Imports

The Import Data feature in BrightBooks is designed to make setting up your accounting data as smooth as possible. This tool allows you to import various types of data, such as contacts, budgets, invoices, and more, using CSV (Comma-Separated Values) files. By using the provided CSV templates, you can ensure that your data is formatted correctly and includes all necessary information. If you are importing from another software, you would need to have the data exported from that software and continue with the steps below.

You cannot import a Relate Accounts production (RAP) Backup into BrightBooks.

Key Points to Remember:

1. CSV Templates: BrightBooks provides specific CSV templates for different types of data. These templates contain various columns that you need to fill out accurately.
2. Mandatory Columns: Certain columns in the templates are mandatory and must be completed before you can successfully import your data.
3. Efficiency: Using the import feature saves you the time and effort required to manually enter data into BrightBooks.

Access Data Import

To access the Import Data section in BrightBooks, follow these simple steps:

1. Click on Settings.
2. On the Settings page, look for the DATA heading and click on Imports.
3. The Data Import page will appear. Here, you can choose the appropriate data import option that suits your needs.
4. And that’s it! You’re ready to start importing your data.

1. Contacts Import (Customers, Suppliers, Prospects)

The contacts import is used to bring in your customers, suppliers or prospects in bulk. Each row in the file represents one contact.

The “Code” column is where you enter your own contact code, up to 10 characters, such as “CUST0001” or “SUPP01”. If you leave this blank, BrightBooks can automatically generate a code. If you want to use your own codes, you must ensure automatic coding is turned off in the Contacts Setup; otherwise, the system will ignore the codes in your file and create its own.

“ContactType” tells the system what kind of contact this is, for example “Customer” or “Supplier”. “BusinessIndividual” indicates whether the contact is a business or an individual. If you choose “Individual”, you should fill in “Forename” and “Surname” with the person’s first and last name. If you choose “Business”, you leave “Forename” blank and put the business name into “Surname”.

The address fields starting with “Addr1…” are for the main business address. “Addr1Line1” to “Addr1Line6” hold the address lines, such as building, street, estate, and so on. “Addr1Town” is the town or city, “Addr1County” is the county or region, “Addr1Country” is the country, and “Postcode” is the postcode or ZIP code. The country you enter here can affect how VAT is treated, so it should reflect the actual country of the business.

There is a second set of address fields for delivery: “DeliveryAddrLine1” to “DeliveryAddrLine6”, plus “DeliveryAddrTown”, “DeliveryAddrCounty”, “DeliveryAddrCountry” and “DeliveryAddrPostcode”. These are used if goods are delivered to a different address than the main business address.

“Phone1” and “Mobile 1” are for telephone numbers and can hold up to 50 characters each. “Categories” allows you to assign category tags to the contact, such as “Wholesale”, “Retail”, or “VIP”, which can be useful for filtering and reporting. “Email1” and “Email2” are the primary and secondary email addresses, and “Web1” is the company’s website.

You can also store named people within the organisation. “Contact1Name” is the name of a main contact person, “Contcat1Position” (note the spelling in the template) is their job title, “Contact1Mobile” is their mobile number, and “Contact1EMail” is their email address. There is a second set of fields for another contact: “Contact2Name”, “Contact2Position”, “Contact2Mobile” and “Contact2EMail”.

For accounting defaults, “DefaultNominalCode” is the nominal (ledger) code that will be used by default when posting transactions for this contact. This must match a code that exists in your Chart of Accounts, for example “001” for Sales or “331” for Light and Heat. “DefaultVATCode” is the default VAT code for this contact, such as “A” for standard rate or “Z” for zero rate, and must match a VAT code that exists in your VAT setup. “VATNo” is where you enter the contact’s VAT registration number, such as “IE1234567A”.

2. Product Import

The product import is used to bring in your products and services so they can be used on invoices and in stock control. Each row represents one product.

