+      if (!searchInput) {
+        searchInputs = searchInputs.concat({
+          id: randomUUID(),
+          term,
+          synonymRules: [makeActiveSynonymTerm(synonymTerm)],
+          isActive: true,
+          redirectRules: [],
+          deleteRules: [],
+          filterRules: [],
+          tags: [],
+          upDownRules: [],
+          comment,
+        })
+      } else {
+        searchInput.synonymRules.push(makeActiveSynonymTerm(synonymTerm))
+      }
+      return searchInputs;
+     }, [] as SearchInput[]);
+}
diff --git a/frontend/src/app/lib/uuid.ts b/frontend/src/app/lib/uuid.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..93fd69fc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/app/lib/uuid.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+
+// taken from https://stackoverflow.com/questions/105034/create-guid-uuid-in-javascript
+export function randomUUID(): string {
+  /* eslint-disable */
+  return 'xxxxxxxx-xxxx-4xxx-yxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx'.replace(/[xy]/g, function(c) {
+    const r = Math.random() * 16 | 0, v = c == 'x' ? r : (r & 0x3 | 0x8);
+    return v.toString(16);
+  });
+  /* eslint-enable */
+}
diff --git a/frontend/src/app/services/commons.service.ts b/frontend/src/app/services/commons.service.ts
index c7559e64..5a7715a1 100644
--- a/frontend/src/app/services/commons.service.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/app/services/commons.service.ts
@@ -1,15 +1,11 @@
 import { Injectable, SimpleChanges } from '@angular/core';
+import {randomUUID} from '../lib/uuid';
 
 @Injectable()
 export class CommonsService {
 
   generateUUID(): string {
-    /* eslint-disable */
-    return 'xxxxxxxx-xxxx-4xxx-yxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx'.replace(/[xy]/g, function(c) {
-      const r = Math.random() * 16 | 0, v = c == 'x' ? r : (r & 0x3 | 0x8);
-      return v.toString(16);
-    });
-    /* eslint-enable */
+    return randomUUID();
   }
 
   isDirty(obj: any, origObj: string): boolean {
diff --git a/frontend/src/app/services/csv-import.service.spec.ts b/frontend/src/app/services/csv-import.service.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..830e2f18
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/app/services/csv-import.service.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+import { CSVImportService } from './csv-import.service';
+import {RuleManagementService} from './rule-management.service'
+
+describe('CSVImportService', () => {
+  let csvImportService: CSVImportService;
+
+  it('saves rule items', (done) => {
+    const csv = "term,synonym,comment" as unknown as File;
+
+    csvImportService.import(csv, 'indexId', () => {}).then(x => {
+      expect(addRuleItem).toHaveBeenCalledOnceWith('indexId', 'term', []);
+
+      const searchInput = updateSearchInput.calls.first().args[0];
+      expect(searchInput.id).toEqual('123');
+      expect(searchInput.term).toEqual('term');
+      expect(searchInput.synonymRules.length).toEqual(1);
+      expect(searchInput.synonymRules[0].term).toEqual('synonym');
+      expect(searchInput.synonymRules[0].isActive).toEqual(true);
+      expect(searchInput.synonymRules[0].synonymType).toEqual(0);
+      expect(searchInput.isActive).toEqual(true);
+      expect(searchInput.comment).toEqual('comment');
+      done();
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('calls progress for each saved rule item', (done) => {
+    const ruleManagementService = {
+      addNewRuleItem() {},
+      updateSearchInput() {}
+    } as unknown as RuleManagementService;
+    const ctx = {progress: (percentage: number) => {}}
+    const progress = spyOn(ctx, 'progress');
+    const addRuleItem = spyOn(
+      ruleManagementService, 'addNewRuleItem'
+    ).and.returnValue(
+      Promise.resolve({returnId: '123', message: '', result: ''})
+    );
+    const updateSearchInput = spyOn(
+      ruleManagementService, 'updateSearchInput'
+    ).and.returnValue(
+      Promise.resolve({result: '', message: '', returnId: ''})
+    );
+    csvImportService = new CSVImportService(ruleManagementService);
+    const csv = "term,synonym,comment\nterm2,synonym2,comment2" as unknown as File;
+
+    csvImportService.import(csv, 'indexId', ctx.progress).then(x => {
+      expect(progress).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
+      expect(progress).toHaveBeenCalledWith(50);
+      expect(progress).toHaveBeenCalledWith(100);
+      done();
+    });
+  });
+
+});
diff --git a/frontend/src/app/services/csv-import.service.ts b/frontend/src/app/services/csv-import.service.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..442463cc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/app/services/csv-import.service.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+import {parse} from 'papaparse';
+import { Injectable } from '@angular/core';
+import {ApiResult} from '../models';
+import {rowsToSearchInputs} from '../lib/csv';
+import {RuleManagementService} from './rule-management.service'
+import {ModalService} from './modal.service';
+
+const fileImportModal = 'file-import';
+@Injectable({
+  providedIn: 'root'
+})
+export class CSVImportService {
+  constructor(private ruleManagementService: RuleManagementService) {}
+
+  import(file: File, indexId: string, progress: (percentage: number) => void): Promise<ApiResult | null> {
+    return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+      parse(file, {
+        complete: (results: {data: string[][]}) => {
+          const searchInputs = rowsToSearchInputs(results.data);
+          let i = 1;
+          const ruleCreations: Promise<ApiResult | null> = searchInputs
+            .reduce((chain: Promise<ApiResult | null>, searchInput): Promise<null | ApiResult> => {
+              return chain
+                .then(() => {
+                  return this.ruleManagementService.addNewRuleItem(indexId, searchInput.term, [])
+                    .then(inputId => {
+                      const onePercent = 100 / (searchInputs.length);
+
+                      progress(onePercent * i);
+                      i ++;
+                      searchInput.id = inputId.returnId;
+                      return this.ruleManagementService.updateSearchInput(searchInput)
+                    });
+                });
+            }, Promise.resolve(null));
+            resolve(ruleCreations);
+        },
+        error: (err: Error) => {
+          reject(err);
+        }
+      });
+    });
+  }
+}
diff --git a/frontend/src/app/services/index.ts b/frontend/src/app/services/index.ts
index ec789ae3..2365e212 100644
--- a/frontend/src/app/services/index.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/app/services/index.ts
@@ -11,3 +11,4 @@ export * from './config.service';
 export * from './modal.service';
 export * from './deployment-detailed-info.service';
 export * from './preview-link.service';
+export * from './csv-import.service';
diff --git a/frontend/src/papaparse.d.ts b/frontend/src/papaparse.d.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f5e5feef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/papaparse.d.ts
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+declare module 'papaparse';