Who Is This For?
StoreHub merchants who want to import customer information in bulk using an Excel (.xlsx) or CSV file, update existing customer records, or export their customer list from BackOffice.
Overview
This article covers how to import customers into BackOffice using an Excel (.xlsx) or CSV file, update existing customer records by re-uploading your export, and export your full customer list. For adding customers one at a time, see this article.
Before You Begin
Access to BackOffice.
A stable internet connection.
A spreadsheet program (e.g. Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, or Apple Numbers) to edit .xlsx or .csv files.
Step-by-Step Guide
Import Customer Information
To add new customers, use the template in the steps below. To update customers you already have, start from 'Export to CSV' instead: see Update Customer Information via CSV.
1. In your BackOffice, go to 'Customers', then click 'Import CSV', then click 'Download template'.
2. Open the downloaded Excel template (.xlsx) and fill in your customers' details. Leave 'Customer Id' blank for new customers.
Write birthdays as YYYY-MM-DD, for example 2026-08-20.
If a customer has more than one tag, separate the tags with a comma, for example VIP,Regular. A semicolon saves all the tags as one tag.
3. Save the file when you are done.
4. In your BackOffice, go to 'Customers' and click 'Import CSV'. Click 'Select File', choose your .xlsx or .csv file, then click 'Import'.
BackOffice checks the whole file before it saves anything, and a file that passes imports straight away. It stops and tells you why when:
A required column is missing, for example 'First Name'. Download the template, copy your data into it and upload it.
The file has no rows.
The 'Birthday' column uses another date format, like DD/MM/YYYY. Click 'Convert dates and import' if it is offered, or change the dates to YYYY-MM-DD and upload again.
Excel changed the 'Phone' column into numbers like 6.01E+10. Format the column as Text, type the numbers again and upload again.
5. You will see the import status in the table below.
Notes:
BackOffice matches each row by its 'Customer Id' first, then by phone number. It never uses the email or Member ID.
The 'Customer Id' is only in your 'Export to CSV' file. Leave it blank for a new customer; to update one, paste it from a recent export exactly as it appears.
A row whose 'Customer Id' matches no customer is skipped. A row with no 'Customer Id' but a phone number you already have only fills in details that are still blank.
After the import
6. Once the import is done, you will see the new customers on the Customers page.
The 'Import Tasks' list and the result email show the result: 'Successful', 'Partially successful' or 'Failed'.
Rows that were not imported come back in 1 Excel (.xlsx) file. Download it from the 'Errors' column of the 'Import Tasks' list.
Fix each row using its 'Errors' column, then upload that file on its own.
What Happens to Each Row When You Import
Scenario | What System Does | What Happens Now |
'Customer Id' of one of your customers | Updates that customer | Existing profile is overwritten with new data. When you import with a 'Customer Id', a blank cell clears that detail on the customer. except 'Tags'. A blank 'Tags' cell keeps the customer's tags. |
'Customer Id' of a customer you merged into another one | Updates the customer it was merged into, unless the row's details differ from that customer's saved details | Example: you merged two records for the same person and kept one. A row with the old record's 'Customer Id' updates the one you kept. If the row's details differ from that customer's saved details, the row is skipped and nothing changes. |
'Customer Id' that matches none of your customers | Row skipped (Error message) | "Customer Id not found". Nothing is created or updated, even if the row's phone number belongs to one of your customers. This happens with an id from an old export or from another StoreHub account. |
'Customer Id' in the wrong format | Row skipped (Error message)
| "Customer Id is not valid". Leave it blank for a new customer, or paste the id exactly as it appears in your export. |
No 'Customer Id', phone number new | Creates the customer | System registers a brand new customer account. |
No 'Customer Id', phone number used, row identical | Nothing happens | Safe duplicate. System ignores it as no new info is added. |
No 'Customer Id', phone number used, row only adds missing details
| Updates the customer
| Fills in the blanks only. Blank cells in the row change nothing. Example: the customer has no City saved, and your row has one. |
No 'Customer Id', phone number used, row changes a saved detail | Row skipped (Error message) | To change saved details, import the row with the customer's 'Customer Id'. Example: the saved address is 'Jalan A' and your row says 'Jalan B'. |
No 'Customer Id', number is on two or more records | Row skipped (Error message) | Multi-duplicate collision. Must merge existing system records before importing. |
If an import created a new customer even though that phone number is already saved, your account may not have the duplicate check yet. In that case, a row with no 'Customer Id' always creates a new customer. Contact StoreHub Support to ask about it.
Update Customer Information via CSV
You can edit or update your customers' details by re-uploading an updated CSV file.
1. On the Customers page, click 'Export to CSV' and open the file. It already holds each customer's 'Customer Id' and current details, so anything you do not change stays as it is.
