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Importing clients & jobs (CSV)

The Import wizard (/dispatch/import, sidebar Import) turns spreadsheet exports into dispatch-ready jobs. It works with common CRM exports or any CSV with job-like rows.

Requires an activated workspace (paid tier). Sandbox trial can preview Magic Paste but not full CSV import.

Open the wizard

Section titled “Open the wizard”
  1. Click Import in the sidebar, or Import CSV from an empty Accounts & Sites directory.
  2. Choose a source tab: CSV, Bulk Magic Paste, or Integrations (roadmap).

CSV upload flow

Section titled “CSV upload flow”
  1. Drop a file or paste CSV text into the text area.
  2. Click Analyze CSV — ArborBuddy detects columns and builds a preview.
  3. Review mapping if confidence is low (amber ribbon). High-confidence exact or cached templates skip straight to preview.
  4. Confirm clients, sites, and jobs counts in the relationship summary.
  5. Import to board — jobs appear on dispatch; clients and properties link into Accounts & Sites.

How column mapping works

Section titled “How column mapping works”
PathWhen it runsWhat you see
Exact matchHeaders match ArborBuddy’s known templateGreen ribbon, no review step
Remembered templateSame export shape as a prior import for your company”Cached template” ribbon
AI mappingUnfamiliar headers (typical CRM exports)Mapping review if confidence < 60%
Large batch501+ data rowsLive progress bar while rows parse in chunks

ArborBuddy remembers your column template after the first successful AI-mapped import from the same export shape.

Large files (501+ rows)

Section titled “Large files (501+ rows)”

Files with 501 or more rows use the batch pipeline:

  • Progress shows rows processed with a live percentage.
  • Parsing runs server-side; you can leave the tab open until preview loads.
  • The original file is archived for re-processing (see Import memory).

Smaller files (≤500 rows) analyze in one pass — often in seconds.

Bulk Magic Paste tab

Section titled “Bulk Magic Paste tab”

Paste multiple leads in one go (emails, texts, or notes separated by blank lines or ---):

  1. Switch to Bulk Magic Paste.
  2. Paste all chunks, then Extract jobs with AI.
  3. Review the preview table and import.

This uses one AI import credit for the whole paste, not one per lead.

After import

Section titled “After import”
  • Recent imports panel lists every CSV/batch run with row counts, parse mode, and status.
  • Use Re-process to run the archived file through mapping again without re-uploading — details.
  • Linked clients appear under Accounts & Sites.

Tips for clean imports

Section titled “Tips for clean imports”
  • Include customer, address/site, job title or work order, and hours or duration columns when possible.
  • Dates can land in backlog if ArborBuddy cannot resolve a schedule window.
  • Crew names in the sheet are matched to your existing crews when names align.

Integrations tab

Section titled “Integrations tab”

Native CRM connectors and Google Sheets sync are on the roadmap. Use CSV export + Import wizard today, or email support@arborbuddy.com for an early integration.

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