Getting Started with Data Import and Export
Why Import and Export?
When you first set up AccuArk, you likely have existing data — inventory items, customer lists, vendor records, account balances — that needs to be brought into the system. Manually entering hundreds or thousands of records one by one is impractical. The Data Import and Export system lets you load all of that data from CSV files in minutes.
Export works the same way in reverse. You can pull your data out of AccuArk as a CSV file for backup, bulk editing in a spreadsheet, or migration to another system.
What Can You Import and Export?
AccuArk supports 15 different data types for import and export, organized into three tiers based on priority:
Tier 1 — Day One Essentials
These are the data types you need to get your business running on AccuArk immediately:
- Inventory Items — Products, services, and stock items with pricing, categories, and stock levels
- Customers — Customer and client records with contact information
- Vendors — Supplier and vendor records with account details
- Employees — Staff records with usernames, positions, and salary information
Tier 2 — First Week Operations
These data types are needed to get your financials and full operations running:
- Chart of Accounts — Your general ledger account structure
- Opening Balances — Starting balances for your accounts (import only)
- Bank Transactions — Transaction history for bank accounts
- Account Transactions — General journal entries
- Outstanding Invoices — Open invoices with line items
- Outstanding Bills — Unpaid vendor bills
- Inventory Stock Levels — Stock quantities by location
- Serial Numbers — Individual serial number records for tracked items
Tier 3 — Nice to Have
These save you from manual re-entry but are not critical for day-one operations:
- CRM Deals — Sales pipeline deals
- Price Tiers — Volume pricing and tier-based pricing rules
- Categories — Inventory category structure
How the System Works
The import and export process is handled through two screens:
- Data Exchange Center — A hub screen that shows all 15 data types as cards. Each card has an Import button and an Export button. You select which type of data you want to work with.
- Data Exchange Wizard — A step-by-step wizard that walks you through the import or export process. For imports, the wizard has five steps: file selection, column mapping, validation, import progress, and a summary. For exports, you simply select your options and save the file.
Recommended Import Order
If you are setting up AccuArk for the first time, import your data in this order to avoid dependency issues:
- Categories — Import these first so your inventory items can reference them
- Chart of Accounts — Set up your account structure before importing financial data
- Inventory Items — Import your product catalog with pricing and stock levels
- Customers — Import your customer list
- Vendors — Import your vendor and supplier list
- Employees — Import your staff records
- Opening Balances — Set your starting account balances
- Outstanding Invoices — Import any open invoices
- Outstanding Bills — Import any unpaid bills
- Bank Transactions — Import transaction history
You do not need to import all data types. Import only what applies to your business.
File Format
AccuArk uses CSV (Comma-Separated Values) files for all imports and exports. CSV files can be created and edited in Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, or any spreadsheet application. When saving from Excel, choose CSV (Comma delimited) as the file type.
Getting a Template
The easiest way to get a properly formatted template for any data type is to use the Export feature. When you export a data type that has no existing records, AccuArk creates a CSV file with just the column headers — no data rows. This gives you a blank template with the exact columns the import expects. Fill in your data and import the file back.
Permissions
Each data type has its own permission. Your administrator controls which users can import and export each type of data. If a data type card appears grayed out in the Data Exchange Center, contact your administrator to request access.
Next Steps
- Learn how the Data Exchange Center hub works by reading "Understanding the Data Exchange Center"
- Follow the step-by-step import guide in "How to Import Data — Step-by-Step Guide"
- Learn how to export your data in "How to Export Data from AccuArk"