Import clients from a spreadsheet (CSV file)
Bring a whole client list into Todah at once from a CSV file, check a preview first, and skip anyone you already have.
If your clients are in a spreadsheet or another program, you can bring them all in at once instead of typing each one. Todah reads a CSV file. CSV (comma-separated values) is a plain file of rows and columns that every spreadsheet program can save, usually with Save As or Download in its File menu.
Before you start
- Save your list as a CSV file. The first row must name the columns.
- Todah reads five columns: Name, Email, Phone, Address and Terms. Only Name is required. Other columns in the file are ignored.
- Common column names are understood too, for example Customer Name, Client, Company, Business Name or Display Name for Name; E-mail or Email Address for Email; Telephone, Tel or Mobile for Phone; Billing Address, Street Address or Mailing Address for Address; Payment Terms for Terms.
- One file can hold up to 2,000 clients. For a longer list, split it into several files.
- Put the whole address in one cell, for example 5 Main St, Calgary AB T2P 1J9.
- Terms must be Due on receipt, Net 7, Net 15, Net 30, Net 45, Net 60 or Net 90, or left blank.
- Anyone on your team can import clients.
Step by step
- In the menu on the left, choose Clients.
- At the top of the list, choose Import Clients. A form headed Import Clients opens.
- Beside CSV File, choose your file. Nothing is saved yet: Todah reads the file and shows a preview.
- Read the line above the preview, for example 3 new · 1 already in your clients (skipped) · 1 with a problem (skipped).
- Read the Result column. Will be added means the row becomes a new client. Skipped explains why the row is left out.
- If a row you need was skipped for a problem, fix it in your spreadsheet, save the CSV again and choose the file again.
- Choose the button at the bottom, for example Import 3 Clients. The form closes, a message says how many clients were added, and they are in the list.
Which rows are skipped
| Already in your clients. | A client with the same name, or with the same main email address, is already in Todah. Duplicates are skipped rather than merged, so nothing you already have is changed. A name that appears twice in the file is added once. |
|---|---|
| No name on this row. | The Name cell is empty. |
| A message about the email or phone | The email or phone cannot be right, for example an email with no @. The same checks as the client form apply. |
| Terms is not one Todah knows | The Terms cell holds something other than the terms listed above. Change it, or empty the cell. |
What each imported client gets
- Name, email, phone, billing address and default payment terms from the file. Phones are tidied to the usual format, such as (403) 555-0100.
- Their main email address is ticked to receive both Invoices and Quotes.
- No Automatic Emails is left unticked, and no email is sent to anyone by the import.
- The import is recorded in the Audit Log as client.imported, with how many clients were added.
If the file cannot be read
- The first row must be a header with a Name column. The columns Todah reads are Name, Email, Phone, Address and Terms. The first row of your file is not a header with a Name column. Add one.
- The file is empty. Choose a CSV file with a header row and one client per row.
- That file could not be read as CSV. The file is in another format, such as a spreadsheet file. Save it from your spreadsheet as CSV and choose it again.
Changing your mind
Imported clients are ordinary clients: change any of them with Edit, or archive one you do not need. A client added by mistake, with no documents yet, can be deleted by the owner or an admin.
Tip: Import your clients first, then your saved items, and you are ready to write invoices.
See also
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