Import Existing Customers (CSV Import)

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Import Existing Customers (CSV Import)

Customer Data Import Process

OctopusPro’s Customer CSV Import tool helps you migrate an existing customer database into your OctopusPro CRM quickly and accurately—without manual data entry. This is ideal when you’re moving from spreadsheets or another system and want to bring your customer list into OctopusPro so you can start creating bookings, quotes, invoices, and automated communications immediately.

On this page

Overview

With the customer import workflow, you can:

  • Bulk import customers using a CSV template generated from your account.
  • Import multiple contact methods per customer (secondary phone/email fields where supported in the template).
  • Optionally import Customer Properties (also called dependents/assets/properties) in the same customer import file (if your account uses them).
  • Bring in customer data so you can immediately search, view, edit, and manage customers from the Customers list after import.

Best practice: Start with a small test file (5–20 rows) first. Once the results look correct, import the full list.

Before you import (recommended checklist)

  • Clean your data: remove duplicates, confirm emails/phone numbers are valid, and ensure names are consistently formatted.
  • Decide how you’ll handle duplicates: if you already have customers in OctopusPro, importing a file with the same customers may result in skipped rows (see existing customers below).
  • If you will import Customer Properties: set up your Customer Property Types and fields first. (See Customer Dependents / Assets / Properties.)
  • If you use Customer Profile Custom Fields: create your custom fields first, then download a fresh customer import template so those custom columns are included. (See Customer Profile Custom Fields.)
  • Break large imports into batches: the maximum allowed number of rows per CSV file is 2500. Split larger lists into multiple files.

Method 1: Import from Customers → All Customers

  1. Go to Customers → All Customers.
  2. Click Import customers.

  1. In the import pop-up, click Download template.

  1. Open the downloaded template in Excel/Google Sheets and fill in your customer details.
  2. Save/export the file as .CSV (CSV format is required).
  3. Back in OctopusPro, click Upload file, select your CSV, then confirm/import.

  1. After upload, you’ll see an import summary showing how many rows were imported. If any rows fail, review Failed Rows Details, correct your file, and upload again (you can re-upload after fixing).
  2. Your imported customers will now appear in Customers → All Customers. You can search them, open profiles, and edit details anytime.

Method 2: Import from Settings → Company Settings → Import Data

This method is useful if you prefer importing from a central “Import Data” area in your settings.

  1. Go to Settings → Company Settings → Import Data.
  2. Click Import Customers.
  3. Click Download template.
  4. Fill the template, save as .CSV, then click Upload file to import.
  5. Review the success message and Failed Rows Details if shown.

Import customers and customer properties (dependents/assets/properties)

If your account uses Customer Properties (dependents/assets/properties), you can import them during the customer import so each customer record includes their related items (e.g., pets, children, vehicles, sites, equipment).

  1. Go to Customers → All Customers and click Import customers.
  2. Download the template. If Customer Properties are enabled, the template will include additional columns for your configured property fields.

Fill those Customer Property columns using the labels/format provided in the template, then upload the CSV as normal.

CSV template rules & formatting requirements

To maximize successful imports, follow these rules:

  • Use the template generated from your OctopusPro account (it reflects your enabled fields and structure).
  • Required fields: any column marked with (*) in the template must not be empty.
  • Max rows: up to 2500 rows per file. If your list is larger, split it into multiple CSV files.
  • Do not leave empty rows between records—an empty row may be treated as the end of the file.
  • Password field: if your template includes a password column, the value must be plain text (not encrypted). OctopusPro encrypts it during import.
  • Customer Title: must be one of: Dr, Mr, Mrs, Miss, Ms.
  • Customer Type: must be either Personal or Business. If Business, ensure the Business Name field is filled.
  • Date Joined: must be formatted as YYYY/MM/DD (example: 2018/05/12).
  • Secondary contact fields: fields such as first_name2, last_name2, mobile2, email2, phone2 (and 3rd variations where present) are used for additional contact details for the same customer.
  • State/city matching: ensure state names are spelled consistently. City is required; if city is empty, OctopusPro may default it to your company city (or the first city in the selected state, depending on your configuration).

Fixing Failed Rows Details (common errors)

If some rows fail, OctopusPro will list them under Failed Rows Details. Common reasons include:

  • Missing required fields (columns marked with * left blank).
  • Invalid Date Joined format (must be YYYY/MM/DD).
  • Invalid values for Customer Type or Title (must match allowed options exactly).
  • Invalid city/state combinations or inconsistent spelling.
  • Duplicate rows inside the same file (see duplicate customers in the CSV).

How to fix: correct the failed rows in your spreadsheet, export as CSV again, then upload the corrected file. You can re-upload until all rows are accepted.

What happens if customers already exist?

If you attempt to import customers that already exist in your OctopusPro database, those customers may be skipped to prevent overwriting existing CRM records. If you need to change details for customers already in OctopusPro, update them manually from the customer profile.

Importing customers when you use customer profile custom fields

If you use Customer Profile Custom Fields (CRM-level fields stored on the customer record), create those fields first, then download a fresh customer import template so the columns appear in your CSV.

  1. Create/confirm your customer profile custom fields: Customer Profile Custom Fields
  2. Download a new customer import template after creating the fields.
  3. Fill the new custom field columns in the template and import as usual.

If your import file contains duplicate customer records, the duplicates may fail and appear in Failed Rows Details. This is usually caused by the same email/phone appearing on multiple rows, or repeated customer entries.

Recommended approach: deduplicate your spreadsheet first (by email and phone), then re-upload the cleaned CSV.

If duplicates already exist inside OctopusPro, merge them to keep one clean master record:

Merge Duplicate Customers

Import customers by syncing QuickBooks

If you use QuickBooks, you can import customers by syncing your QuickBooks contacts into OctopusPro.

  1. Go to Settings → Financial Settings → QuickBooks Integration.
  2. Click Pull from QuickBooks to import your QuickBooks customers into OctopusPro.

Import customers by syncing Xero

If you use Xero, you can import customers by syncing your Xero contacts into OctopusPro.

  1. Go to Settings → Financial Settings → Xero Integration.
  2. Click Pull from Xero to import your Xero customers into OctopusPro.

FAQs

What file type is supported?
You must upload a .CSV file. If you edited the file in Excel or Google Sheets, export/download it as CSV before uploading.

How many customers can I import at once?
Up to 2500 rows per CSV file. For larger lists, split them into multiple CSV files and import them separately.

What if the city is missing?
City is required. If city is empty, OctopusPro may default it to your company city (or select the first city in the chosen state, depending on your configuration). To avoid unexpected results, always populate city when possible.

Can I use the import to update existing customers?
If the customer already exists in your database, the row may be skipped to prevent overwriting. For updates, edit the customer record directly: Edit Customer Details.

How do I avoid duplicates long-term?
Standardize email/phone formatting and periodically merge duplicates if they occur: Merge Duplicate Customers.

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