The purpose of this article is to help you: 

  • Locate the import tools in the system
  • Create and upload information from a .CSV file
  • Undo an import
  • Send an invitation to create a password for newly imported contacts
  • Connect customer Stripe accounts using the import tool
  • Troubleshoot the common errors while uploading/importing the customer/contact data

 

Whether you are switching systems or are a new business with lots of leads, our import tool is a convenient way to upload information and speed up the migration or onboarding process. We also have an export tool so you can download a file containing customer, provider, and lead information that has been stored in your account.

 

Where to Find the Import Tool

The import tool is associated with two different sections: one can be used to upload customer data, and the other is for uploading provider data. To find it, you will need to go to your main menu and click either:

Customers > Customers > Import


Providers > Providers > Import


The tool on both of these pages is identical, the only difference is the location in which the data is stored. For this example, we will use the import tool in the Provider section to guide you through the process.  

 

Getting Started

To begin the process of importing your information, you will first click the blue “Import” button at the top of the screen. In the provider's import section, there are two different options based on whether you want to upload individuals or teams.

Depending on your business, you’ll select either “Import Individual Provider” or “Import Team”. Please keep in mind that you can import as many files as you need to, so if you work with a combination of individuals and teams, you can use a separate sheet for each option. For this example, we will reference the import team option.

 

Preparing Your File

After making your selection, you will land on the import page.

We’d recommend that before you search for your file, please click the “Sample File For Team” to see all of the fields BookingKoala supports. If you do not already have a .CSV file, you may also use this template to create one by adding new rows and filling them out as needed.  

Please ensure that regardless of where your file originates, it will need at minimum the three following columns: first name, last name, and email address. These three components are required for all customers and providers.  If they are missing from your file, you may not be able to have a successful import. 

You will also need to ensure that the extension is .CSV. If it does not have this extension, you can use your spreadsheet builder to “Save As” or export your list in this format. Once these aspects have been verified, you will need to click the “Browse” button to select the proper file, and then click the green “Import” button below. 

If you would like to connect the customers' Stripe IDs as well, you will need to create a new column in the .CSV file with the heading "Stripe ID".

Please note: Make sure to check the Stripe ID when copying and pasting it to the corresponding customer. If you connect the wrong ID to the wrong customer account, the card on file could be used by the incorrect owner.  

 

The Import Process

Once you’ve uploaded your file, you will need to match or “Map” the imported fields with those in BookingKoala. You can drag and drop whichever fields of information you would like to be imported.

Some of your fields may be labeled differently than BookingKoala’s. For example, BookingKoala has “zip code” as a field whereas you may have something like “zip” or “postal code”. You can map your field with the closest corresponding field in our system. You can also leave most of the BookingKoala fields empty if you do not have those in your file, or if you are not interested in importing that specific information.  

Once you have mapped your fields, you will click “Import”. A green system notification will let you know the import process has begun.

While your file is being imported, you will be brought to the “Import History” section.  Here you can view new and past imports and their corresponding details:

  • Date imported
  • Filename
  • Type of import
  • Total records within the file

To the far right, you will see the import’s status.  While the system is finalizing the import, the label will read “Processing”. You can click the orange “Reload” button to check for an updated status.

 

Troubleshooting

Once your import has been completed, you will see a green “Complete” status after refreshing. This indicates that all data (or as much as possible) has been imported. Next to this, there is a triangle icon.

  • When this icon is green, it indicates that all data has been fully imported.
  • If the icon is orange, your import is complete but some information was not able to be imported.
  • When the icon is red, the import was unsuccessful.

When the icon is orange or red, you can click the triangle icon to view a more detailed record of what failed.

There are several possible reasons why user information could not be imported, including:

  • The first name, last name, and/or email fields are blank
  • Incompatible “special characters” (like #, $, %, etc.) have been used in the name, email, or phone fields
  • The email or phone number already exists in the system.

Any users that could not be imported will be listed at the bottom so you can look at the original file to add or modify the corresponding entries. 

 

Undo an Upload

If you have accidentally uploaded the wrong file altogether, you can click the arrow icon to “undo” the import. This will permanently delete the file’s contents from your system.  

 

Send Invitation to Create Password

If you would like to invite the people in your file to create an account with your BookingKoala platform, you can click the envelope icon.

From here, you can mass email all new imports with the “Set Up Your New Password” email and even include a note for their reference. You can click “Send Email” when you are ready, or “Preview” to see what the email will look like first.

Please be sure that the "Set Up Your New Password" email template is enabled under the Notifications section. To check, please go to:

Settings > Notifications > Emails > Provider

Click the red “Disabled” button to re-enable the notification. You can also click the pencil icon to edit the general message for this email as well.  

 

Connect Customer Stripe Accounts

In the customer import area, you have the additional option of connecting your customer’s stripe accounts if you have imported their customer stripe ID.  

You can find a customer's Stripe ID in your by searching their name or email address under the "Customers" section. Click on their account to view their dashboard.  The Stripe ID is located in the "Details" section just beneath their email address in the left-side menu. This code will always begin with "cus_".

Paste the Stripe ID into a separate column labeled "Stripe ID" in your .CSV file. Make sure there are no extra spaces or characters as this may result in a failed import.

 

Troubleshoot the common errors while uploading/importing the customer/contact data

Please use the following steps to try and identify what issue(s) are causing your CSV file not to upload the contact data properly.

1. Download the Sample CSV file

It is recommended that you click on the "Sample File For Team" before uploading your file so that you can get a better sense of all the fields that BookingKoala supports. In case you do not already have a .CSV file, you may also download this template and use it to create one by adding new rows and filling them in as needed. 

2. Check the format of the file you are uploading/importing:

  • If the format of the file is NOT ".CSV", please save the file in ".CSV" format and then try to upload the file.
  • If the format of the file is ".CSV", proceed to the next step.

3. If the file format is ".CSV", and you get the below error message:

  • This error means that sometimes while uploading the ".CSV" file, the column name takes some extra characters like space or comma which creates an issue for the system to read the file. If this error appears, it is recommended to re-save the file as a ".CSV" file and then re-try uploading the file.

4. If you still get the error: 

Please email your .CSV file and the error screenshot to support@bookingkoala.com seeking further assistance.