> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://aczen-d43c4738.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Import customers, invoices, and data into Aczen Bilz

> Bring your customers, vendors, opening balances, historical invoices, and expense records into Aczen Bilz using CSV or Excel templates in a few steps.

If you are migrating to Aczen Bilz from another accounting tool — or if you have years of data in spreadsheets — you can bulk-import your existing records rather than entering them one by one. Aczen Bilz validates your data before importing, shows you a preview of what will be created, and flags any rows that need to be corrected.

<Tip>
  Always start by downloading the official template for the data type you want to import. The template has the exact column names and order that Aczen Bilz expects. Using your own spreadsheet layout will result in validation errors.
</Tip>

## What you can import

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="Clients" icon="users">
    Customer names, contact details, GSTIN, billing and shipping addresses.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Vendors" icon="building">
    Supplier details, contact information, GSTIN, and billing addresses.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Ledgers" icon="book">
    Your chart of accounts and opening balances for accurate financial reporting from day one.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Invoices" icon="file-invoice">
    Historical sales invoices with line items, GST rates, and HSN/SAC codes.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Quotations" icon="file-lines">
    Past quotations and offers sent to clients.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

**Supported file formats:** CSV (.csv) and Excel (.xlsx). Files up to 10 MB and up to 1,000 rows per import are supported.

<Note>
  Bank statement imports are handled separately through the Bank Reconciliation feature. See the bank reconciliation guide for details.
</Note>

***

## Import clients

<Steps>
  <Step title="Download the client template">
    Go to **Import & Template Download** in the left sidebar. Under **Step 1: Download Template**, click **Clients**. A CSV file downloads with these columns:

    ```
    client_name, email, phone, gst_number, billing_address, shipping_address, contact_person
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Fill in your data">
    Open the template in Excel, Google Sheets, or any spreadsheet application. Add one client per row.

    **Required fields:** `client_name`, `email`

    **Format guidelines:**

    * Email: valid address, e.g. `contact@company.com`
    * Phone: 10 digits or `+91-XXXXX-XXXXX`
    * GST number: 15-character GSTIN, e.g. `27AABCT1234A1Z0`
  </Step>

  <Step title="Upload your file">
    Back on the Import page, select **Clients** under **Step 2: Select Module**, then upload your filled file. Aczen Bilz parses the file and validates every row.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Review the preview">
    The system shows you how many rows passed validation and how many have errors. Review the list of valid rows to confirm they look correct.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Confirm the import">
    Click **Import N Valid Rows**. A success message confirms how many clients were added. You can view them immediately in the Clients page.
  </Step>
</Steps>

***

## Import vendors

<Steps>
  <Step title="Download the vendor template">
    Click **Vendors** in the Download Template section. The template includes:

    ```
    vendor_name, email, phone, gst_number, billing_address, contact_person
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Fill in your data">
    Add one vendor per row. **Required fields:** `vendor_name`, `email`.

    Use the same format guidelines as for clients (valid email, 10-digit phone, 15-character GSTIN).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Upload, review, and confirm">
    Select **Vendors** as the module, upload your file, review the preview, and click **Import** to add the records.
  </Step>
</Steps>

***

## Import historical invoices

<Steps>
  <Step title="Download the invoice template">
    Click **Invoices** in the Download Template section. The template includes:

    ```
    invoice_number, invoice_date, due_date, client_name, item_description,
    quantity, rate, gst_rate, hsn_sac, notes
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Fill in your data">
    Add one line item per row. **Required fields:** `invoice_number`, `invoice_date`, `client_name`, `item_description`, `quantity`, `rate`.

    **Format guidelines:**

    * Dates: `YYYY-MM-DD`, e.g. `2024-03-31`
    * Quantity and rate: positive numbers, e.g. `10` or `99.99`
    * GST rate: number between 0 and 100, e.g. `18`. Defaults to 18 if left blank.
    * `client_name` must exactly match a client already in your Aczen Bilz account (or be included in a clients import you run first)
  </Step>

  <Step title="Upload, review, and confirm">
    Select **Invoices** as the module, upload your file, review the preview, and click **Import**.
  </Step>
</Steps>

***

## Import ledgers and opening balances

<Steps>
  <Step title="Download the ledger template">
    Click **Ledgers** in the Download Template section. The template covers your chart of accounts and opening balance amounts.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Fill in your data">
    Enter each account on a separate row. Use your previous accounting software's trial balance or chart of accounts export as a reference.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Upload, review, and confirm">
    Select **Ledgers** as the module, upload your file, review the preview, and confirm the import.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Tip>
  Import ledgers before importing invoices and expenses. Having your chart of accounts set up first ensures that imported transactions are correctly categorised.
</Tip>

***

## Handling import errors

If any rows fail validation, Aczen Bilz shows you the error count alongside the valid row count in the preview step.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Download the error report">
    Click **Download Error CSV**. The file contains the original row data plus an `errors` column that explains exactly what is wrong with each row.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Fix the errors">
    Open the error CSV, correct the issues in the `errors` column, and remove the `errors` column itself before re-uploading.

    Common errors and their fixes:

    | Error message                          | Cause                         | Fix                                                   |
    | -------------------------------------- | ----------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------- |
    | Email must be a valid email address    | Invalid email format          | Use `user@domain.com` format                          |
    | GST must be 15 alphanumeric characters | Wrong GSTIN length or format  | Verify against GST portal                             |
    | Phone must be 10 digits                | Non-standard phone format     | Use 10-digit number or `+91-XXXXX-XXXXX`              |
    | Field is required                      | A mandatory field is empty    | Fill in all required columns                          |
    | Must be a number ≥ 0                   | Non-numeric or negative value | Use positive numbers only                             |
    | Date must be in YYYY-MM-DD format      | Wrong date format             | Change to `YYYY-MM-DD`, e.g. `2024-01-15`             |
    | Record already exists                  | Duplicate detected            | Remove the row if the record is already in Aczen Bilz |
  </Step>

  <Step title="Re-upload the corrected file">
    Upload the corrected file, review the new preview, and confirm the import. Repeat until all rows are valid.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Warning>
  Valid rows are imported even when some rows have errors. You do not need to fix all errors before importing — you can import the valid rows now and re-upload a corrected file later to add the remaining records.
</Warning>