“Code” is the product code, such as “P001” or “SERV-IT”. “Description” is a clear description of the product or service, for example “Copper Pipe 15mm” or “IT Support Hour”.

“SalesPrice” is the standard selling price per unit. “SalesVATCODE” is the VAT code to apply on sales of this product, such as “A” for standard rate. “SalesNominalCode” is the default nominal code for sales of this product, for example “001” for Sales income.

“PurchasePrice” is the standard purchase cost per unit. “PurchaseVATCODE” is the VAT code to apply on purchases of this product, and “PurchaseNominalCode” is the default nominal code for purchases, such as “501” for Purchases.

“ProductCategory” allows you to group products into categories like “Plumbing”, “Electrical”, or “Services”. “MinimumStock” is the minimum stock level you want to maintain, “ReorderStock” is the level at which you want to reorder, and “StockQuantity” is the current quantity on hand. “BarCode” can hold a barcode number if you use barcoding. “StockLocation” is the default store or location where the product is held, such as “MAIN” or “WH1”.

3. Stock Adjustment Import

The stock adjustment import is used to adjust stock levels, for example to set opening stock, record write‑offs, or correct discrepancies.

“Adjustment Date” is the date of the adjustment, such as “2025‑01‑31”. “Product Code” is the code of the product being adjusted and must match a product that already exists in your product list.

“Adjustment Type” is the type of adjustment, chosen from your predefined adjustment types, such as “Opening”, “Write Off”, “Stock Take”, or “Transfer”. “Quantity” is the amount of stock being adjusted; positive numbers increase stock, and negative numbers decrease it. “Notes” is where you can explain the reason for the adjustment, for example “Opening stock” or “Damaged goods”. “StoreCode” is the store or location code if you are using multiple stores, such as “MAIN” or “WH1”.

4. Customer (Sales) Invoices and Credit Notes Imports

There are two formats for importing customer invoices and credit notes: a detailed format and a summary format.

Detailed Customer Invoice and Credit Notes Import

In the detailed format, each row represents a single line item on an invoice or credit note.

“TransactionType” indicates whether the row relates to an invoice or a credit note, using the words “Invoice” or “Cr. Note”. “InvoiceNumber” is the invoice or credit note number, such as “INV‑1001”. “TransDate” is the date of the transaction.

“SONumber” is the sales order number if you use orders, for example “SO‑2025‑001”. “Productcode” is the product code for the item on the line, matching a product in your system. “ProductDescription” is the description of the goods or services on that line; this can be used instead of or alongside the product code.

“AnalysisCode” is the nominal code that tells the system what the transaction is for, such as “001” for Sales or “331” for Light and Heat. “Net” is the net amount for the line, before VAT. “Discount” is any discount applied to that line.

“VATCode” is the VAT code, such as “A” for standard rate. “VATRate” is the VAT percentage, for example “23”. “VAT” is the VAT amount on the line, and “Gross” is the total amount including VAT.

“Quantity” is the quantity of goods or services on the line, and “Price” is the unit price before discount. “ContactCode” is the code of the customer the invoice belongs to.

If you use multicurrency, “CurrencyCode” is the currency, such as “EUR” or “GBP”. “CurrencyRate” is the exchange rate. “CurrencyNet”, “CurrencyVAT” and “CurrencyGross” are the net, VAT and gross amounts expressed in the foreign currency.

“DueDate” is the date by which payment is due. “Notes” can hold any notes about the transaction. “Status” indicates whether the invoice is paid or not; typically “Paid” or “No” (meaning unpaid). “RefNumber” is an external reference, such as a customer’s purchase order number.

The delivery address fields (“DeliveryAddressLine1” to “DeliveryAddressLine6”, “DeliveryTown”, “DeliveryCounty”, “DeliveryPostCode”, “DeliveryCountry”) hold the address where goods are delivered. “DivisionCode” and “SubDivisionCode” are used if you operate divisions or cost centres; they hold the relevant division and sub‑division codes.

