Accessing the Import tool
Top left corner of your ProLine Account, click on the Hamburger Menu (☰)
Choose the Data Manager option
It will automatically open to the projects tab
From here, click the Import CSV button. This opens the Project Importer tool.
Next, click the blue “Start New Import” button to begin.
A new window will open, and you will see an important red notice at the top of the page:
Before using this import tool, please disable your QuickBooks integration. You can re-enable QuickBooks after the import completes. Keeping the integration active during the import can result in duplicate data or other unexpected behavior.
Preparing Your CSV File
After confirming your QuickBooks integration is disabled, you can start preparing your project data file.
This process begins by downloading a Sample Project Upload CSV to review the expected data format. While not all fields are mandatory, certain fields, such as stages and contact details, should be accurately filled out to ensure a seamless import.
The Sample Project Upload CSV includes multiple columns that define contact, project, address, custom, financial, and date-related information. Each column represents a specific data point that must align with the corresponding project you want to upload into ProLine.
The CSV includes columns such as:
Contact information
First Name
Last Name
Contact Email
Contact Phone
Contact Type
Lead Source
Contact Tags
Contact ID
Contact External ID
Project information
Project Name
Project Number
Location
Area
Assignee
Stage
Category
Type
Services
Tags
Notes
ProLine ID
Project External ID
Address details
Address Line 1
Address Line 2
City
State
Zip
Custom and financial fields
Custom Fields 1–7
Project Revenue
Project Cost
Date fields
Lead Date
Inspection Date
Open Date
Won Date
Completed Date
Closed Date
Disqualified Date
Lost Date
All columns should be filled out according to the data for each individual project you want to upload into ProLine. Perfect alignment is not required, but maintaining consistent structure improves import results.
Steps
Click the hamburger menu (☰), then select Data Manager.
In the Projects tab, click Import CSV.
Click the New Import button in the pop-up.
A separate tab opens—click Sample Project Upload.csv to download the file.
Review the mandatory and optional fields in the CSV, ensuring completeness and accuracy.
Prepare your data to match the ProLine format as closely as possible.
Once your data is prepared, click Drop files here or click to upload.
This opens a window that gives you access to your computer files.
Select the Sample Project Upload CSV you just downloaded or the version you’ve already completed with all project details.
You may also choose Click here to copy and paste table data if needed.
After selecting the file, the data uploads in rows and columns representing your contacts and project details. Click Next.
Confirm that the template fields and column mappings are accurate, then click Next again.
Click Submit to begin processing the data.
Do not close the browser window while the file is processing.
Wait until the system confirms the file has been uploaded successfully.
Once the upload is complete, click Close and close the tab.
The CSV Project Importer pop-up will continue processing each project:
A check mark indicates projects that uploaded successfully.
A red X indicates projects that could not be uploaded.
When all projects finish processing, close the importer by clicking the X.
Import Backdating
To ensure accurate backdating of projects and revenue, make sure to populate these columns in your import file:
Lead Date
Open Date
Won Date
Complete Date
Close Date
Payment records created for amounts in the Revenue column will be backdated based on the Close Date.
Importing Projects and Contacts
If possible, combine your project and contact data into a single CSV file.
This simplifies the import process and helps avoid complications from separate datasets.
Steps
Include contact details such as first name, last name, email, and phone number in your CSV.
If your existing system exports project and contact data separately, make sure each entry has a unique external ID.
For combined name fields, use Excel’s Text to Columns tool to separate them into distinct columns.
Navigation:
Excel → Data → Text to Columns → Delimited → Space
Handling Different Data Formats
If your data includes titles or suffixes (ex: “Mr.”, “Jr.”), you may need to make manual adjustments.
While Excel’s text tools can help automate some cleanup, not all issues will be fully resolved automatically.
Pro Tip: For complex data cleanup, consider using specialized data-cleaning tools or professional services.
Managing Errors During Import
During the import, ProLine automatically detects errors such as missing mandatory fields or incorrect formatting.
Steps
Review error messages displayed after your import attempt.
Correct the issues in your CSV file.
Re-import the corrected file.
Pro Tips
Disable automations before importing to avoid triggering workflows.
After importing, review your data in ProLine to confirm correct staging and categorization.
Re-Importing or Bulk Updating
If you need to update multiple projects or correct information in bulk, use one of the following options:
Option 1: Re-Import with Same External IDs
If your original import included external IDs, you can re-import your updated file using those same IDs.
ProLine will update existing projects rather than create duplicates.
Option 2: Export, Modify, and Re-Import
From the All Projects page:
Filter the list of projects to edit.
Export the list to CSV.
Make your updates, then re-import with the included ProLine Project IDs to update existing records.
Option 3: Delete Previous Import and Re-Import
If a full reset is required, you can bulk delete the projects from Data Manager.
Navigate to the hamburger menu → Data Manager
Click into the Projects tab.
Apply any desired filters to narrow down your project list.
Click the Bulk Delete Projects.
Confirm deletion.
Once done, you can proceed to re-import.