Bulk Customer Import

Bulk Customer Import

Bulk importing customers saves time when you need to add many customers at once instead of creating them individually. This guide explains how to import customers from Excel or CSV files into EquiBillBook.

Why Use Bulk Import?

• Time Saving: Add hundreds of customers in minutes instead of hours
• Efficiency: Perfect for initial setup or migrating from another system
• Accuracy: Prepare data carefully in Excel before importing
• Consistency: Ensure uniform data format across all customers

Preparing Your Import File

Before importing, prepare your Excel or CSV file with the following columns:

• Name: Required - Customer name
• MobileNo: Required - Primary mobile number
• EmailId: Email address
• AltMobileNo: Alternative mobile number
• BusinessName: Business name
• DOB: Date of birth
• JoiningDate: Joining date
• UserGroup: Customer category/group name
• CreditLimit: Credit limit amount
• OpeningBalance: Opening balance (receivable)
• PaymentTerm: Payment term name
• GstTreatment: GST treatment type (if applicable)
• TaxPreference: Tax preference (Taxable, Exempt, Non-Taxable)
• Address fields: Street, City, State, Country, PIN Code
• GST Number, PAN Number: Tax registration numbers

Downloading the Import Template

To ensure correct format:

1. Navigate to Customers → Customer List
2. Click "Import Customers" or "Bulk Import"
3. Click "Download Template" or "Download Sample" to get the Excel template
4. Open the template and review column headers
5. Use this template to prepare your data

Filling the Template

When preparing your import file:

• Fill in all required fields (Name, MobileNo)
• Use exact values that match existing data (UserGroup, PaymentTerm names must match exactly)
• Ensure mobile numbers are unique
• Follow date formats specified in the template (DD-MM-YYYY or as per system settings)
• Remove sample data before importing
• Save as Excel (.xlsx) or CSV (.csv) format
• Ensure no empty rows between data rows

Accessing the Import Feature

To import customers:

1. Navigate to Customers → Customer List
2. Click "Import Customers" or "Bulk Import" button
3. You'll see the import interface

Step-by-Step Import Process

1. Select File: Click "Choose File" or "Browse"
2. Upload: Select your prepared Excel or CSV file
3. Map Columns: If needed, map your columns to system fields
4. Preview: Review a preview of customers to be imported
5. Validate: System validates data and shows any errors
6. Fix Errors: Correct any validation errors shown
7. Import: Click "Import" or "Start Import"
8. Review Results: Check import summary (successful, failed, skipped)

Data Validation

The system validates:

• Required fields are present (Name, MobileNo)
• Mobile numbers are unique
• Email addresses are in correct format (if provided)
• UserGroup names exist in the system
• PaymentTerm names exist in the system
• Date formats are correct
• Numeric fields (CreditLimit, OpeningBalance) are valid numbers

Fix any validation errors before importing.

Import Options

During import, you may configure:

• Update Existing: Update customers if mobile number already exists
• Skip Existing: Skip customers that already exist
• Create New Only: Only import new customers
• Auto-create Categories: Create customer groups if they don't exist
• Auto-create Payment Terms: Create payment terms if they don't exist (if supported)

Handling Import Errors

If import fails or has errors:

• Review the error report provided
• Common errors:
  • Duplicate mobile numbers
  • Invalid UserGroup/PaymentTerm names
  • Missing required fields
  • Invalid data formats
  • Invalid email addresses
• Fix errors in your Excel file
• Re-import the corrected file

Import Results

After import completes:

• Success Count: Number of customers successfully imported
• Failed Count: Number of customers that failed
• Error Details: Specific errors for failed customers
• Download Report: Download detailed import report

Best Practices

• Use Template: Always use the provided template
• Test First: Import a small batch first to test (5-10 customers)
• Backup Data: Backup existing data before large imports
• Verify Data: Double-check your Excel file before importing
• Consistent Format: Ensure consistent formatting across all rows
• Create Dependencies First: Create customer groups and payment terms before importing
• Clean Data: Remove duplicates and clean data before import
• Validate Mobile Numbers: Ensure mobile numbers are unique and in correct format

Troubleshooting

File Not Uploading: Check file format (Excel or CSV), verify file size is under limit, and ensure file isn't corrupted.

Validation Errors: Review error messages, fix data in Excel, ensure required fields are filled, and verify that UserGroup/PaymentTerm names match exactly with system values.

Import Partially Failed: Review error report, fix failed customers in Excel, and re-import only failed rows or correct and re-import entire file.

Duplicate Errors: Check for duplicate mobile numbers in your file and in existing customers. Use "Update Existing" option if you want to update, or remove duplicates from file.

Related Topics

• Creating Customers
• Customer Export
• Customer Categories
• Customer Management