Use case · Firm admins running the migration

Migrate your client list out of spreadsheets

The client master list lives in a spreadsheet with duplicate rows, contacts who left years ago and fiscal year-ends in three date formats. Every deadline calendar and mail-merge built on top of it inherits the mess. Nobody wants to migrate because migrating means finally confronting the cleanup.

Canadian accounting professionals — Migrate your client list out of spreadsheets

Firms migrate a client list into SpidNums with the CSV/XLSX import template: download the template, shape columns for legal name, fiscal year-end, status and contacts, clean the data once in the spreadsheet, and import. Export works the same way in reverse, so nothing is locked in. Admin-defined custom fields give firm-specific columns a place to land.

Updated July 2026

How firms run it, step by step

  1. Download the import template

    Start from the provided CSV/XLSX template rather than your raw sheet — it defines the columns the Client CRM expects, including legal name, fiscal year-end, status and contacts.

    Client CRM

  2. Clean the sheet once

    Deduplicate rows, settle on one date format for fiscal year-ends, and drop contacts who have left. The cleanup is worth doing here because every deadline downstream reads this data.

    Client CRM

  3. Create custom fields for the extra columns

    For firm-specific columns the template does not cover — referral source, program account references — define admin custom fields before importing so that data has somewhere to go.

    Client CRM

  4. Import and spot-check

    Run the import, then open a handful of records against the sheet: fiscal year-ends and contact designations are the fields worth checking, because dates derive from them.

    Client CRM

  5. Assign services so dates exist

    An imported record is a directory entry until it carries services. Assign each client's services with frequencies so next-due dates start driving the Reminders feed.

    Services catalogue

  6. Export to confirm the round trip

    Run a CSV/XLSX export straight after migrating. It proves the data comes back out in the same shape it went in — the migration is reversible from day one.

    Client CRM

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Client CRM

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Services catalogue

Related use cases

Onboard a new clientRecord, services, engagement letter and portal invite in one passCapture the client data your firm actually tracksAdmin-defined custom fields put firm-specific data on the client recordFind any client contact mid-fileMultiple contacts with designations end the mid-file phone-number hunt

Features used

Client data import & exportCSV/XLSX importClient management for accounting firmsClient CRM

Go deeper

Accounting Practice Management Software Built for Canadian FirmsAccounting Software Built for Canadian Accounting Firms

Frequently asked questions

What file formats does the client import accept?

CSV and XLSX. SpidNums provides a downloadable template with the expected columns — legal name, fiscal year-end, status, contacts — so you shape the data once in the spreadsheet you already have, then upload it.

What happens to columns the template does not cover?

Create admin-defined custom fields for them before you import. Firm-specific columns — referral source, program account references, language preference — then have a named field to land in on the client record instead of being abandoned in the old sheet.

Can I get my client list back out of SpidNums?

Yes. The Client CRM exports to CSV/XLSX at any time, in the same shape the import uses. Running an export right after migration is the quickest way to confirm the round trip — and it means leaving is always possible, which is how staying should be earned.

See this workflow with your own client list in it.

A tailored demo walks the exact steps above with your services and deadlines.

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