Summary Customer Invoice and Credit Notes Import

In the summary format, each row represents a whole invoice or credit note, without line‑by‑line detail.

“TransactionType” again indicates “Invoice” or “Cr. Note”. “InvoiceNumber” is the invoice or credit note number. “TransDate” is the transaction date.

“RefNo” is an optional reference, such as a purchase order number. “Client Code” is the customer code. “Nominal Code” is the nominal code for the entire invoice, for example “001” for Sales.

“Net” is the net amount of the invoice. “VATCode” is the VAT code, and “VATAmount” is the VAT amount. “GrossAmount” is the total amount including VAT.

If you use multicurrency, “CurrencyCode” is the currency, “CurrencyRate” is the exchange rate, and “CurrencyNet” and “CurrencyGross” are the net and gross amounts in the foreign currency. “Notes” can hold any notes about the transaction. “DivisionCode” and “SubDivisionCode” hold division and sub‑division codes if you use them.

5. Supplier (Purchase) Invoices and Credit Notes Imports

There are also two formats for supplier invoices and credit notes: detailed and summary.

Detailed Supplier Invoice and Credit Notes Import

In the detailed supplier format, each row is a line item on a supplier invoice or credit note.

“TransactionType” is “Invoice” or “Cr. Note”. “InvoiceNumber” is the supplier’s invoice or credit note number. “TransDate” is the date of the transaction.

“PONumber” is the purchase order number if you use purchase orders. “Productcode” is the product code for the item on the line. “ProductDescription” is the description of the goods or services.

“AnalysisCode” is the nominal code that describes the nature of the cost, such as “501” for Purchases or “331” for Light and Heat. “Net” is the net amount before VAT. “Discount” is any discount applied.

“VATCode” is the VAT code, “VATRate” is the VAT percentage, “VAT” is the VAT amount, and “Gross” is the total including VAT. “Quantity” is the quantity of goods, and “Price” is the unit price.

“ContactCode” is the supplier code. If you use multicurrency, “CurrencyCode” is the currency, “CurrencyRate” is the exchange rate, and “CurrencyNet”, “CurrencyVAT” and “CurrencyGross” are the amounts in the foreign currency.

“DueDate” is the payment due date. “Notes” can hold any notes. “Status” indicates whether the invoice is paid (“Paid”) or unpaid (“No”). “RefNumber” is an external reference.

The delivery address fields hold the address where goods are delivered, and “DivisionCode” and “SubDivisionCode” hold division and sub‑division codes.

Summary Supplier Invoice and Credit Notes Import

In the summary supplier format, each row is a whole supplier invoice or credit note.

“TransactionType” is “Invoice” or “Cr. Note”. “InvoiceNumber” is the supplier invoice number. “TransDate” is the transaction date.

“RefNo” is an optional reference. “Client Code” is the supplier code. “Nominal Code” is the nominal code for the invoice, such as “331” for Light and Heat.

“Net” is the net amount. “VATCode” is the VAT code. “VATAmount” is the VAT amount. “GrossAmount” is the total including VAT.

If you use multicurrency, “CurrencyCode” is the currency, “CurrencyRate” is the exchange rate, and “CurrencyNet” and “CurrencyGross” are the net and gross amounts in the foreign currency. “Notes” can hold any notes. “DivisionCode” and “SubDivisionCode” hold division and sub‑division codes.

6. Receipts Import (Money In)

The receipts import is used to bring in money received into your bank, typically from customers.

“ReceiptNumber” is the receipt number, such as “RCPT‑1001”. “TransDate” is the date of the receipt. “ReferenceNumber” is an optional reference, often the invoice number the receipt relates to.

“PaidBy” is the name of the person or organisation who paid, such as the customer’s name. “BankAccount” is the code of the bank account the money was lodged to. “PaymentType” is the type of payment, such as “Bank Transfer”, “Card”, or “Cash”.

