> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.usebuddy.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Import & Export

> Bulk importing and exporting data

Buddy supports importing data from CSV and Excel files, and exporting your data for use in other systems.

## Importing Data

### Supported Formats

* **CSV** (.csv): Comma-separated values
* **Excel** (.xlsx, .xls): Microsoft Excel spreadsheets

### What You Can Import

| Data Type              | Fields                                     |
| ---------------------- | ------------------------------------------ |
| **Customers**          | Name, email, phone, billing address, notes |
| **Products**           | Name, SKU, description, price, UPC         |
| **Customer Locations** | Customer, location name, shipping address  |

### Import Process

<Steps>
  <Step title="Prepare Your File">
    Ensure your file has headers in the first row and consistent data formatting
  </Step>

  <Step title="Start Import">
    Go to **Customers** or **Products** and click **Import**
  </Step>

  <Step title="Upload File">
    Select your CSV or Excel file
  </Step>

  <Step title="Map Columns">
    Match your spreadsheet columns to Buddy fields
  </Step>

  <Step title="Preview">
    Review sample rows to verify mapping is correct
  </Step>

  <Step title="Import">
    Click **Import** to process all rows
  </Step>
</Steps>

### Column Mapping

During import, you'll map your columns to Buddy fields:

| Your Column     | Maps To       |
| --------------- | ------------- |
| "Company Name"  | Customer Name |
| "Email Address" | Billing Email |
| "SKU Number"    | Product SKU   |
| "Price"         | Unit Price    |

<Tip>
  Buddy remembers your column mappings for future imports from the same source.
</Tip>

### Handling Duplicates

When importing, Buddy checks for existing records:

* **Match found**: Updates the existing record with new data
* **No match**: Creates a new record
* **Uncertain match**: Creates a review in [Data Quality](/features/data-reviews)

Matching is based on:

* **Customers**: Email address, company name
* **Products**: SKU, UPC code

### Import Tips

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Clean Your Data" icon="broom">
    Remove blank rows and fix obvious errors before importing
  </Card>

  <Card title="Use Consistent Formatting" icon="align-left">
    Keep dates, phone numbers, and addresses in consistent formats
  </Card>

  <Card title="Start Small" icon="cube">
    Test with a small batch first to verify mapping
  </Card>

  <Card title="Check for Duplicates" icon="copy">
    Review Data Quality after importing for potential duplicates
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Exporting Data

### Export Process

<Steps>
  <Step title="Navigate to List">
    Go to **Customers**, **Products**, or **Sales Orders**
  </Step>

  <Step title="Apply Filters">
    Filter the list to show only records you want to export (optional)
  </Step>

  <Step title="Select Records">
    Check the boxes for records to export, or use **Select All**
  </Step>

  <Step title="Export">
    Click **Export** in the bulk actions bar
  </Step>
</Steps>

### Select All Matching

To export all records matching your filters:

1. Apply your filters
2. Click the checkbox in the header row
3. Click **Select all X matching** that appears
4. Click **Export**

### Export Format

Exports are CSV files containing:

* All visible columns
* Data formatted for spreadsheet use
* UTF-8 encoding for international characters

### What You Can Export

| Data Type     | Available Fields                                   |
| ------------- | -------------------------------------------------- |
| **Customers** | Name, email, phone, address, tier, status, notes   |
| **Products**  | Name, SKU, description, price, status, UPC         |
| **Orders**    | Order number, customer, date, status, total, items |
| **Invoices**  | Invoice number, customer, amount, status, dates    |

## Troubleshooting

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Import fails to process">
    * Check file format is CSV or Excel
    * Ensure headers are in row 1
    * Remove any blank rows
    * Check for special characters that may cause issues
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Columns won't map correctly">
    * Verify column names match expected fields
    * Check for hidden characters in headers
    * Try renaming columns to simpler names
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Records creating as new instead of updating">
    * Ensure matching fields (email, SKU) are populated
    * Check for typos or extra spaces
    * Verify the existing record hasn't been modified
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Export missing records">
    * Check your filters aren't excluding records
    * Verify you selected the records before exporting
    * Try exporting a smaller batch first
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Best Practices

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Keep Originals" icon="copy">
    Save a copy of your original file before importing
  </Card>

  <Card title="Document Sources" icon="file-lines">
    Note where imported data came from for future reference
  </Card>

  <Card title="Regular Exports" icon="calendar">
    Export data periodically as a backup
  </Card>

  <Card title="Review After Import" icon="magnifying-glass">
    Check Data Quality for any issues after large imports
  </Card>
</CardGroup>