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Importing & Exporting Contacts

Move contacts in bulk between LiteWork, Xero, and CSV files. This guide covers importing, exporting, and handling duplicates.

Auto-Sync: When connected to Xero, contacts sync automatically in the background. Manual import/export is only needed for initial setup or bulk operations. See Auto-Sync Feature.

Importing from Xero

If you’re connected to Xero, this is the easiest option:

  1. Go to Contacts
  2. Click Import from Xero
  3. Choose whether to import all contacts or just customers
  4. Select Skip existing to add new contacts without overwriting ones you’ve already modified

Your Xero contacts will sync over automatically, including all their details and the Xero Contact ID (which enables ongoing sync).

Importing from VCF (vCard)

Import contacts directly from vCard files exported from your phone, email client, or other systems:

  1. Go to Contacts
  2. Click Import VCF
  3. Select your .vcf file
  4. LiteWork will import the contacts and handle any duplicates

Tip: You can also drag and drop a VCF file directly onto the contacts modal to import.

Importing from CSV

To import from a spreadsheet or another system:

  1. Export your data as a CSV file with column headers like company_name, email, phone, address_line1, city, postal_code, country
  2. Go to Contacts and click Import
  3. Select your file—LiteWork will show a preview
  4. Map columns to fields
  5. Click Import Contacts

Tip: Test with a small batch (5-10 contacts) before importing your entire list.

Exporting to Xero

Push contacts from LiteWork to Xero to keep both systems synchronized.

Single Contact

Open a contact and click Post to Xero. The contact syncs immediately and gets a Xero Contact ID that links the two systems.

Multiple Contacts

Go to Contacts, select the ones you want to export (or use Export All), and click Export to Xero.

Export Modes

  • Create new only: Add contacts that don’t exist in Xero. Skip existing ones.
  • Update existing: Overwrite Xero contacts with LiteWork data.
  • Create and update: Do both. This is the safest option for a full sync.

Before Posting Invoices

Contacts must exist in Xero before you can post invoices to them. If you try to post an invoice for a contact not yet in Xero, LiteWork will ask if you want to export the contact first.

What Gets Exported

Name, email, phone, address, tax number, and payment terms. Internal notes and tags stay in LiteWork only.

Avoiding Duplicates

Duplicate contacts clutter your list and split invoice history. To prevent them:

  • Search for existing contacts before adding new ones
  • Use consistent naming: always “Acme Industries Limited” rather than sometimes “Acme Ltd”
  • When importing, choose Skip duplicates or Update existing rather than “Import as new”

If you need separate entries for the same company (different departments or billing addresses), name them distinctly: “Acme Industries – Marketing” and “Acme Industries – Operations.”

Import/Export Options Summary

Option Effect
When Importing
Skip duplicates Only add new contacts. Existing ones left alone.
Update existing Overwrite existing contacts with imported data.
When Exporting to Xero
Create new only Add contacts that don’t exist in Xero. Skip existing ones.
Update existing Overwrite Xero contacts with LiteWork data.
Create and update Do both—safest option for a full sync.

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