09. Import Customers

Use the customer import wizard to import customer contacts from a CSV file or from Xero.

Use this workflow when customer records need to be created or refreshed in bulk. Review the import report before relying on imported contacts.


Open the Import Wizard

Open Contacts > Customers and select Import.

The import wizard opens in a modal dialog. CSV is selected by default. Xero is available only when the Xero integration is installed.

Only one import source can be selected for a run. If you select another source, Qoblex clears the previous selection.

CSV Import Steps

  1. Choose Import contacts from a CSV file.
  2. Select Next.
  3. Download the contacts CSV template.
  4. Fill in the template using a spreadsheet application.
  5. Select Next.
  6. Drop the CSV file into Drop files here or click to choose.
  7. Review the import report.
  8. Select Close.

When the import closes, Qoblex returns to the Customers page and reloads the page.

The customer import wizard imports uploaded contact rows as customers.

Do not upload supplier-only rows from the Customers page. Use the Suppliers import workflow when the rows should become suppliers.

CSV Template

The customer import uses the contacts CSV template. Use the downloaded template instead of building the file manually. This keeps the column names and format aligned with the importer.

Customers and suppliers use the same contacts CSV template. The page you open determines how the uploaded rows are treated. Upload the file from Contacts > Customers when the rows should be imported as customers.

CSV Field Reference

Use the columns below exactly as they appear in the downloaded template. Required means the column must stay in the file (it is part of the template); the description says whether a value is needed. Address and price-list columns are optional and may be removed. A shipping or billing address is created only when at least one of its columns has a value.

ColumnDescriptionRequired
Company nameThe customer’s company name, shown on documents. If left blank, Qoblex uses the Contact person value as the company name.Yes
Contact personThe primary contact person at the company. Also used as the company name when Company name is blank.Yes
Phone numberThe contact’s phone number. Stored as both the landline and the mobile number on the customer record.Yes
EmailThe customer’s primary email address.Yes
Wholesale or RetailThe business type. Enter Wholesale or Retail. Any value other than Wholesale is imported as Retail.Yes
Tax NumberThe customer’s tax registration number. Can be left blank.Yes
EOIRThe customer’s EORI number (used for customs). The column header is spelled EOIR. Can be left blank.Yes
Price List NameAssigns an existing price list by an exact name match. Ignored if no price list with that name exists.No
Shipping Address Line1First line of the shipping address.No
Shipping Address Line2Second line of the shipping address.No
Shipping Address CityShipping address city.No
Shipping Address StateShipping address state or region.No
Shipping Address ZipCodeShipping address postal or ZIP code.No
Shipping Address Phone NumberPhone number stored on the shipping address.No
Shipping Address CountryShipping address country.No
Billing Address Line1First line of the billing address.No
Billing Address Line2Second line of the billing address.No
Billing Address CityBilling address city.No
Billing Address StateBilling address state or region.No
Billing Address ZipCodeBilling address postal or ZIP code.No
Billing Address Phone NumberPhone number stored on the billing address.No
Billing Address CountryBilling address country.No

The customer and supplier imports share this same template. The page you upload from decides whether the rows become customers or suppliers.

File Size Limit

CSV uploads must be 2 MB or smaller.

If the file is larger than 2 MB, Qoblex rejects it and shows This file is too big. The maximum file size allowed is 2MB — the file is not uploaded.

Import Report

After upload, Qoblex moves to the finish step and lists messages returned by the importer. Messages can appear as success, warning, or error items.

Review every message before closing the wizard. Warnings and errors usually identify rows that need correction in the CSV file.

While the file is being processed, the upload area shows a processing state. Wait for the import report before closing the wizard.

Do not treat a completed import as fully clean until the report has been reviewed. A file can import some rows while warning about others.

If the report shows warnings or errors, correct the source file and import again only after deciding whether the already imported rows should remain.

Xero Customer Import

If Xero is installed, choose Import clients from Xero.

Select the Xero import action. A customer import brings in Xero contacts marked as a customer in Xero, plus contacts marked as neither a customer nor a supplier. Existing contacts are matched by email, and the Xero contact ID is stored as a reference so contacts are not duplicated on later syncs.

When the import succeeds, the report shows Customer information has successfully been imported. If it fails, the report shows An error occured while trying to import contacts.

The Xero option is hidden when the Xero integration is not installed for the company.

For the full field-by-field mapping and the customer/supplier selection rules, see How Contacts Map Between Qoblex and Xero.

Use Xero import when Xero already contains customer contacts that should exist in Qoblex. Review the imported customers afterward before using them on sales orders, because addresses, tax defaults, customer groups, and price lists may still need Qoblex-specific setup.

Cancel or Close

Select Cancel before the final step to close the wizard without continuing.

Select Close on the final step to return to Customers and reload the customer list.

Before Importing

Check:

  • file is CSV
  • file size is 2 MB or smaller
  • the downloaded template was used
  • required customer fields are filled
  • duplicate contacts have been reviewed
  • the import is being run from Contacts > Customers

Also confirm whether the import should create new customers, update existing contacts, or both. If duplicate handling is unclear, test with a small file before importing the full customer list.

After Importing

After import:

  1. Close the wizard so Customers reloads.
  2. Search for several imported customers.
  3. Review names, email addresses, phone numbers, billing addresses, and shipping addresses.
  4. Check tax, customer group, price list, and payment-term expectations where relevant.
  5. Correct any warnings from the import report before relying on the imported list.

Troubleshooting

Some rows fail to import
Correct the CSV and import again.
Imported customers do not appear
Close the wizard so the Customers page reloads, then clear filters and search by customer name or email.
Duplicate customers appear
Stop importing and review how the file identifies existing contacts. Merge or cleanup decisions should follow the customer’s contact-management process.
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