How to import your customers into Munshi from Excel or CSV

To import your customers into Munshi, make an Excel or CSV file with a column of names and a column of balances, open Accounts and tap the import button (or go to Settings → Import customers), check the preview and import. You see every person and balance before anything is added, you choose which business they go into, and Undo removes everything the import added. It is the fastest way to move a long list out of a spreadsheet or another app.

Prepare your file

Munshi reads Excel (.xlsx) and CSV files. You need two columns; a third is optional:

Name	Phone	Balance
Ali	0300 1234567	5,000
Bilal		-1,500

The balance is what the person owes you, or what you owe them. A list from another app, or one you typed yourself, works the same way. If your file is an old .xls, open it in Excel or Google Sheets and save it as .xlsx or CSV first.

How to import step by step

1. Open Accounts and tap the import button at the top, or go to Settings → Import customers. On a new, empty business, Home also offers “Import many customers at once”.
2. Tap Choose Excel, CSV or PDF file and pick your Excel or CSV file.
3. Check the columns. Munshi guesses which column is the name, the phone and the balance. Correct it if needed. If your file has two balance columns (what they owe you, and what you owe them), choose Two columns instead of One balance column.
4. If some rows are unclear, Munshi asks what they mean, for example whether a number means “they owe you” or “you owe them”. Choose how to add them, and set the balance date.
5. Read the preview. It says how many people will be added and lists any rows that will be left out, with the reason.
6. Choose where it should go: the business that is open now, or a new business. You can have up to 5 businesses.
7. Tap Import. Munshi tells you how many people were imported.

Why some rows are left out

Before importing, the preview tells you which rows Munshi will skip, and why:

• No name: the row has an amount but nobody to attach it to.
• The amount could not be read: for example text where a number should be.
• Already in this business: a person with that name is already in your Accounts.
• A total line: a sum row at the bottom of a sheet.
• More than 1,000 people: one import takes up to 1,000, so split a larger list.

Fix the file and import again, or add those few people by hand.

Undo and mistakes

If the result is not what you expected, tap Undo straight after. Munshi removes everything that import added and tells you how many people were removed. Your other records are not touched. Older entries can still be corrected one by one; see how to fix a wrong entry.

Add missing phone numbers from your contacts

If your list had no phone numbers, Munshi can look for the same names in your phone’s contacts. Tap the contacts button in Accounts, then Look in my contacts. Exact name matches are ticked and you check the others. Your contacts are read on the phone only and are never uploaded; Munshi saves only the numbers you tick. This also is undoable.

Tips for a clean import

• One person per row. Merge duplicates before you import.
• Use the same name you use at the shop. It is what you will search for later.
• Check the signs. Decide which direction a positive number means, and keep it the same for the whole file.
• Start with a small test. Import five rows first if you are unsure, then the rest.

If you are moving from a paper register, read how to move your bahi khata to an app for the whole plan, and for what to do once your customers are in, how to manage udhaar digitally.

Troubleshooting an import

• “This is an old Excel file (.xls).” Open it in Excel or Google Sheets and save it as .xlsx or CSV, then try again.
• “This file has nothing to import.” The sheet may be empty, or your data is on another tab. Make sure the first tab has the list.
• “This file could not be read.” Choose an Excel (.xlsx) or CSV file. Check that it is not password-protected.
• Everything lands in the wrong column. On the “Check the columns” step, set the name, phone and balance columns by hand.
• Balances have the wrong sign. Use the “What does this mean?” questions to say which direction a number represents, or choose the two-column layout.
• Many rows skipped as duplicates. People with the same name already exist in that business. Choose a different business, or check the existing accounts.
• The import did not finish. Check your connection and try again.

Cleaning a messy spreadsheet in ten minutes

1. Make a copy so you never change the original.
2. Delete decoration: titles, logos, empty rows, merged cells.
3. Put headers in the first row: Name, Phone, Balance.
4. Remove total rows at the bottom.
5. Fix names: one spelling per person, trimmed of extra spaces.
6. Format balances as numbers, not text; remove “Rs” and stray symbols.
7. Check signs: a positive number should mean the same thing on every row.

Two balance columns versus one

Some sheets keep two columns: what people owe you, and what you owe them. Others use one column with positive and negative numbers. Munshi supports both. For one balance column, the sign tells the direction, and Munshi asks you which direction a number means if it cannot tell. For two columns, choose the layout with “what they owe you” and “what you owe them” and point each to the right column. Check the preview carefully the first time, and use a small test file to be sure you understand the result.

Importing into a new business or an existing one

When you import, Munshi asks where the customers should go. Choose the business that is open now, or create a new business, which is useful if the list belongs to a different shop or if you want to keep it separate for a while to check it. If you already have five businesses, you will need to choose one of them. Importing into a new business is a safe way to try: if something looks wrong, you can undo or delete that business, and your main books are untouched.

After the import: what to do next

1. Scan the new list for obvious problems: a name with a strange spelling, a balance that looks too big.
2. Add phone numbers for people who lack them, using the contacts button to find matches on your phone.
3. Set collection dates for your largest balances.
4. Back up to Google Drive.
5. Start recording new entries as normal.

For the broader move from paper, read how to move your bahi khata to an app, and for comparing a spreadsheet with an app, Excel or a khata app?