Import/Export System

LiteWork’s Import/Export system lets you migrate data from other systems, create backups, and move information between LiteWork accounts. Access it from LiteWork Settings → Import/Export.

What You Can Import

Invoices and Quotes: Complete documents including line items, sections, client details, dates, and notes. If migrating from Xero, LiteWork preserves Xero IDs so documents link correctly when you sync.

Contacts: Your client list with names, addresses, emails, and phone numbers. LiteWork detects duplicates and lets you decide how to handle them.

Quick Items: Saved line item templates with descriptions, default pricing, and tax rates.

How to Import

Drag your CSV file onto the import zone, or click to browse. LiteWork automatically detects whether you’re importing invoices, quotes, or contacts based on the column headers.

You’ll see a preview of the first few records before anything is imported. LiteWork matches common column names automatically, but you can adjust the mapping if needed.

CSV Format Requirements

Save your spreadsheet as CSV UTF-8 from Excel or Google Sheets. The first row must contain column headers.

For invoices: InvoiceNumber, ContactName, InvoiceDate, DueDate, Description, Quantity, UnitPrice

For contacts: ContactName, Email, Phone, AddressLine1, City, PostalCode

For quick items: name, description, unit_price, tax_rate

Line Items Format

When importing invoices, line items can be formatted two ways:

JSON format (recommended):

[{"description":"Web Design","quantity":1,"unit_price":1000,"tax_rate":0.15},{"description":"Hosting","quantity":12,"unit_price":10,"tax_rate":0.15}]

Semicolon format (simpler):

Web Design;1;1000;0.15|Hosting;12;10;0.15

Format: Description;Quantity;Price;TaxRate|NextItem...

For invoices with sections, add a section field to each line item in JSON:

[{"section":"Design","description":"Logo","quantity":1,"unit_price":500},{"section":"Design","description":"Website","quantity":1,"unit_price":2000}]

Importing from vCard

Got contacts in your phone or email client? Export them as a VCF (vCard) file and import directly into LiteWork.

Field Mapping

If your column names don’t match exactly, LiteWork attempts smart mapping. You can manually adjust any mapping before importing. Unmapped columns are ignored.

Common mappings: “Invoice #” maps to InvoiceNumber, “Customer” maps to ContactName, calculated totals are ignored (LiteWork recalculates them).

Client Matching

When importing invoices, LiteWork matches client names to existing contacts:

Exact match: Client name matches an existing contact exactly—uses that contact.

Fuzzy match: Similar but not exact (e.g., “Acme Corp” vs “Acme Corporation”)—LiteWork shows potential matches for you to choose.

No match: Option to create a new contact automatically with basic info from the invoice.

Handling Duplicates

When LiteWork finds records that already exist:

Skip duplicates: Only import new records. Existing ones stay unchanged. Safest option.

Update existing: Merge new data into existing records. Creates a new revision for updated invoices.

Replace entirely: Overwrite existing records with imported version. Use with caution.

Review one-by-one: Side-by-side comparison for each conflict. Best for small numbers of duplicates.

Preview and Validation

Before importing, LiteWork shows a preview with the first five records. Watch for:

Errors (red): Missing required fields, invalid date format, malformed line items. These records won’t import.

Warnings (orange): Missing due date (defaults to 30 days), missing reference, no line items. Records still import but worth reviewing.

Import Results

After importing, you’ll see a summary: successfully imported, updated, skipped (duplicates), and failed (errors). For failed records, download the error log to see which rows failed and why—fix them in your CSV and re-import just those records.

Exporting from Xero

Migrating from Xero? Export your data first:

Invoices: In Xero, go to Business → Invoices, filter as needed, click Export, choose CSV.

Contacts: Go to Contacts → All Contacts, click Export, select contact groups, download CSV.

LiteWork recognizes Xero’s export format automatically.

What You Can Export

Invoices and Quotes: All fields including client details, line items, dates, totals, and Xero sync information. Filter by date range or export everything.

Contacts: Your entire contact list as CSV (35+ fields) or as vCard (VCF) for importing into email clients and phones.

Re-importing LiteWork Data

Exported LiteWork data can be re-imported with full fidelity—document structure, revision history, Xero sync status, and all metadata. Useful for backups, moving between accounts, or merging data from multiple sources.

Export Security

LiteWork sanitizes all exports to prevent spreadsheet formula injection. Exports are rate-limited to 10 per minute.

From the Onboarding Screen

When setting up LiteWork, the onboarding screen offers import options. If you have a Xero export or data from another system, import it right from the start.

Tips for Successful Imports

Test first: Import 5-10 records to verify mapping before importing everything.

Use UTF-8: Ensures special characters and international text import correctly.

Format dates as YYYY-MM-DD: For example, 2025-01-15. Other formats may not parse correctly.

Import in order: Contacts first, then quick items, then invoices/quotes.

Back up first: Export existing data before large imports, especially when using Replace.

Common Questions

Maximum file size? Up to 10MB or approximately 10,000 records. For larger imports, split into multiple files.

Can I import from other software? Yes—most invoicing software exports to CSV. Match the columns to LiteWork’s format or use field mapping.

Can I import invoices without line items? Yes. Leave line items empty and add them manually later.

Can I undo an import? Not directly. You’d need to delete imported records manually or restore from a backup. Always test with a small batch first.

Troubleshooting

Invalid CSV format: Ensure the file is saved as CSV (not Excel .xlsx) with UTF-8 encoding.

Dates not importing: Use YYYY-MM-DD format. In Excel, format date cells as Text before entering dates.

Line items not parsing: Validate JSON syntax with an online validator. Check quotes are properly escaped.

Client not found: Import contacts first, or enable “Create new contacts” in import settings.

All records skipped as duplicates: Change duplicate handling to Update or Replace, or use unique invoice numbers.

For complex imports or migration assistance, email support@litework.nz.