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Coming Soon: The CSV import wizard described in this documentation is currently in development and not yet available in the production version of Every. Currently, Every Agent can read and extract text from CSV files, but structured import with column mapping is not yet implemented. Check back soon for updates!

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Overview

Every Agent will include a powerful CSV import wizard that can import hundreds or thousands of records from spreadsheets - perfect for migrating from another system or bulk-loading data. Key capabilities:
  • Intelligent column mapping with auto-detection
  • Support for clients, invoices, expenses, offerings, and time entries
  • Batch processing for large files
  • Validation and error handling
  • Progress tracking for long imports
CSV imports are handled conversationally through Every Agent. Simply upload your file and chat with the agent to configure and execute your import.

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Quick Start

Basic import: Open Every Agent chat → Upload CSV → Agent analyzes and proposes mapping → Review preview → Confirm → Import executes Example conversation: 
You: "Import this CSV of historical invoices"
[Attach CSV file]

Agent: "I found 500 invoices in your CSV. Here's my proposed mapping..."

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What You Can Import

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Supported Entity Types

Clients:
  • Company name and contacts
  • Email, phone, address
  • Website and notes
  • Custom fields
Invoices:
  • Historical invoice records
  • Line items with quantities and rates
  • Tax information
  • Payment status
Expenses:
  • Expense records with categories
  • Merchant information
  • Billable status
  • Receipt references
Payments:
  • Payment records linked to invoices
  • Payment dates and amounts
  • Payment method information
Offerings:
  • Service/product templates
  • Pricing information
  • Descriptions
Time Entries:
  • Logged hours
  • Client and project associations
  • Billing status

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Best Use Cases

  • Migrating from another invoicing system (FreshBooks, Wave, etc.)
  • Importing historical data for analytics
  • Bulk client onboarding from CRM export
  • Loading past invoices for payment tracking
  • Importing expense reports from spreadsheets

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How Import Works

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Step 1: Upload CSV

Start by uploading your CSV file to the Every Agent chat: 
You: "Import this CSV of historical invoices"
[Attach CSV file to chat]

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Step 2: Automatic Analysis

Agent analyzes your CSV and reports:
  • Entity type detected (invoices, clients, etc.)
  • Row count (e.g., “500 invoices found”)
  • Column identification
  • Required field check
  • Proposed batch size

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Step 3: Column Mapping

Agent shows proposed column mapping: 
CSV Column          →  Every Field
─────────────────────────────────────
Client Name         →  client.name
Invoice Number      →  invoice_number
Invoice Date        →  issue_date
Amount              →  total
Due Date            →  due_date
Description         →  notes
Adjust mappings as needed: 
You: "Map 'Customer' column to client.name instead"
Agent: [Updates mapping and shows revised preview]

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Step 4: Preview & Validation

Agent shows preview of first few rows: 
Preview Row 1:
  Client: ACME Corp
  Amount: $5,000.00
  Date: 2024-01-15
  Due: 2024-02-14

Preview Row 2:
  Client: TechStart Inc
  Amount: $12,500.00
  Date: 2024-01-20
  Due: 2024-02-19

✓ All required fields present
✓ Dates in valid format
⚠ 3 clients don't exist yet (will be created)

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Step 5: Execute Import

You: "Looks good, proceed"

Agent: Starting import...
Batch 1/5: Processing rows 1-100... ✓ Complete (2.3s)
Batch 2/5: Processing rows 101-200... ✓ Complete (2.1s)
Batch 3/5: Processing rows 201-300... ✓ Complete (2.4s)
Batch 4/5: Processing rows 301-400... ✓ Complete (2.2s)
Batch 5/5: Processing rows 401-500... ✓ Complete (2.0s)

Import complete!
  ✓ 500 invoices created
  ✓ 47 new clients created
  ⚠ 3 rows skipped (invalid data)

[View import log for details]

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CSV Format Requirements

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General Requirements

  • Headers: First row must contain column headers
  • One record per row: Each row represents one record
  • Encoding: UTF-8 (for special characters)
  • Separators: Comma (,), semicolon (;), or tab supported

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Date Formats

All common formats are automatically detected:
  • YYYY-MM-DD (recommended): 2024-01-15
  • MM/DD/YYYY: 01/15/2024
  • DD/MM/YYYY: 15/01/2024
For best results, use YYYY-MM-DD format consistently throughout your CSV.

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Amount Formats

  • With currency symbol: $5,000.00
  • Without currency: 5000.00 or 5,000.00
  • Commas and periods handled automatically

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Required Fields by Entity Type

Clients:
  • Name (required)
  • Email (highly recommended)
  • Phone, address, website (optional)
Invoices:
  • Client name or email (to match/create client)
  • Amount OR line items
  • Issue date
  • Invoice number (optional - will generate if missing)
Expenses:
  • Merchant name
  • Amount
  • Date
  • Category (optional - will auto-categorize)

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Example CSV Formats

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Clients CSV

Name,Email,Phone,Website,Address
ACME Corp,[email protected],555-0100,acme.com,"123 Main St, NYC"
TechStart Inc,[email protected],555-0200,techstart.io,"456 Oak Ave, SF"
Beta Solutions,[email protected],555-0300,beta.solutions,"789 Elm Dr, LA"

