There are a lot of things to work through when configuring your business' account. To help save you time and make setup a little bit easier, BusyPaws allows you to import your existing customer list from a CSV file. In this help guide we will take a look at the steps required to import your clients and prospects from an existing list.
Finding Your Imports Page
As you begin importing your data, all previous imports will remain available for your reference. All of those files are saved on your Data Export/Import page. To get there, start by clicking the gear icon at the bottom-left corner of the page.
Then select "Data Import/Export" in the "Extras" section at the bottom of the page.
By default, the page will open on your Data Exports. Click the "Data Imports" tab at the top of the page to open your imports list.
Your Data Imports will be listed here with their type, creation date, status, and the name of the user that requested the import. Any previous imports that have gone through will be marked with a green "Completed" tag, those still being processed by the system will be listed with a pink "Processing" tag. Those still needing user input (i.e. if a user left the import process partway through) will have "Preview" and "Continue" buttons, allowing users to complete the steps needed to finalize the import.
The Data Import Process
To start a new import, click the "New Import" button at the top-right of your Data Imports page.
This opens an Import Data pop-up. From here, there are a few steps to work through to complete your import:
Add Your File
First, make sure that the import type field at the top of the pop-up is set to "Client List".
Then, if you have an existing CSV file, click the file field to open a file-selector or drag your file over the field upload it.
If you do not yet have your client CSV set up, or if you're not sure how to format your client information, click the "Download Sample CSV Template" button to download an example file. After you have added your customer information to the CSV template, upload it using the file-selector field.
Once you have uploaded your file, click the "Import CSV" button at the bottom of the pop-up to save the selected file and begin your import.
Map Client Attributes
When your upload has completed successfully, you will be able to configure the client attributes. This means mapping which columns in your CSV file should be associated with specific fields in BusyPaws.
It's important to note that data can only be mapped to default client and pet fields. Any additional data may be imported as a note on the customer's profile or left out altogether. To select an attribute for any column, click the field just below the listed column number to open an attribute drop-down.
If you have used the CSV template provided through the "Download Sample CSV Template" button, the columns will be mapped automatically to the relevant attributes. If you have used your own CSV file with custom headings, you will need to map each attribute manually.
There are four main categories within the drop-down, each with a subset of associated attributes
Other | Do Not Import Is Prospect? Import as Note |
Client | First Name Last Name Full Name Phone |
Address | Street 1 Street 2 City Province/State Postal/Zip Country |
Pet | Pet Name Pet Breed Pet Gender Pet Birthday Pet Name 2 Pet Breed 2 Pet Gender 2 Pet Birthday 2 |
The majority of the attributes indicate a specific client or pet field, though there are a few that are worth exploring in more detail.
Client - Full Name: Use this option if your client CSV includes the customer first and last names within the same column. Note that this option can cause some import challenges for any clients with more than the basic First Last name format (i.e. Amy Van Matre, Mary Sue Francis, etc.).
Other - Do Not Import: Use this option for any fields you do not wish to import. This prevents the system from including the information when your client list import is completed. Columns assigned this attribute will show in red.
Other - Import as Note: Use this option for any additional information that does not fit into the other client or pet fields. When your upload is completed information linked to this attribute will be added as a note on the customer's profile.
It is also worth noting that the pet fields have options for a first and second pet. Each import can include information for up to two pet profiles per customer. If a client has more than two pets needing to be uploaded, another import will need to be done for each additional set of two pets. Alternatively, you may include the same customer multiple times in your import file (same client name, same email), with up to two pets associated with each occurrence.
When reviewing the mapping for your import, all columns with an assigned attribute will display in green, while all those set to "Do Not Import" will appear in red.
All client profiles require at least a first name, last name, and email. Pet profiles require only the pet's name. Clients/pets without the required information will not be imported.
Once you're happy with your selection for each column, click the "Save & Preview" button at the bottom of the page to continue to the next step of the import process.
Preview Your Import
After you've saved your attribute selections, you will be able to preview some of the customer profiles. Use this step to confirm that you have mapped each column correctly (i.e. addresses, pet names, etc. are listed in their proper spot). Note that this preview will include only the first ten clients included in your CSV, not your full list.
If any of the first ten clients are not able to be imported, they will be listed with a red warning icon. Clients with a missing first name, last name, or email will be left out of the import when it is completed.
When you are happy with the preview, select the "Process Import" button to complete your import. If you wish to adjust any of the assigned attributes before proceeding with the import, click the "Go Back" button instead.
After processing your import, you will be brought back to your Data Imports page, where you'll see your newest import listed. While the system is processing your import, its status will show with a pick "Processing" tag.
Once the import has completed processing its status will change to "Completed" (note that this may take up to 10 minutes and you will need to refresh the page to see its updated status). The completed import will be listed with the number of rows successfully imported followed by the number that failed to import. All successfully imported clients will now have customer/prospect profiles created in your system!
Click the grey (left-most) download icon for any import to download a copy of its associated CSV file. Select the red (right-most) download icon to download a copy with just those rows that failed to import.
FAQs & Useful Tips
The following are a few pointers to help you through the customer import process:
Make sure the file you are uploading is saved as a CSV file.
All client profiles require a first name, last name, and email. Customers missing any of that information will not be imported with the rest of your client list.
Though you can include client first and last names in the same column, it is recommended to list them in separate columns. This helps prevent import issues for clients with names that differ from the standard First Last format (i.e. Amy Van Matre, Mary Sue Francis, etc.).
Still having trouble with your client list import? Check out the following FAQs to help troubleshoot your process:
Why isn't my chosen file working?
Client imports can only be done using a CSV (comma separated value) file. If, after selecting a file to upload, you are redirected back to the main Data Import page with an error message, likely you have chosen the wrong file type.
Ensure that your file is saved as a CSV file before attempting your upload again. All types of spreadsheet software (i.e. Excel, Google Sheets, etc.) have an export/download as .csv option that can be used to get files into the CSV format.
If you are certain that your file is a CSV, but are still unable to complete your upload, reach out to our support team with a copy of the file you are attempting to upload.
Why didn't my full client list upload?
After your import has completed, you may notice a message listed below the successful import count indicating the number rows that failed to import.
Clients will fail to import if they are missing one or more of the of the following attributes:
First Name
Last Name
Email
You can get a full list of the clients that were not imported by clicking the red (right-most) download icon for the import. Use this file to check what information is missing for the customers that could not be imported.
If the customer has all of the required information and was still excluded from the import, reach out to our team with a copy of the failed import file.
What if I have duplicates on my list or clients that already have BusyPaws profiles?
Customer profiles in BusyPaws are linked to email addresses. This means that each email can be associated with only one customer/prospect profile.
If your CSV file includes the same customer email multiple times, only one new profile will be created. The import works through each line in sequence, so the profile will be created when the system reaches the first instance of that email, then that same profile will simply be updated when the email occurs again.
Likewise, if the import has one or more individuals with existing client profiles (i.e. their email is already associated with either a Customer Profile or Prospect Profile), their existing profile will simply be updated with the information included in the import.
Can I upload a single list with prospects and customers?
Yes! By default, all clients uploaded through your data imports will be set up with Customer Profiles rather than Prospect Profiles. If you would like to upload an entire list of prospects, or a list with a mix of customers and prospects, you simply need to include a true/false column indicating each client's status. When assigning attributes, set that column to "Is Prospect?". All clients marked "True" in this column will then be set up as prospects, while all those marked "False" will be set up as customers.
If this data is not included in your import, all clients uploaded from your chosen CSV will be saved as customers.
Note that you can also manually create profiles for your customers, prospects, and their pets. For more information on those processes, check out the following help guides: