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Import errors

Importing clients, jobs, or inventory from a spreadsheet is the fastest way to get started — but a single bad cell can stop a whole import. Use this guide to figure out what went wrong and fix it.

Before you re-import

Section titled “Before you re-import”

Always download the error report Service Buddy shows after a failed import. It lists each row that failed and the exact reason. Fix those rows in your CSV, then re-upload only the failed rows (or the full file — duplicates are handled separately below).

Why does my CSV say “File format not supported”?

Section titled “Why does my CSV say “File format not supported”?”

Cause 1 — Wrong file type

Section titled “Cause 1 — Wrong file type”

Service Buddy accepts .csv files only. Excel’s .xlsx and .xls aren’t supported directly.

  1. Open your file in Excel or Google Sheets.
  2. Choose File → Save as (or Download) → CSV (Comma delimited).
  3. Upload the new .csv.

Cause 2 — Wrong delimiter

Section titled “Cause 2 — Wrong delimiter”

If you’re in a region that uses semicolons (;) instead of commas (,), change the separator:

  1. In Excel or Sheets, save as CSV UTF-8 (Comma delimited).
  2. Re-upload.

Why does it say “Missing required fields”?

Section titled “Why does it say “Missing required fields”?”

Each importer has required columns. For example:

  • Clients: name, email (or phone)
  • Jobs: client, title, scheduled_date
  • Inventory: sku, name, quantity

Cause 1 — The column name doesn’t match the template

Section titled “Cause 1 — The column name doesn’t match the template”
  1. In the Add CSV File dialog, click the here link to download the CSV upload template.
  2. Match your column headers exactly — spelling and capitalization matter.
  3. Re-upload.

Cause 2 — Some rows have empty required cells

Section titled “Cause 2 — Some rows have empty required cells”
  1. Open the error report.
  2. Find the rows where the required column is empty.
  3. Fill in the missing data or delete those rows.
  4. Re-upload.

Why am I getting “Invalid format” errors?

Section titled “Why am I getting “Invalid format” errors?”

Cause 1 — Dates in the wrong format

Section titled “Cause 1 — Dates in the wrong format”

Service Buddy expects dates in YYYY-MM-DD format (e.g. 2026-04-17) unless your regional setting specifies otherwise.

  1. In your spreadsheet, select the date column.
  2. Format cells as text and re-type dates as YYYY-MM-DD, or use Excel’s TEXT function: =TEXT(A2, "yyyy-mm-dd").
  3. Re-upload.

Cause 2 — Phone numbers with unusual characters

Section titled “Cause 2 — Phone numbers with unusual characters”

Remove parentheses, dashes, and extensions. (555) 123-4567 ext 42 becomes 5551234567. Country codes are fine with or without the +.

Cause 3 — Currency symbols or commas in amounts

Section titled “Cause 3 — Currency symbols or commas in amounts”

Number fields must contain only digits and a decimal point.

  • Bad: $1,250.00
  • Good: 1250.00

Why is the import warning about duplicate records?

Section titled “Why is the import warning about duplicate records?”

Service Buddy checks for duplicates by key fields (email for clients, SKU for inventory, etc.).

Cause 1 — The record already exists

Section titled “Cause 1 — The record already exists”

You have three options on the import screen:

  • Skip — leave the existing record untouched.
  • Update — overwrite existing fields with the values in your CSV.
  • Create anyway — add as a separate record (rarely what you want).

Cause 2 — Duplicates within the same file

Section titled “Cause 2 — Duplicates within the same file”
  1. Open the error report and look for rows flagged as duplicates within the upload.
  2. In your spreadsheet, sort by the key column (email or SKU) and remove the dupes.
  3. Re-upload.

Why am I getting “Unknown client” errors when importing jobs or invoices?

Section titled “Why am I getting “Unknown client” errors when importing jobs or invoices?”

When importing jobs or invoices, each row has to reference an existing client. If the client name or ID in your file doesn’t match a client already in Service Buddy, the row fails.

  1. Import clients first.
  2. Then import jobs, using the exact client name or the client ID from your Service Buddy export.

Why does my import appear stuck?

Section titled “Why does my import appear stuck?”

Large imports (over 5,000 rows) can take several minutes. Watch for these signs:

  • Progress bar is still moving — leave it alone; it’s working.
  • Progress bar is frozen for 10+ minutes — close the tab and check the Imports history page. Completed imports show up there even if your browser disconnected.

If your import is still stuck after an hour or shows a generic error, attach the file and the error report to a message via Contact support.