“LodgementNumber” is a batch or lodgement reference, for example a bank lodgement slip number. “LodgementDate” is the date the money was lodged to the bank.

“Net” is the net amount of the receipt. “NominalCode” is the nominal code for the income, such as “001” for Sales or another income code. “VATCode” is the VAT code, “VATRate” is the VAT percentage, “VAT” is the VAT amount, and “Gross” is the total amount received.

“ContactCode” is the customer code if the receipt relates to a specific customer. “Notes” can hold any notes about the receipt. “DivisionCode” and “SubDivisionCode” hold division and sub‑division codes if you use them.

7. Payments Import (Money Out)

The payments import is used to bring in payments made from your bank, such as supplier payments or general expenses.

“PaymentNumber” is the payment number, such as “PAY‑2001”. “TransDate” is the date of the payment. “ReferenceNumber” is an optional reference, often the supplier invoice number.

“Payee” is the name of the person or organisation being paid. “BankAccount” is the code of the bank account the payment is made from. “PaymentType” is the type of payment, such as “Bank Transfer”, “Cheque”, or “Card”.

“Net” is the net amount of the payment. “NominalCode” is the nominal code for the expense, such as “331” for Light and Heat or another expense code. “VATCode” is the VAT code, “VATRate” is the VAT percentage, “VAT” is the VAT amount, and “Gross” is the total amount paid.

“ContactCode” is the customer code if the payment relates to a customer (for example, a refund), or can be left blank if not applicable. “Notes” can hold any notes about the payment. “DivisionCode” and “SubDivisionCode” hold division and sub‑division codes.

8. Journals Imports

There are two journal import formats: a standard multi‑line journal and a single‑line journal.

Standard Journal Import (Multi‑Line)

In the standard journal import, each row represents one line of a journal, either a debit or a credit.

“Date” is the journal date. “Ref” is a journal reference, such as “JRN‑001”. “Type” is the type of journal, chosen from the types available in BrightBooks, for example “General Journal”.

“Note” is an overall note about the journal. “Code” is the nominal code for that line, such as “001” for Sales or “999” for Suspense. “Item Line Note” is a description specific to that line.

“Debit” is the debit amount for the line, and “Credit” is the credit amount. For a debit line, the credit would be zero, and vice versa. “Division” and “SubDivision” hold division and sub‑division codes if you use cost centres.

You would normally have multiple lines per journal, and the total debits must equal the total credits.

Single Line Journal Import

In the single‑line journal import, each row represents a complete journal with one debit and one credit.

“Date” is the journal date. “Ref” is an internal journal reference. “Type” must always be entered as “Single Line Journal”.

“Note” should not be used in this format. “Debit Code” is the nominal code to be debited, and “Credit Code” is the nominal code to be credited. “Item Line Note” is where you enter any notes relating to the journal, such as “Accrue March rent”.

“Amount” is the journal amount. “Division” and “SubDivision” hold division and sub‑division codes if you use them.

9. Budgets Imports

There are two budget import formats: monthly budgets and yearly (YTD) budgets.

Monthly Budget Import

The monthly budget import is used to set budget amounts for each nominal code for each period in the year.

“Code” is the nominal code, such as “001” for Sales or “331” for Light and Heat. “Period 1” to “Period 12” are the budget amounts for each period. For example, you might enter 10,000 for Period 1, 12,000 for Period 2, and so on, representing your planned income or expenditure for each month or period.

This effectively creates a yearly budget broken down into 12 periods.

Yearly Budget Import (YTD)

The yearly budget import is used to import year‑to‑date or annual budget amounts per nominal code.

“Code” is the nominal code. “Description” is the nominal code description, such as “Sales” or “Rent”. “YTD Amount” is the budget amount for the year‑to‑date or the annual total you want to set.

“Division/Department” is the division or department code if you use divisions, and “SubDivision/SubDepartment” is the sub‑division or sub‑department code. These fields allow you to allocate budgets to specific cost centres.