Import & Export Clients

Timeblu supports bulk import and export of client data, making it easy to migrate from another system or back up your data.

Importing Clients

Supported Formats

• CSV - Comma-separated values (Excel, Google Sheets compatible)
• JSON - JavaScript Object Notation (developer-friendly)

Import Process

CSV Format Requirements

Your CSV should have:

• Header row with column names
• One client per row
• UTF-8 encoding recommended

Example CSV:

name,email,phone,notes
John Smith,john@example.com,+1 555 123 4567,Regular client
Jane Doe,jane@example.com,+1 555 987 6543,Prefers morning sessions

JSON Format Requirements

JSON should be an array of client objects:

[
    {
        "name": "John Smith",
        "email": "john@example.com",
        "phone": "+1 555 123 4567",
        "notes": "Regular client"
    },
    {
        "name": "Jane Doe",
        "email": "jane@example.com",
        "phone": "+1 555 987 6543",
        "notes": "Prefers morning sessions"
    }
]

Supported Import Fields

Duplicate Handling

During import, Timeblu checks for duplicates by email:

Import Limits

Exporting Clients

Export your client data for backup or migration.

Export Process

What’s Exported

The export includes:

What’s Not Exported

Export for GDPR Compliance

If a client requests their data:

1. Go to their profile
2. Click Export Client Data
3. Choose format (typically PDF or JSON)
4. Provide to client

This includes all personal data and session history.

Migration from Other Systems

From Google Contacts

1. Export from Google Contacts as CSV
2. Open in spreadsheet, remove unnecessary columns
3. Rename columns to match Timeblu format
4. Import to Timeblu

From Excel/Spreadsheet

1. Ensure first row has headers
2. Save as CSV (UTF-8)
3. Import to Timeblu

From Another Booking System

Most systems offer CSV export:

1. Export clients from old system
2. Map columns to Timeblu format
3. Import to Timeblu

Troubleshooting Import

”Invalid File Format”

• Check file is CSV or JSON
• Ensure proper encoding (UTF-8)
• Check for special characters

”Missing Required Field”

• Ensure “name” column exists
• Check column header spelling
• Verify mapping in preview step

”Email Format Invalid”

• Check email addresses are valid
• Remove any extra spaces
• Fix malformed addresses

”Phone Format Invalid”

• Include country code
• Remove extra characters
• Use consistent format

Import Partially Failed

If some rows fail:

1. Download the error report
2. Fix issues in original file
3. Re-import only failed rows

Best Practices

Before Importing

• Clean your data in a spreadsheet first
• Remove obvious duplicates
• Standardize phone number format
• Validate email addresses

Regular Backups

• Export monthly for backup
• Store exports securely
• Test imports to verify backup integrity

Data Hygiene

• Review imported data after import
• Merge any duplicates
• Complete missing information

Related

• Adding Clients
• Client Profiles
• Client Limits