CSV Import Guide for Accounts

The CSV import feature allows you to quickly add multiple accounts and users to Feedback Manager in bulk.

This is especially useful when:

Migrating from another system

Setting up accounts for the first time

Performing periodic bulk updates

Integrating with external data sources

This guide covers everything you need to know about importing accounts and users via CSV files.

Importing Accounts

CSV Format for Accounts

The accounts CSV file should include the following columns:

Column Name	Required	Data Type	Description	Example
`name`	✅ Yes	Text	Company or organization name	`Acme Corporation`
`domain`	❌ No	Text	Email domain for the company	`acmecorp.com`
`external_id`	❌ No	Text	ID from your CRM or billing system	`SF-12345`
`industry`	❌ No	Text	Industry sector	`Technology`
`company_size`	❌ No	Text	Company size category	`51-200 employees`
`plan_tier`	❌ No	Text	Subscription plan level	`Enterprise`
`arr`	❌ No	Number	Annual Recurring Revenue	`120000`
`mrr`	❌ No	Number	Monthly Recurring Revenue	`10000`
`customer_since`	❌ No	Date	Date became a customer	`2024-01-15`
`renewal_date`	❌ No	Date	Next renewal date	`2025-01-15`
`crm_type`	❌ No	Text	CRM system name	`Salesforce`

Sample Accounts CSV

name,domain,external_id,industry,company_size,plan_tier,arr,mrr,customer_since,renewal_date,crm_type
Acme Corporation,acmecorp.com,SF-12345,Technology,51-200 employees,Enterprise,120000,10000,2024-01-15,2025-01-15,Salesforce
Global Industries,globalind.com,SF-12346,Manufacturing,201-500 employees,Professional,60000,5000,2024-02-01,2025-02-01,Salesforce
Startup Inc,startup.io,HUB-789,Technology,1-50 employees,Starter,12000,1000,2024-03-10,2025-03-10,HubSpot

Steps to Import Accounts

Download the Template

Navigate to the Accounts tab

Click Upload Accounts CSV

Download the sample CSV template

Prepare Your Data

Open the template in Excel, Google Sheets, or a text editor

Fill in your account data

Ensure all required fields are populated

Validate data formats (especially dates and numbers)

Upload the File

Click Upload Accounts CSV

Select your prepared CSV file

Wait for the upload to complete

Review Results

Check for any import errors

Verify that accounts appear in the list

Expand accounts to confirm all data was imported correctly

TIP

Start with a small test file (5-10 accounts) to ensure your format is correct before importing hundreds of accounts.

Importing Users to Accounts

CSV Format for Account Users

When uploading users to a specific account, your CSV should include:

Column Name	Required	Data Type	Description	Example
`firstName`	✅ Yes	Text	User's first name	`John`
`lastName`	✅ Yes	Text	User's last name	`Doe`
`email`	✅ Yes	Email	User's email address	`john.doe@acmecorp.com`

Sample Account Users CSV

firstName,lastName,email
John,Doe,john.doe@acmecorp.com
Jane,Smith,jane.smith@acmecorp.com
Robert,Johnson,robert.johnson@acmecorp.com

Steps to Import Users to an Account

Navigate to the Account

Go to the Accounts tab

Find and expand the target account

Upload Users CSV

Click Upload Users CSV within the account panel

Select your CSV file containing user information

Verify Import

Check the "Users in this account" section

Confirm all users were added correctly

Verify email addresses and names

[!IMPORTANT]
Users must already exist in the system or will be created during import. Ensure email addresses are valid and properly formatted.

Data Validation Rules

Account Name

Required: Yes

Format: Any text

Max Length: 255 characters

Validation: Cannot be empty

Domain

Required: No

Format: Valid domain format (e.g., example.com)

Validation: Should not include http:// or https://

Email (for users)

Required: Yes

Format: Valid email format (e.g., user@example.com)

Validation: Must contain @ and a valid domain

Dates

Format: YYYY-MM-DD (ISO 8601)

Examples:

✅ 2024-01-15

❌ 01/15/2024

❌ 15-Jan-2024

Numbers (ARR/MRR)

Format: Numeric values without currency symbols

Examples:

✅ 120000

✅ 10000.50

❌ $120,000

❌ 10K

Common Issues & Troubleshooting

❌ Issue: "Invalid CSV format"

Cause: CSV file structure is incorrect

Solutions:

Ensure the first row contains column headers

Check that column names match exactly (case-sensitive)

Verify there are no extra commas or special characters

Save the file as UTF-8 encoded CSV

❌ Issue: "Duplicate account name"

Cause: An account with the same name already exists

Solutions:

Check existing accounts before importing

Use unique account names

Consider adding a suffix or identifier to differentiate similar names

❌ Issue: "Invalid email format"

Cause: Email address doesn't meet validation requirements

Solutions:

Verify email addresses contain @ symbol

Check for spaces or special characters

Ensure domain portion is valid

❌ Issue: "Invalid date format"

Cause: Date is not in the correct format

Solutions:

Use YYYY-MM-DD format

In Excel, format cells as "Text" before entering dates

Avoid using Excel's automatic date formatting

❌ Issue: "Some rows failed to import"

Cause: Specific rows have validation errors

Solutions:

