Import clients from a CSV file

If you’re moving to Service Buddy from another CRM or spreadsheet, you can upload your entire client list at once using a CSV file. This is much faster than adding clients one by one.

Before you start

Prepare your CSV with these columns (only name columns are required):

• First Name
• Last Name
• Email
• Phone Number
• Company Name
• Address Line 1, Address Line 2, City, State, Country, Postal Code
• Notes
• Tags (comma-separated)

Tip

Download the sample CSV template from the import screen to make sure your columns match exactly.

Steps

1. Click Clients in the left sidebar.
2. Click Import at the top right.
3. In the Add CSV File dialog, click the here link (“Please click here to download the CSV upload template”) to download the template. Fill it in with your client data, or match your existing file to the required column names.
4. Drag your CSV file into the dialog, or click Select A File to choose it from your computer.
5. Click Import.

What happens next

• Service Buddy processes the file and adds each row as a new client.
• A summary shows how many records were imported successfully and how many were skipped.
• Imported clients appear in your Clients list immediately.

Tips

Tip

Tag all imported clients with something like “Imported 2026-04” so you can easily find them later and review the data.

Caution

The importer checks for duplicate emails. If a row has an email that already exists in Service Buddy, it will be skipped to avoid overwriting your data. Review the skipped rows in the summary.

FAQ

How do I import clients with multiple addresses?

Each row in the CSV creates one client with one default property. For clients with multiple addresses (landlords, property managers), import them with the primary address first, then add additional properties on the client’s profile after import.

What format does the CSV need to be in?

A standard .csv file (not .xlsx from Excel). In Excel or Google Sheets, use File → Save As → CSV before uploading. Use the template downloadable from the import screen so the column names match exactly.

Why are some of my rows being skipped?

The importer skips rows that would create duplicates — most commonly, an email that already exists for another client. Check the summary after import to see which rows were skipped and why, then fix the source CSV (or update the existing record manually) and re-import only the missed ones.

Why are phone numbers showing as invalid?

Phone numbers usually need a country code (e.g. +1 for the US). Strip parentheses, dashes, and extra spaces from your CSV before importing — +12125551234 parses cleaner than (212) 555-1234.

Can I update existing clients via CSV?

The importer creates new records — it doesn’t update existing ones. To bulk-update existing clients (for example, to fix phone formatting across the database), export them, edit the spreadsheet, and contact support for help running the update — there’s no in-app bulk update flow.

How big can my CSV be?

Most retailers import a few thousand clients without issue. If you have a very large list (10,000+) or the import seems stuck, split it into batches of a few thousand rows to be safe.

Should I tag imported clients?

Yes — add a tag like Imported 2026-05 to every row in the CSV. That way, if anything looks off after import (a column mapped wrong, addresses missing), you can easily find the imported batch and clean it up without touching clients you’d already added manually.

Where do imported clients show up?

Right at the top of the Clients list (sorted by creation date). The activity log on each new record will show “Created via import” so you can tell at a glance which clients came from the bulk upload versus which were added manually.