Get the template

On the upload step of Settings, then Import data, choose Download the template. There is one for each type: customers, vehicles, repair order history and inventory. Each has the column headers below and two sample rows to replace. If you fill in the template, the columns match themselves.

You do not have to use it. Any CSV with a header row works, because you match its columns on screen. The wizard tries a first guess for every column and you correct it.

File rules

CSV only. Excel (.xlsx or .xls) is refused: open it and choose File, Save As, CSV (Comma delimited).
UTF-8, UTF-16 and Windows-1252 are handled, with comma, semicolon, tab or pipe separators.
Up to 25 MB per file. Split a large export by year.
The first row must be the header row.
Dates are read as US month/day/year. If the first number is over 12 it is read as the day.
Money can include $ and commas, and (parentheses) for a negative.
Phone numbers are read as US numbers. One that cannot be read is left blank and the row is flagged.

In the lists below, Required means the wizard will not run without it. Where several columns are marked Required, such as the name columns, you need at least one of them.

Customers

At least one name column: First name, Last name, Full name or Company.

Customer ID: Your old system's customer number. Used to link vehicles and repair orders and to spot a customer you already have.
First name: Required (at least one in its group). Use First name and Last name, or Full name, or Company.
Last name: Required (at least one in its group). See First name.
Full name: Required (at least one in its group). One column holding the whole name. Use instead of First and Last.
Company: Required (at least one in its group). For businesses and fleets. A row with only a company still imports.
Phone: Read as a US number. A phone that cannot be read is left blank and the row is flagged.
Other phone: A second number.
Email: An invalid address is left blank and the row is flagged.
Address: Street address.
City: Optional.
State: Optional.
ZIP: Optional.
Notes: A customer notes column, if your file has one.
Do not text (yes/no): Optional. If your file tracks text opt-outs, match them here.
Do not email (yes/no): Optional. If your file tracks email opt-outs, match them here.

A customer is matched by ID, phone and email. Name alone is used only when the row has no phone or email. Customers you already have are never overwritten.

Vehicles

At least a VIN, or make and model (or plate), and one column that says who owns the vehicle: Customer ID, Customer phone, Customer email or Customer name.

Vehicle ID: Your old system's vehicle number.
Customer ID: Required (at least one in its group). Links the vehicle to its owner. Best match when you imported customers first.
Customer name: Required (at least one in its group). Another way to find the owner.
Customer phone: Required (at least one in its group). Another way to find the owner.
Customer email: Required (at least one in its group). Another way to find the owner.
Year: A year that does not look right is left blank and flagged.
Make: Required (at least one in its group). Needed with Model if there is no VIN or plate.
Model: Required (at least one in its group). Needed with Make if there is no VIN or plate.
Trim: Optional.
Engine: Optional.
VIN: Required (at least one in its group). A VIN that is not a standard 17 characters is kept as typed and flagged.
License plate: Required (at least one in its group). Also used to tell vehicles of the same owner apart.
Color: Optional.
Mileage: Optional.
Notes: Optional.

A vehicle is matched by VIN first, then by plate, or year, make and model, for the same owner. A vehicle whose owner cannot be found is skipped and listed, unless you tick the option to import vehicles without an owner.

Repair order history

An RO number (or invoice number), at least one date (opened, closed or paid), and a Total or line totals so the money comes across.

Use one row per line item, with the RO number repeated on every row of the same order. A file with one row per order (totals only) also works, and each of those orders gets one summary job. Rows with the same RO number are grouped into one order wherever they sit in the file.

RO number: Required (at least one in its group). Required. A repeat upload uses it to avoid doubling up, and it gets your source prefix, like TM-1234.
Status: Used to tell open orders from closed ones, and to skip cancelled or voided ones.
Opened date: Required (at least one in its group). At least one date is required (opened, closed or paid).
Closed date: Required (at least one in its group). See Opened date.
Paid date: Required (at least one in its group). See Opened date.
Customer ID: Links the order to a customer.
Customer first name: Used to create the customer if they are not on file yet.
Customer last name: Optional.
Customer name: Optional.
Customer company: Optional.
Customer phone: Optional.
Customer email: Optional.
Vehicle ID: Links the order to a vehicle.
VIN: Optional.
Vehicle year: Optional.
Vehicle make: Optional.
Vehicle model: Optional.
License plate: Optional.
Mileage in: Optional.
Mileage out: Optional.
Customer concern: Optional.
Service advisor: Optional.
Technician: Optional.
RO notes: Optional.
Labor total: Required (at least one in its group). One of Total, Line total, Labor total or Parts total is required.
Parts total: Required (at least one in its group). See Labor total.
Fees total: Optional.
Discount: Optional.
Tax: Optional.
Total: Required (at least one in its group). The grand total. If it differs from the lines, the total from the file is used and the row is flagged.
Amount paid: Optional.
Payment method: Optional.
Job name: Groups line items into jobs.
Line type (labor, part, fee): Tells a labor line from a part or a fee.
Line description: Optional.
Part number: Optional.
Quantity: Optional.
Labor hours: Optional.
Unit price or rate: Optional.
Unit cost: Optional.
Line total: Optional.

Cancelled or voided orders are skipped.
Orders still open are skipped unless you tick the option, and then they come in as read-only history shown as unpaid invoices.
Orders with no usable date, a future date, or no money at all are rejected and listed in the problem file.
The RO number plus its source prefix can be 16 characters at most.
If labor, parts and fees do not add up to the total in the file, the total from the file is used and the row is flagged.

Inventory

A part number or a description.

Part number: Required (at least one in its group). Used to spot a part you already have.
Description: Required (at least one in its group). Needed if there is no part number.
Brand: Optional.
Category: Optional.
Vendor: Optional.
Bin or location: Optional.
Quantity on hand: A quantity that is not a number starts the part at 0 and is flagged. A negative quantity is set to 0.
Cost: Optional.
Price: Optional.
Reorder at: Optional.
Notes: Optional.

A part is matched by part number, and parts you already have are never overwritten.

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