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Data in- & export

Data import and export

Import your customers, suppliers, products and bank statements from the file you already have — map your columns to ours and check the preview before a single record is written. Then export your data and reports back out in PDF, Excel or CSV.

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The Invoice Office import wizard for customers, with its Source, Upload, Map fields, Preview, Import and Done steps, a choice of CSV or Excel file, and a link to download the ready-made import template

What you can move

What you can import and export

Getting started is the moment most people abandon a switch. Every route in is built to make that first hour shorter.

Import formats
Excel, CSV, UBL, MT940Import formats
To your own columns
Map fieldsTo your own columns
Export formats
PDF, Excel, CSVExport formats
Bring your file as it is
Moving from other software should not mean rebuilding your export to suit us. Upload your CSV or Excel file, and the Map fields step lines your columns up with ours. A ready-made template is there if you would rather start from one.
Everything you can import
Customers, suppliers, products, price lists, bank statements, VAT codes and ledger accounts each have their own import, and contacts come in separately for customers and suppliers — so a move covers the whole account, not just the address book.
Import whole documents, not just lines
Invoices, quotes, order confirmations and packing notes import from a spreadsheet through the same wizard. Inside an invoice, a Pro license also lets you import just the lines — the quicker route for one long document.
UBL XML for supplier invoices
UBL is the standard XML format for electronic invoices. Upload a supplier’s UBL file on a purchase and the supplier details, purchase number, amounts and tax rates fill themselves in — the file is imported rather than just attached. UBL import is part of the Pro license.
Bank statements in MT940 or CSV
Pick your File format, which includes MT940, MT940 Structured, MT940 .txt and .swi files and .csv, then switch on Match and register payment so the statement settles invoices as it imports. Automatically send payment notification e-mails the payer when it does.
Export what you are looking at
Customers, suppliers and products export to PDF, Excel or CSV, and so does every document list — invoices, quotes, order confirmations, packing notes and purchases. Pick the columns you want and the export follows the filter you already have on screen instead of dumping the whole table. Expenses export in the same three formats; there you tick the rows you want.
Reports out in the format that fits
Profit and loss and the VAT declaration export to PDF, Excel or CSV, carrying the date range you set — Excel or CSV to work the numbers further, PDF to hand a clean document to your accountant or your bank.
Drag, drop, or pull from the cloud
A purchase document can be dragged onto the page, picked from Google Drive, Dropbox or OneDrive, or uploaded as a UBL file. Invoices can go the other way too: connect Google Drive or Dropbox on a Pro license, name a folder, and finished invoices are saved out to it automatically.

Getting it right first time

The wizard checks your file before anything is written

An import either lands cleanly or leaves you unpicking records for an afternoon. That is why nothing is written until you have mapped your columns and seen the counts.

Step-by-step import guide

  • Your columns are detected, then mapped

    Upload the file and the wizard reads its columns and proposes a match for each one, recognising headings in any language the app supports. Where it guesses wrong, you correct it — so a column in an unexpected place, or in Dutch, is a dropdown rather than a failed import.

  • Save the mapping and reuse it

    If the same export lands on your desk every month, save the mapping once. The next file with that shape maps itself, which is what turns a migration job into a routine one.

  • Preview shows valid and errors

    Before anything is written, the Preview step counts the rows that are good and the rows that are not. You fix the file and come back rather than discovering the problem in your customer list.

  • Every failing row is named

    The Errors tab lists the row, the column, the value and the reason — a required field left blank, text where a number belongs, an address that is not an e-mail. Nothing is staged while an error remains, and you can download the error report to fix the file.

How it works

How the import wizard works

  1. Step 1Pick your source and upload

    Go to Settings → Company → Import and open the one you need — customers, suppliers, products, bank statements and the rest each have their own. Choose CSV or Excel and upload the file you already have. A template is there if you would rather start from one.

  2. Step 2Map your fields

    The wizard reads your columns and proposes a match for each. Correct anything it guessed wrong, and save the mapping if this file will come round again.

  3. Step 3Preview, then import

    Preview counts the valid rows and the errors before anything is written. When it looks right, import — large files are processed in the background, so you can carry on working and get a notification when it finishes.

Import and export questions, answered

What data can I import into Invoice Office?
Customers and customer contacts, suppliers and supplier contacts, products, price lists, bank statements, VAT codes and ledger accounts each have their own import. Whole documents — invoices, quotes, order confirmations and packing notes — import too, as do invoice lines inside an invoice and supplier invoices as UBL XML, both on a Pro license.
What file formats can I import?
CSV or Excel for the standard imports, with CSV recommended. Bank statements have their own format list, which includes MT940, MT940 Structured, MT940 .txt and .swi files and .csv — and a CSV goes through the same field-mapping wizard as everything else. Supplier invoices can also come in as UBL XML on a purchase.
How do I move my customers over from other software?
Export your customers from your old system and upload that file as it is. The Map fields step reads your columns and proposes a match for each one, so you correct rather than rebuild. Preview shows how many rows are valid before anything is written, then you import.
Do I have to use your template?
No. The template is there if you want a known-good starting point, but the wizard maps your own columns to ours, so an export from another system usually goes straight in. Save the mapping and the next file of that shape maps itself.
Why did my import fail or import the wrong data?
Check the Preview step — it separates valid rows from errors before anything is committed. The Errors tab names the row, the column, the value and the reason, so what is usually left is a required field left blank, or text sitting in a field that expects a number or an e-mail address.
What is UBL XML and can I use it?
UBL is a standard XML format for electronic invoices. Drop one on a purchase and it is imported rather than attached, so the supplier information, purchase number, amounts and tax rates are filled in for you. UBL import requires a Pro license — there is more on it on the purchases page.
Can I export my data back out?
Yes. Customers, suppliers, products and every document list export to PDF, Excel or CSV, and you choose which columns go in. The export follows the filter you have on screen, so you can take out one segment rather than the whole table. Expenses export too — there the export covers the rows you tick.
Can I export my reports?
Yes. Profit and loss and the VAT declaration export to PDF, Excel or CSV, carrying whatever date range you have set — Excel and CSV to work the numbers further, PDF when you need a clean document for your accountant or your bank.
Can I import a document from Google Drive or Dropbox?
Yes, for purchases. A purchase document can be dragged onto the page, picked from a connected Google Drive, Dropbox or OneDrive, or uploaded as a UBL XML file. Connect Google Drive or Dropbox and finished invoices can be saved out to a folder automatically. The cloud connectors and UBL import are part of the Pro license.

More answers in our FAQ and help center.

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Where your data goes once it is in

Bring your data with you

Upload the file you already have, map your columns, and see the preview before a single record is written. Free to start, and no credit card to try it.

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