Review error messages for specific row numbers

Check those rows for missing required fields

Verify data formats for problematic rows

Fix errors and re-upload

Best Practices

📝 Data Preparation

Clean Your Data First

Remove duplicate entries

Standardize naming conventions

Validate email addresses

Ensure consistent date formats

Use a Spreadsheet Editor

Excel or Google Sheets make editing easier

Use data validation features

Sort and filter to find issues

Test with Small Batches

Import 5-10 records first

Verify the format works

Then proceed with full import

🔍 Quality Assurance

Review Before Upload

Check for typos in company names

Verify email domains match account domains

Ensure revenue figures are accurate

Backup Existing Data

Export current accounts before bulk import

Keep a copy of your import file

Document any data transformations

Validate After Import

Spot-check random accounts

Verify user counts match expectations

Confirm all fields populated correctly

🔄 Ongoing Maintenance

Regular Updates

Schedule periodic CSV imports for updates

Keep external IDs synchronized with your CRM

Update renewal dates and revenue metrics

Incremental Imports

Import new accounts separately from updates

Use smaller, focused imports rather than one massive file

Track import history for auditing

Advanced Tips

Using Excel Formulas

When preparing your CSV in Excel, you can use formulas to:

Generate External IDs:

Calculate MRR from ARR:

Format Dates:

Handling Special Characters

If account names contain commas or quotes:

Enclose the entire field in double quotes

Escape internal quotes by doubling them

Example:

name,domain
"Acme Corp, LLC",acmecorp.com
"Johnson's ""Best"" Products",johnsons.com

Large File Imports

For very large CSV files (1000+ rows):

Split into smaller files (200-500 rows each)

Import during off-peak hours to avoid system slowdown

Monitor progress and verify each batch before continuing

Keep a master file with all data for reference

CSV Template Downloads

Account Import Template

Download a ready-to-use template with all required columns and sample data:

Template includes:

All column headers

Sample row with example data

Comments explaining each field

User Import Template

Download a template for importing users to accounts:

Template includes:

Required user fields

Sample user data

Email format examples

[!NOTE]
Templates are available from the Upload Accounts CSV and Upload Users CSV buttons in the interface.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I update existing accounts via CSV?

A: Currently, CSV import is designed for creating new accounts. To update existing accounts, use the Edit Account feature or contact your administrator about bulk update options.

Q: What happens if I import a user that already exists?

A: The system will associate the existing user with the account rather than creating a duplicate.

Q: Can I import accounts without any users?

A: Yes, you can create accounts first and add users later via CSV or manually.

Q: Is there a limit to how many accounts I can import at once?

A: While there's no strict limit, we recommend importing in batches of 500 or fewer for optimal performance.

Q: Can I import custom fields?

A: The standard CSV import supports the fields listed in this guide. For custom fields, contact your administrator about extended import options.

Next Steps

Getting Started with Accounts: Learn the basics of account management

Managing Account Users: Detailed guide for user management within accounts

Account Analytics & Reporting: Learn how to analyze account data

Need Help?

If you encounter issues not covered in this guide, please contact your system administrator with:

The CSV file you're trying to import

Any error messages you received

Screenshots of the issue

Importing Accounts#

CSV Format for Accounts#

Sample Accounts CSV#

Steps to Import Accounts#

Importing Users to Accounts#

CSV Format for Account Users#

Sample Account Users CSV#

Steps to Import Users to an Account#

Data Validation Rules#

Account Name#

Domain#

Email (for users)#

Dates#

Numbers (ARR/MRR)#

Common Issues & Troubleshooting#

❌ Issue: "Invalid CSV format"#

❌ Issue: "Duplicate account name"#

❌ Issue: "Invalid email format"#

❌ Issue: "Invalid date format"#

❌ Issue: "Some rows failed to import"#

Best Practices#

📝 Data Preparation#

🔍 Quality Assurance#

🔄 Ongoing Maintenance#

Advanced Tips#

Using Excel Formulas#

Handling Special Characters#

Large File Imports#

CSV Template Downloads#

Account Import Template#

User Import Template#

Frequently Asked Questions#

Q: Can I update existing accounts via CSV?#

Q: What happens if I import a user that already exists?#

Q: Can I import accounts without any users?#

Q: Is there a limit to how many accounts I can import at once?#

Q: Can I import custom fields?#

Next Steps#

Need Help?#

Importing Accounts

CSV Format for Accounts

Sample Accounts CSV

Steps to Import Accounts

Importing Users to Accounts

CSV Format for Account Users

Sample Account Users CSV

Steps to Import Users to an Account

Data Validation Rules

Account Name

Domain

Email (for users)

Dates

Numbers (ARR/MRR)

Common Issues & Troubleshooting

❌ Issue: "Invalid CSV format"

❌ Issue: "Duplicate account name"

❌ Issue: "Invalid email format"

❌ Issue: "Invalid date format"

❌ Issue: "Some rows failed to import"

Best Practices

📝 Data Preparation

🔍 Quality Assurance

🔄 Ongoing Maintenance

Advanced Tips

Using Excel Formulas

Handling Special Characters

Large File Imports

CSV Template Downloads

Account Import Template

User Import Template

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I update existing accounts via CSV?

Q: What happens if I import a user that already exists?

Q: Can I import accounts without any users?

Q: Is there a limit to how many accounts I can import at once?

Q: Can I import custom fields?

Next Steps

Need Help?