Importing Clients
If you have existing client records in a spreadsheet or another system, you can import them into Diarybook in bulk rather than adding them one by one. The process involves preparing your data as a CSV file, uploading it, and then matching your column headings to the fields Diarybook recognises.
Step 1 — Prepare your spreadsheet
Open your client data in a spreadsheet application such as Excel or Google Sheets. Each row should represent one client, and each column should represent one piece of information about that client.
Your column headings can be whatever makes sense to you — Diarybook will ask you to map them to the correct fields during the import. The only fields that are required are:
- First Name
- Last Name
All other fields are optional. The full list of fields Diarybook can import is shown in the table below.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| First Name | Client’s first name |
| Last Name | Client’s last name |
| Company | Organisation or company name |
| Address Line 1–5 | Client’s postal address |
| Phone | Landline phone number |
| Mobile | Mobile phone number |
| Email address | |
| Date of Birth | Client’s date of birth |
| Gender | Client’s gender |
| Notes | General notes |
| Medical Notes | Medical or clinical notes |
| Contact 2 First Name | First name of a second contact |
| Contact 2 Last Name | Last name of a second contact |
| Contact 2 Mobile | Mobile number of a second contact |
| Contact 3 First Name | First name of a third contact |
| Contact 3 Last Name | Last name of a third contact |
| Contact 3 Mobile | Mobile number of a third contact |
| Unique Field 1 | A unique identifier, such as a PPS number |
| Unique Field 2 | A second unique identifier, such as an IHI number |
| SMS Opt Out | Whether the client has opted out of SMS reminders |
| Target Contact Group | The client group or class to assign the client to |
If your spreadsheet contains columns you do not want to import, leave them as they are — you will be able to exclude them during the mapping step.
Step 2 — Save as CSV
Once your data is ready, save or export the file in CSV format.
In Excel, choose File > Save As and select CSV (Comma delimited) as the file type. In Google Sheets, choose File > Download > Comma Separated Values (.csv).
Step 3 — Upload the file
You need the Change Settings permission to import clients (see Users and Permissions).
- Go to the Clients section in Diarybook
- Click Client Menu in the toolbar and select Import New Clients
- Click Choose File and select your CSV file
- Click the Upload button
Step 4 — Match your columns
After uploading, Diarybook will display a mapping screen showing each column heading from your CSV file. For each column, use the dropdown to select the Diarybook field it corresponds to.
For example, if your spreadsheet has a column called Surname, map it to Last Name. If it has a column called DOB, map it to Date of Birth.
For any column you do not want to import, select Ignore This Field from the dropdown.
Diarybook will attempt to match your column headings to the correct fields automatically. Check each mapping before proceeding to make sure everything is correct.
Step 5 — Import
Once you are happy with the column mappings, click the Import button. Diarybook will process the file and add the records to your client list.
What to watch for
Addresses held in one cell If a client’s whole address is in a single cell, with each line on a new line inside the cell, Diarybook splits it across Address Line 1–5. Lines fill the address fields that are empty in your file, in order. If there are more lines than empty fields, the extra lines are added to the last one, separated by commas.
Values that are too long are cut short Diarybook trims values that don’t fit the field, without warning:
| Field | Maximum length |
|---|---|
| Group names (in Target Contact Group or Create a new group:) | 45 characters |
| Unique Field 1 and 2 | 30 characters |
| Contact 2 and Contact 3 email | 50 characters |
Check that identifiers such as PPS or IHI numbers fit before you import. A shortened identifier won’t match the client’s records elsewhere.