Importing clients

If your client list lives in a spreadsheet, you can bring it into Cartenda in one go instead of adding clients one at a time. You see exactly what will happen to every row before anything is added, and nobody is sent anything.

Prepare your spreadsheet#

Save your list as a CSV file. Most spreadsheet programs do this from File, then Save as or Download, choosing CSV. A client export from Cartenda itself imports as it is.

Give the file a heading row. Cartenda recognizes these columns:

• Name, or separate First name and Last name columns.

• Email (or Email address).

• Phone, Mobile or Cell for a cell phone number.

• Company (optional). People who share a company are filed under one business for you to check. The first is its primary and the rest are its members, so the business is one client.

• Household (optional, or Household name, Client group or Family). People who share a household are one client. The first is its primary. A role from the Role column is kept; without one, the second of two people is taken as the co-client, and in a household of three or more the rest are members you can name later.

• Spouse name, Spouse email and Spouse mobile (optional, or Partner …). A spouse on the same row as the client is added beside them as the co-client, in a household named for the family, such as "Shah Household", unless the row names one.

• Company (optional). People who share a company are filed under one business for you to check. The first is its primary and the rest are its members, so the business is one client.

• Role (optional, or Relationship to client), with Household or Company. What each person is there.

  • In a business, Owner, Officer or Member keeps them a member with that role. Any other role, such as CPA, Attorney, Advisor, Banker or Bookkeeper, makes them a third party: someone the business brings in, not the client.
  • In a household, CPA, Attorney, Advisor, Banker or Business partner makes them a third party. Anything else, such as Trustee or Son, keeps them one of the family with that role.

  See Clients and client groups.

To see every column at once, click Download a sample file on the import page.

Each client needs at least an email address or a cell phone number. A row with neither is left out, and so is a spouse on a row who has neither.

You can import up to 2,000 clients at a time. For a longer list, split it into several files and import each one.

Import the file#

1. In the sidebar, open Clients and click Import.
2. Under Spreadsheet, choose your CSV file.
3. Click Preview.
4. Check the preview. It shows every row from your file and what will happen to it.
5. Click the button that says how many will be added, such as Import 120 clients. Or click Choose a different file to start again. A long list takes a little while; stay on the page, and your client list opens when it is done.

Read the preview#

Each row gets one of four outcomes:

• New: this person isn't on your list yet and will be added.
• Adds details: they're already on your list, and the file fills in something you didn't have, such as a missing name or cell phone number.
• Already there: they're already on your list and the file adds nothing.
• Left out: the row won't be imported. A note says why. For example, there's no email address or cell phone number, or it repeats an earlier row.

A client who is already on your list is matched by email address. Only blanks are filled in: nothing you already hold is changed. If an email address or phone number can't be recognized, that value is dropped and the note says so.

Above the rows, Households lists each household the import will make or add to, and who is in it as what, such as "Rivera Household: Maria Rivera (primary), Daniel Rivera (co-client)". Someone already in a household joins that one rather than starting another, so importing the same list twice files nobody twice. If another client already uses the name, the new household gets a number after it, such as "Rivera Household (2)". A household with only a professional in it, such as a CPA, isn't made, and the note on that row says why.

Check the businesses it made#

A company column is a guess about who belongs together. Businesses made from it are flagged Check who belongs on the Clients list. Open each one, make sure everyone is part of that client group rather than just sharing an employer, and click Looks right. You can move people or change their roles there too. See Clients and client groups.

Import from your CRM#

If your firm has connected Wealthbox, you can read your people and households straight from it instead of using a spreadsheet:

1. Go to Settings → CRM.
2. Under Import your clients, click Read Wealthbox. This can take a little while for a large book.
3. Check the list. It shows each person, their household, and whether they're New or Already here. If your CRM holds more than 2,000 people, only the first 2,000 are read.
4. Click the Import button, which says how many people will come in.

Anyone you already have is matched by email, not added twice. Their details arrive as suggestions on each client's page for you to accept. For connecting a CRM, see Connecting your CRM.

Who can import#

Any member can import a spreadsheet. Importing from a CRM is done from the CRM settings page, which only people who can change workspace settings can open (owners and admins, by default).

After importing#

Imported clients are simply on your list. Nothing goes out until you send them a form, one at a time or to many at once. See Sending a form to a client and Sending to many clients.