Use this workflow to validate and import new customer master records from a CSV file.
When to use this workflow
Use Bulk Upload Customers when many new customer records need to be created at once.
Do not use this workflow to update existing customers. Duplicate customer codes are skipped, not updated. For one customer, use How to Add Customer or edit the customer from Customer Detail.
Before you start
Confirm:
- You have admin or executive access to the Sales Customers screen.
- Customer codes are approved and unique.
- Payment terms, shipping methods, sort codes, and salesperson IDs are valid.
- The CSV has been tested with a small batch first.
- You understand there is no bulk delete available from this workflow.
Screen path
Dashboard > Sales > Customers > Bulk Upload Customers
CSV columns
Required columns:
| Column | Requirement |
|---|---|
customer_code |
Required. Unique customer identifier, 50 characters or less. |
name |
Required. Customer company name, 100 characters or less. |
Optional columns:
| Column | Notes |
|---|---|
website |
Valid URL. http:// or https:// is optional. |
sort_code_id |
Sort code or sort-code ID. |
salesperson_id |
User ID number. |
payment_terms_code |
Active payment terms code. |
shipping_method_id |
Shipping method ID number. |
tax_exempt_number |
Tax exemption number. |
credit_limit |
Numeric value. |
email |
Valid email address. |
main_phone |
Main phone number. |
fax_number |
Fax number. |
flag_credit_hold |
true/false, 1/0, or yes/no. |
flag_shipping_hold |
true/false, 1/0, or yes/no. |
carrier_account |
Customer carrier account number. |
price_tier |
None, Tier 1, Tier 2, or Tier 3. |
estimated_company_size |
Small, Medium, Large, or Mega. |
notes |
Customer master notes. |
customer_since |
Date value. Use YYYY-MM-DD when possible. |
Steps
-
Open
Dashboard > Sales > Customers. -
Select
Bulk Upload Customers. -
Select
Download CSV Template. -
Fill the CSV template with customer records.
-
Test with a small batch of 5 to 10 records before importing a large file.
-
Select the CSV file.
-
Select
Validate File. -
Review
Step 2: Validation Results. -
Review rows listed under
Rows to be Skipped. -
Review
Data Cleaning Warnings. -
Review the preview of the first 5 valid rows.
-
If the validation results are acceptable, select
Confirm Import. -
Review
Import Complete!. -
Select
Close. -
Search the Customers list to confirm the imported customers appear.
-
Add addresses and contacts separately, either through Customer Detail or the bulk upload address/contact workflows.
What happens behind the scenes
The first upload step is a dry run. PAX parses the CSV, validates rows, cleans eligible fields, and returns a preview. No customer records are inserted during validation.
When Confirm Import is selected, PAX inserts valid new customer rows. Existing customer codes are skipped and are not updated.
Rows are skipped when:
| Skip reason | Result |
|---|---|
Missing customer_code |
Row is skipped. |
Missing name |
Row is skipped. |
customer_code is longer than 50 characters |
Row is skipped. |
name is longer than 100 characters |
Row is skipped. |
| Customer code already exists | Row is skipped. |
Some fields are cleaned automatically and the row can still import:
| Field issue | PAX action |
|---|---|
| Invalid email | Clears the field. |
| Invalid website | Clears the field. |
| Invalid salesperson ID | Clears the field. |
| Invalid payment terms code | Clears the field. |
| Invalid shipping method ID | Clears the field. |
| Invalid sort code or sort-code ID | Clears the field. |
| Invalid credit limit | Clears the field. |
| Invalid price tier | Resets to None. |
| Invalid company size | Clears the field. |
| Phone or fax longer than 20 characters | Truncates to 20 characters before phone normalization. |
| Invalid credit or shipping hold flag | Sets the flag to false. |
Bulk uploading customers creates customer master records only. It does not create addresses, contacts, orders, invoices, payments, shipments, quotes, opportunities, or accounting entries.
Troubleshooting
The file is rejected before validation
Likely cause: The selected file is not a CSV file.
Safe fix: Save the file with a .csv extension and try again.
Contact support if: A valid CSV file is still rejected.
Rows are skipped because customer codes already exist
Likely cause: Bulk customer upload only inserts new customer codes.
Safe fix: Remove existing customers from the CSV. Edit existing customers from Customer Detail.
Contact support if: The customer code does not appear in Customers but is still reported as existing.
Data Cleaning Warnings appear
Likely cause: Optional field data is invalid or too long.
Safe fix: Review every warning before confirming import. Correct the CSV and revalidate if the cleaned value would be wrong.
Contact support if: Valid reference values are being cleared.
Imported customers are missing addresses or contacts
Likely cause: Customer bulk upload imports only customer master records.
Safe fix: Use How to Bulk Upload Customer Addresses and How to Bulk Upload Contacts, or add records in Customer Detail.
Contact support if: Address or contact imports complete successfully but the data does not appear.