Import Contacts (Excel)

Use this page to bulk-import contact records into a chosen business using the provided Excel template. The import process parses the uploaded file and shows a preview grid so you can review, edit and choose which rows to persist.

What you can do on this page

• 1. Select the target Business from the dropdown before importing.
• 2. Download the official Excel Template to ensure the correct column layout and headings.
• 3. Upload your completed Excel file and click Import Contacts to parse and preview the data.
• 4. Review and, if necessary, correct values directly in the preview grid.
• 5. Use the header checkbox to quickly select or deselect all preview rows, or select individual rows to control which records are saved.
• 6. Click Save Contacts to persist selected rows to the database; a success banner confirms completion.

Page layout

• Business selector — choose which organisation the imported contacts will belong to.
• File Upload — choose the Excel file created from the template.
• Preview Grid — displays parsed rows (editable) and selection checkboxes; only the first 25 rows are shown/imported per upload.
• Controls — Import Contacts, Save Contacts and Clear Form buttons to manage the workflow.
• Info, Error and Success panels — guidance, validation messages and confirmations are shown in these areas.

Typical flow

1. Click Download Excel Template and open it in Excel. Fill rows using the required column headers and save the file.
2. Select the target Business and choose the Excel file using the Select File control.
3. Click Import Contacts. The page parses the file and displays a preview of up to 25 rows for review.
4. Fix any incorrect values directly in the preview grid or deselect rows you do not want to import.
5. Click Save Contacts to persist selected rows. Observe the green success banner and any validation messages in the ErrorPanel.

Template & required columns

Always use the provided template. Columns must match the expected headers and data types (for example dates in dd/mm/yyyy or ISO format if specified). Missing or renamed columns will cause parsing or validation errors.

Preview grid & selection

• 1. The preview grid is editable so minor corrections can be made before saving.
• 2. Use the header checkbox to select/deselect all previewed rows on the current import.
• 3. Selected rows will be written to the database when you click Save Contacts.
• 4. Only the first 25 rows are previewed and saved per upload — split larger imports into multiple files.

Validation & errors

• 1. Validation errors (missing required fields, invalid formats, duplicate contact codes) appear in the ErrorPanel with details.
• 2. Fix errors in the preview grid, reselect rows as needed, and attempt to save again.
• 3. The import process enforces business-level constraints and will reject rows that violate uniqueness or required-field rules.

Troubleshooting

• 1. If the file does not parse, verify you used the provided template and did not rename or remove headers.
• 2. If rows are missing from the preview, check for hidden rows, filters in Excel or unsupported formatting in source cells.
• 3. For date or numeric parsing errors, ensure values use the expected formats and that Excel cell types are correct (text for codes where required).
• 4. If uploads fail due to file size or server errors, split the import into smaller files and retry; contact support with error text if issues persist.
• 5. If duplicate contact codes are detected, resolve duplicates in the source file or edit codes in the preview before saving.

Best practices

• 1. Test imports using 5-10 rows first to validate mapping and formats.
• 2. Keep backups of your original Excel files before importing.
• 3. Use unique contact codes to avoid accidental duplicates.
• 4. When importing large data sets, perform imports in batches and verify results between batches.

Notes

• Imported contacts are associated with the selected business. Verify the Business selector before importing.
• Fields shown in the preview mirror the application's contact schema; unused columns in the template may be ignored.