📥 Import Contacts – Bulk-Upload Customers & Suppliers #
1. Navigate to “Import Contacts” #
- Log in to your back-office.
- Click Customers in the purple sidebar (same page can also be reached from Suppliers).
- Select Import Customers or Import Suppliers depending on your menu label.
- The screen shows:
- A Choose File field with a grey Submit button.
- A black Download template file button.
- An “Instructions” table that lists all CSV columns.
2. Workflow at a Glance #
| # | Step | Why? |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Download template file | Get the exact columns & order required. |
| 2 | Fill the CSV offline | Add or update contact records in bulk. |
| 3 | Save as .csv (UTF-8) | System only accepts CSV. |
| 4 | Choose File ➜ Submit | Upload & import. |
| 5 | Review success / error log | Fix any failed rows. |
3. Download & Open the Template #
- Press Download template file.
- Save
contacts_template.csv. - Open in Excel / Google Sheets.
4. Key Columns Explained #
| Col # | Header | Required? | Note / Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Contact Type | Yes | Customer, Supplier, or Both |
| 3 | First Name | Yes | John |
| 6 | Business Name | Yes* | Needed if type is Supplier or Both |
| 7 | Contact ID | No | Leave blank to auto-generate |
| 10 | Pay Term | No | Numeric (e.g., 30) |
| 11 | Pay Term Period | No | days or months |
| 13 | Email | No | [email protected] |
| 14 | Mobile | No | 971501234567 |
| … template continues to column 35 (see on-screen). | |||
5. Populate & Save #
- Do not change the header row or column order.
- Use
YYYY-MM-DDfor date fields (e.g., License Expiry). - For numbers: no commas, no currency symbols.
- When finished, Save / Download as CSV (UTF-8).
6. Import the File #
- Click Choose File and select your CSV.
- The Submit button turns purple; click it.
- Wait for upload confirmation. Errors will list row numbers & issues.
7. Troubleshooting #
| Error | Reason | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| “Invalid Contact Type” | Spelling or extra space. | Use exactly Customer, Supplier, Both. |
| “Duplicate Contact ID” | ID already exists. | Use a unique ID or leave blank. |
| Date parse error | Wrong format. | Enter date as 2026-01-05. |
| File rejected | Saved as Excel (.xlsx). | Save again as .csv. |
8. Best Practices #
- Import customers & suppliers in separate batches for clarity.
- Run a small test (2–3 rows) before a large upload.
- Keep every CSV as a dated backup.
- Standardise Contact IDs (e.g.,
CUST-###,SUP-###).
9. Done! 🎉 #
You can now bulk-import contacts into the system, saving hours of manual entry. Happy uploading!