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Invoices CSV (Simple)

Client,Amount,Date,Due Date,Description
ACME Corp,5000.00,2024-01-15,2024-02-14,Consulting Services Q1
TechStart Inc,12500.00,2024-01-20,2024-02-19,Website Development
Beta Solutions,8000.00,2024-01-25,2024-02-24,Branding Package

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Invoices CSV (With Line Items)

For invoices with multiple line items, use one row per line item with the same invoice number: 
Client,Invoice Number,Date,Item Description,Quantity,Rate,Tax Rate
ACME Corp,INV-001,2024-01-15,Consulting Services,40,125.00,0
ACME Corp,INV-001,2024-01-15,Travel Expenses,1,500.00,0
TechStart Inc,INV-002,2024-01-20,Web Design,1,8000.00,13
TechStart Inc,INV-002,2024-01-20,Development,80,150.00,13

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Expenses CSV

Date,Merchant,Amount,Category,Description,Billable,Client
2024-01-15,Office Depot,87.50,Office Supplies,Printer paper and ink,No,
2024-01-18,Delta Airlines,450.00,Travel,Flight to client meeting,Yes,ACME Corp
2024-01-20,Starbucks,24.50,Meals,Client coffee meeting,Yes,TechStart Inc

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Handling Import Errors

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Common Issues & Solutions

Missing client:
  • Problem: Invoice references client that doesn’t exist
  • Solution: Agent creates new client automatically using name from CSV
Invalid date:
  • Problem: Date in unrecognized format
  • Solution: Fix in CSV or tell agent: “Use MM/DD/YYYY format for dates”
Duplicate invoices:
  • Problem: Invoice number already exists
  • Solution: Agent skips duplicates, or specify: “Append -IMPORT to duplicate invoice numbers”
Missing required fields:
  • Problem: Row missing required data
  • Solution: Agent skips row and reports in summary
Ask Every Agent to handle errors:
  • “Skip rows with missing client names and show me which ones”
  • “For duplicate invoice numbers, add ‘-OLD’ suffix”
  • “Create new clients for any client names not found”

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Advanced Features

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Reusable Import Scripts

If you import similar CSVs regularly (like monthly expense reports), Every Agent can reuse the mapping: 
You: "Import this month's expense report using last month's import script"
Agent: "Detected same structure, reusing mapping from January import..."

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Conditional Imports

Apply filters or transformations during import: 
"Import invoices but only for clients with @acme.com email domain"
"Import expenses and mark all as billable to ACME Corp"
"Import clients but skip any already in the system"

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Progress Tracking

For large imports, you can close the browser and come back later: 
Agent: "Import in progress (Batch 8/20)... You can close this window."

[Later, you return]

Agent: "Your import finished 10 minutes ago. 1,000 records imported."

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Batch Updates

Beyond imports, Every Agent can batch-update existing records: 
"Update all clients in 'Enterprise' category to Net 45 payment terms"
"Add CC email [email protected] to all corporate clients"
"Archive all clients with no invoice activity in the last 2 years"
"Change tax rate to 13% on all offerings in the 'Consulting' category"

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Best Practices

Start small - Test with 10-20 rows first to verify mapping before importing thousands.
Clean data first - Remove empty rows, fix formatting inconsistencies in Excel before uploading.
Backup first - If importing to production, export existing data as backup before large imports.
Use consistent dates - Stick to one date format (YYYY-MM-DD recommended) throughout your CSV.
Check preview carefully - Review sample rows to catch mapping errors before full import.
Import clients first - If importing both clients and invoices, import clients first so invoices can link correctly.

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Common Workflows

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Migration from Another System

  1. Export data from old system as CSV
  2. Open Every Agent chat
  3. Upload CSV: “Import these invoices from FreshBooks”
  4. Review mapping and adjust as needed
  5. Preview sample rows
  6. Confirm and execute import
  7. Verify imported data in Every

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Monthly Expense Import

  1. Export expenses from bank/credit card as CSV
  2. Upload to Every Agent
  3. Agent recognizes format from previous imports
  4. Quick review and import
  5. Categorize any uncategorized expenses

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Bulk Client Onboarding

  1. Prepare client list in Excel/Sheets
  2. Export as CSV with Name, Email, Phone columns
  3. Upload: “Import these 200 new clients”
  4. Agent creates all client records
  5. Review and enrich client data as needed

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Troubleshooting

Import seems stuck:
  • Large imports may take several minutes
  • Agent shows progress (e.g., “Batch 3/10”)
  • You can close browser and check back later
Too many errors:
  • Clean your CSV data in Excel first
  • Remove rows with missing required fields
  • Ensure dates are in consistent format
  • Check for special characters causing issues
Wrong data imported:
  • Always preview before confirming import
  • Use small test file first (10-20 rows)
  • Check column mapping carefully
Can’t find imported records:
  • Check filters (may be filtering out imported data)
  • Search by specific field values
  • Ask agent: “Show me all records imported today”

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Next Steps

Export Data

Export your data to CSV for accounting software

Every Agent

Learn more about what the agent can do

Manage Clients

Work with your imported clients

Create Invoices

Invoice your imported clients
Need help? Contact support at [email protected]