Overview
In Limble, the Manage Vendors page is your digital Rolodex of contacts who sell parts or perform labor on tasks.
You can bulk import a large list of vendors into Limble at one time using our bulk importing feature. This article will walk you through how to import vendors with a spreadsheet.
Table of Contents
Getting Started
Import Steps
We'll cover each step in detail, but here's the steps of how to perform a bulk import of your vendors:
Set up custom fields in Limble first before conducting your bulk import.
Follow the steps in the import screen, first by downloading the sample import file.
Add data in the required field.
If you set any up in Limble, add your optional and custom field columns to the spreadsheet and fill in data.
Import your vendors!
Importing Requirements & Best Practices
You are limited to 500 vendors and 50 custom fields per import. If you have more, be sure to split up your import spreadsheets and label them accordingly.
.csv and .xlsx files are the recommended file types for your upload. .xlsm files are not accepted by Limble.
Photos, documents, or other files cannot be bulk imported. You must upload those manually.
Be mindful of spelling and formatting mistakes.
Incorrectly spelling a field name will bypass the intended match in Limble and create a new custom field.
If something is formatted incorrectly in your spreadsheet, you’ll receive an error message about what went wrong, but checking for errors before you upload will save you any hassle.
Dates can be in one of the following formats: YYYY-MM-DD, MM-DD-YYYY, MM-DD-YY, or M-D-YY.
Setting Up Custom Fields in Limble
Before performing a bulk import, make sure any custom fields are set up in Limble first.
Field types, such as text, number, or currency, cannot be edited once created, which is why we recommend doing this within the system.
Navigate to the Manage Vendors page, Locations > Select Your Location > Vendors.
Click on the edit visible columns icon. Then, click “Add Column.”
Name your field. In this example, we'll call this "Secondary Contact." Then select your field type. In this example, we'll use the text field type. Finally, click "Create."
Repeat this process until you've created all desired fields.
Download & Modify the Sample Import File
Now you're ready to modify the spreadsheet.
On the Manage Vendors page, click the “Import/Export” button from the toolbar.
From the dropdown, select “Import Vendors.”
You will be taken to a new window with a list of instructions.
Download the spreadsheet by clicking on Sample Import File.
(Note: Limble will recognize your file even if you decide to rename it. Feel free to change the file name to something you can easily find later!)
Once you've opened the spreadsheet, you're ready to edit.
Hovering over a column name will show you an explanation of what it’s for, and how you need to format the data to import properly.
The sample file includes sample data so you can see how to add information. Be sure to remove the sample data and enter your own vendor information here.
Required Fields
The following fields are required, and the columns should not be moved or renamed:
The Vendor Name is what your vendor will be called in the system.
Optional Fields
All other columns can be modified or removed. The following columns are included in Limble by default and are optional fields that can be edited or deleted:
Contact: Typically the main point of contact at the company who you communicate with most about their services.
Email: Te email of your contact or the vendor email.
Phone: The phone number of your vendor contact or the official business phone number.
Address: The company or vendor address.
The last field is Optional Custom Fields. You can use and duplicate this field to import information for fields you set up in Limble earlier. If you don’t have any custom fields to include, you can delete this column.
In this example, I'll rename this field "Secondary Contact" as it was created in Limble earlier, and enter data in the rows that follow.
Make sure to double-check that you’ve spelled the field name exactly as you have it in Limble. Spelling errors will bypass the intended field match and create an additional custom field.
To add more custom fields, copy the column, then change the name to match the existing field in Limble.
Upload and Import
Once you’ve added your desired vendors and fields, it’s time to upload.
Navigate back to the import screen, and select “Upload File.”
Then, select your file and click “Open.”
If your spreadsheet has any errors, Limble will define where those errors are, and what you need to do to fix them.
If your spreadsheet does not have any errors, your upload will begin.
In the new window, you will see how many vendors will be added. You can click on the blue text to see which vendors will be added to Limble.
When you’re ready to upload, click “Confirm.”
Your vendors will now be in Limble!
Watch the Video Tutorial
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Still don’t see what you’re looking for? Check out our YouTube channel for more tips and tricks! You can also reach out to us anytime at support@limblecmms.com.