2. Edit the customer details you want to update in the CSV file.
Notes:
Keep the 'Customer Id' column as it is: it tells BackOffice which customer each row belongs to.
Without it, BackOffice matches by phone number: it fills in blank details only and skips rows that change a saved detail. If your account does not have the duplicate check yet, each row creates a new customer instead.
If you use the blank template instead, paste each 'Customer Id' from your export and fill in every column: a blank cell clears that detail (except 'Tags').
The export writes 'Birthday' as YYYY-MM-DD, so it uploads back as it is. If Excel changes the dates, save the file as an Excel workbook (.xlsx) and upload that instead.
3. Save the file and re-upload it using the same Import CSV steps above.
Export Customer Data
1. In your BackOffice, go to 'Customers'.
2. Click 'Export to CSV' to download all customer details.
3. For 10,000 records or fewer, the file will download immediately as a CSV.
4. For more than 10,000 records, a pop-up will appear notifying you that the export will be sent to your email.
Notes:
The email will be sent to the BackOffice account email of the user who triggered the export.
To export 1 membership tier only, filter the 'Tags' column by its tag and click 'Search' before you export. SH_Tier_1 is Member, SH_Tier_2 is Silver, SH_Tier_3 is Gold and SH_Tier_4 is Platinum.
5. Click 'Download CSV Export' in the email. The file will download in a zip folder format.
6. Extract the zip folder and open the CSV file with a spreadsheet program (e.g. Google Sheets, Numbers, or Microsoft Excel).
Fix Export Errors
If the export encounters an error, you will be notified in BackOffice and by email.
1. You will see a notification in BackOffice:
2. You will also receive an email notification:
3. Click the button in the email to retry the export.
Note:
If the export fails again, contact StoreHub Support for assistance.
Troubleshooting
The table below covers common problems when you import or export customers with a CSV file.
Issue | Solution |
Import shows 'Partially successful' or 'Failed' | Download the 'rows with errors' file from the 'Import Tasks' list. It lists only the rows that were not imported, with the reason in the 'Errors' column. Fix them and upload that file on its own. |
Import did not update existing customers | Your file is probably missing the 'Customer Id' column. Export your customers with 'Export to CSV', correct the rows in that file, and import it back. Leave the 'Customer Id' column exactly as it is. |
Export button not working | Check your internet connection and try again. If the issue persists, try using a different browser or clearing your browser cache. |
Did not receive export email | Check your spam or junk folder. The email is sent to the account email of the user who triggered the export. If you still cannot find it, try the export again. |
CSV file shows garbled text | Make sure you are opening the CSV file with a spreadsheet program (Google Sheets, Excel, or Numbers). If special characters appear incorrectly, try opening with UTF-8 encoding. |
A row was skipped and says 'more than one existing customer has this phone number' | Two or more of your customers already share that number. Go to 'Customers', click 'Review duplicates', merge them, then import the row again |
A row was skipped and says 'this row differs from the existing customer with this phone number' | A customer already has that number and your row changes a detail that is already saved on that customer. A row with no 'Customer Id' can only fill in blank details. Edit that customer in BackOffice, or add their 'Customer Id' (copy it from a new 'Export to CSV' file) to the row and import again |
"A row was skipped and says 'Customer Id not found'" | That 'Customer Id' does not match any of your customers, so nothing was created or updated. Export your customers again with 'Export to CSV', copy the 'Customer Id' from the new file, and import the row again. If the row is a new customer, leave its 'Customer Id' blank. |
"A row was skipped and says 'this Customer Id was merged into another customer, and this row differs from that customer's saved details'" | That customer was merged into another one, and your row has different details from the customer it was merged into. Nothing was changed. Go to 'Customers', search for the customer by name or phone number, and edit the details there. |
FAQs
1. Can I import just a few customers instead of my full list?
Yes. You can delete all other rows from the file and import just the customers you need. The rest of your customer records will not be affected.
2. Will importing a file remove duplicate records?
The import tool itself does not merge or remove duplicates, but BackOffice now has a tool that does. Go to 'Customers' and click 'Review duplicates'. See How to Merge Duplicate Customers in BackOffice.
3. What happens if my CSV has duplicate rows for the same 'Customer Id'?
The system uses the 'Customer Id' column to match rows. If multiple rows share the same 'Customer Id', the last row in the file wins and overwrites the earlier ones. Example: if two rows have the 'Customer Id' "abc123", only the data from the last row will be saved.
4. Can I export more than 10,000 customer records?
Yes. If your customer list exceeds 10,000 records, the export will be sent to your email instead of downloading directly. Click the download link in the email to get the file.
5. Can I add customers manually instead of using a CSV?
Yes. You can add customers one at a time from BackOffice or from the POS register. See this article.
Need Help?
Contact StoreHub Support via live chat in your StoreHub app or email [email protected].
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