Client data import & export
A practical product capability for Canadian accounting and bookkeeping practices.
SpidNums imports client lists from CSV or XLSX files using a downloadable template, so Canadian accounting firms can leave spreadsheet master lists behind without retyping a single record. The same client table exports back to CSV or XLSX at any time, which keeps the firm's data portable — useful for analysis, mail-outs, and the assurance that nothing is locked in.
Template-driven CSV/XLSX import
Full export whenever you need it
No retyping, no lock-in
Why firms stay stuck on spreadsheet client lists
Because migrating feels worse than staying. The client master list has years of accumulated detail, several circulating versions, and no obvious way into new software except an intern and a long weekend of retyping — so the spreadsheet survives another season.
Meanwhile the spreadsheet keeps doing what spreadsheets do: forking into copies, drifting out of date, and holding fiscal year-ends and contact details that no deadline system can act on.
How import and export work
Import starts with a template download that shows exactly which columns SpidNums expects. Reshape the existing list to match, save as CSV or XLSX, and upload — the rows become ordinary client records, immediately editable, assignable and ready for portal invites.
Export is the same door in reverse: the client table downloads to CSV or XLSX whenever the firm wants it, without asking anyone. There is no proprietary format on either side of the move.
- Template download shows the expected columns before you start
- CSV and XLSX accepted on import; both available on export
- Imported rows are full client records, not a separate holding area
What changes for the firm day-to-day
The migration stops being a project and becomes an afternoon: reshape, upload, review. Firms can move in batches — the A-to-M clients this week, the rest next week — because imported records behave like any other record from the moment they land.
Afterwards, export keeps earning its place: pull the client table for a partner meeting, a mail-out list, or an external analysis, and know the answer reflects the live system rather than whichever spreadsheet copy was open.
What ships in the module
- Clients import from CSV or XLSX with a template download that shows the expected columns.
- The client table exports back to CSV or XLSX at any time.
- Imported rows become ordinary client records — editable, assignable and portal-ready immediately.
- Data moves as files rather than through a ledger sync, so any system that can export a spreadsheet can feed the import.
Related features
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Frequently asked questions
What file formats does SpidNums import?
CSV and XLSX. A template is available to download first, so you can see the expected columns and reshape your existing list before uploading. Export works in the same two formats.
Can we get our data out if we ever leave?
Yes — the client table exports to CSV or XLSX at any time, on your own initiative, with no request to support. Data portability is deliberate: the same mechanism that got your clients in gets them out.
Can SpidNums pull clients directly from QuickBooks or Xero?
Not as a direct integration — SpidNums does not sync with ledger software. The working route is the one those tools already support: export your client or customer list to CSV or XLSX, match it to the SpidNums template, and import. The ledger itself stays exactly where it is.
Do we have to migrate everything on day one?
No. Import accepts whatever the file contains, so many firms load their active clients first and bring the long tail later. Records are fully editable after import, which means a rough first pass can be cleaned up inside SpidNums rather than perfected in the spreadsheet beforehand.
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