Import customers from Excel or CSV

Why it matters

Your customers are often already somewhere: an Excel file, the export of an old software, a phone's contact list. Retyping them one by one takes days. The import brings them into Genuka in one go, with their tags, and without creating duplicates of customers already there.

Summary

In Menu › Sales › Customers, open More options › Import customers, drop your file (.xlsx, .xls or .csv) and confirm. The import runs in the background: you receive a notification and an email when it is finished. A row whose phone or email already exists completes the existing profile instead of creating a new one.

Requirements

• The customers.create permission (the Import customers menu does not appear without it).
• A file with a header row, then one customer per row.

Steps

1. Open Menu › Sales › Customers.
2. Click More options, then Import customers.
3. Click Download template file here to start from the template, or prepare your own file with the columns described below.
4. Drag your file into the area (or click to choose it), then click Save to start the import.
5. A progress bar shows for large files. You can keep working: a message tells you at the end, and an "Import completed" email is sent to you.
6. Reload the customer list to see the newcomers.

Fields & options

Genuka reads columns by their title, ignoring capitals and accents. Recognized titles:

Any other column becomes a custom field of the customer, created automatically (text type).

Edge cases & common mistakes

• The downloaded template is not read completely. Today, its columns Street, CompanyName, TaxNumber and RegistrationNumber are not recognized: they become custom fields and the address is not created. Rename them Address, Company name, Tax number and Registration number before importing.
• A customer already there. A row whose email or phone matches an existing customer updates that customer, without creating a second one. For identity and contact details, only the empty fields of the profile are completed: what is already filled in Genuka is not overwritten. Exception: the address and the custom fields present in the file replace those of the profile.
• A row without email or phone. It is still imported, with a made-up email address built from the name ([email protected]). Complete these profiles afterwards, or remove these rows before importing.
• Shop. Imported customers are linked to the shop active at the time of the import.
• Rows are missing after the import. A row in error is skipped without blocking the others. Check the formats (gender M/F, readable dates) and re-import the missing rows: customers already imported will not be duplicated.
• Format refused. Only .xlsx, .xls and .csv are accepted.

FAQ

Can I import my phone's contacts? Yes, if they are first exported as a CSV or Excel file. Keep at least a Nom column and a Téléphone column (or Last name and Phone).

Can I tag customers during the import? Yes, with a Tags column (for example VIP, Wholesaler). Missing tags are created.

How do I export my customer list? More options › Export, as Excel, CSV or PDF (customers.export permission).

See also

• Create a customer
• Tag your customers
• The customer profile