How can I import customers?
When running an import for the first time, an import definition must be created first. If an import has been run before and the same criteria need to be applied, a previous definition can be selected.
Start
If no import has been run previously, the option “create a new import definition” is selected by default. Click “next” to create the definition.
Upload file
Enter a name for the definition here and click the “Upload file” button to upload a file. Supported formats are CSV and Excel. The bar turns green to indicate that the upload is complete.
Example import file
The table below shows an example of what can be placed in Excel for the import.
| Last name | First name | Mobile | Username | Password | |
| Last | First | mail@test.nl | 31612345678 | Name | Pw |
Format
The system indicates in which format the file was uploaded. If this is an Excel file, you will be given the option to select a specific sheet from the Excel file. It is also possible to specify how many rows should be skipped during the import. Enter 0 here if no rows should be skipped!
Column mapping
The columns from the file (including a preview) are shown on the left side of this screen. Under “target field”, select the fields in i-Reserve that the respective columns from the file should match. If there are columns that do not need to be included in the import, no target field needs to be assigned.
During mapping, additional actions can be linked to the import. For example, it is possible to have all first names begin with a capital letter. Another example would be modifying text, such as automatically changing “Belgie” to “België” during the import.
Import rules
It is always possible that the import file contains data that is already known in i-Reserve. In this screen, different checks can be enabled to determine whether there are matches.
When importing customers, it is possible to check for duplicates based on the email address, initials + last name, or postcode + house number. If a match is found, the row can be skipped. The more criteria selected, the more accurate the check will be. It is also possible to let the system overwrite the information in i-Reserve or create a new entry. In the latter case, duplicates may occur.
It is also possible to directly create usernames and passwords. The system can generate these automatically, but it is also possible to include this information in the import file. In that case, choose the option “user credentials based on provided columns”. To send user credentials directly to customers, set the option “send user credentials via email” to “Yes”. The template used for this is import_customer. The template can be customised via Configuration – Templates.
Example email import customer:
<p>Dear Sir/Madam,</p>
<p>This email was sent because a new username and password have been created for you for {SITE_URL}.</p>
<p>Your newly created username: <strong>{USERNAME}</strong></p>
<p>Your newly created password: <strong>{PASSWORD}</strong></p>
<p>This password can always be changed in your personal profile.</p>
<p><br /> {EMAIL_SIG}</p>
If the company context is used and the field “company name” is included in the import, the customer will be linked to the company by the system. If the company does not yet exist, it will be created.
Check file
Verify that the file name and the number of rows to be imported are correct. If everything is correct, the import can be started using the “Import!” link.
Batch overview
The next screen shows the batch overview. Here you can see the status of the import. It also shows how many rows have actually been imported. Note: Depending on the size of the file, this may take some time.
The file to be imported must always contain column headings
Make sure there are no blank cells in the list, this may cause the import to fail. Always check the number of rows in your file with the number of rows that will be imported, these should be similar.
