Import/Export Settings - MSPortal.ai Documentation

Import/Export Settings allows you to perform bulk data operations using CSV files. Import new records or export existing data for backup, analysis, or migration purposes.

Accessing Import/Export Settings

Click Settings in the sidebar
Select the Import/Export icon from the settings navigation

Permissions

Import/Export requires specific permissions:

Permission	Access
manage_settings_import	Access to import data
manage_settings_export	Access to export data

If you can only see one tab (Import or Export), you have permission for that specific operation only.

Import Data

Supported Import Types

Data Type	Description
Companies	Client company records with ticketing defaults
Locations	Company location information
Devices	Device inventory records
Standards	Standards/compliance check definitions
Planner	Planner items and roadmap entries
Goals	Strategic goals for companies
Company Roles	User-to-company role assignments

Import Process

Select Data Type

Choose the type of data you want to import from the dropdown menu.

Upload CSV File

Either drag and drop your CSV file onto the upload area, or click Browse Files to select a file.

Choose Import Mode

Select how to handle existing records:

Create and update records: Creates new records and updates existing ones
Create new records only: Only adds new records, skips existing
Update existing records: Only updates existing records, skips new

Import Data

Click Import Data to process the file.

Import Modes Explained

Mode	New Records	Existing Records
Create and update	Created	Updated
Create only	Created	Skipped
Update only	Skipped	Updated

Use “Create and update” for initial imports and migrations. Use “Update only” when modifying existing data without adding new records.

Export Data

Supported Export Types

Data Type	Description
Companies	Company records with all configured fields
Locations	Location details linked to companies
Devices	Device inventory with specifications
Standards	Standards check definitions
Compliance	Compliance results and status history
Planner	Planner items and roadmap data
Goals	Strategic goals and progress
Company Roles	User assignments to company roles
Contacts & Users	Portal users and company contacts (name, email, title, department, status)
Meetings	Meeting records with notes, schedule, and status
Meeting Action Items	Follow-up tasks from meetings with assignee, due date, and status
Meeting Notes	Per-user notes attached to meetings
Meeting Agenda Items	Agenda entries for meetings with type, content, and notes
Budgets	Budgets with one row per budget line item
Budget Products	Your budgeting product catalog (name, SKU, vendor, pricing)
Survey Responses	CSAT, NPS, and general survey responses with scores and feedback
Training Records	Training enrollments with progress, scores, and certificate numbers
Custom Field Values	Values of your custom fields across all entity types
Tool Stack	Per-company tool stack status and notes
Goal Updates	Progress update history on goals
Onboarding Tasks	Client onboarding tasks with status, evidence, and completion dates
Broadcasts	Broadcast messages with content and delivery counts
AI Assistant Conversations	AI assistant chat history (one row per message)

The types from Contacts & Users onward are export-only: they appear in the Export dropdown but cannot be imported. Exports only include data created and managed in MSPortal — data synced from your PSA (tickets, invoices) is not included because your PSA remains the system of record.Standards, Company Roles, Custom Field Values, and Broadcasts are tenant-level exports: the company selector does not apply to them, and their files are always labeled all.Onboarding exports cover task data only. Client credentials stored during onboarding are encrypted and are never included in any export. Uploaded files (documents, meeting uploads) are also not part of CSV exports.

Export Process

Select Data Type

Choose what data to export from the dropdown.

Select Company Scope

Choose to export:

All Companies: Export data for all companies
Specific Company: Select a single company from the dropdown

Export Data

Click Export Data to generate and download the CSV file.

Export All

Click Export All (ZIP) to download every data type in one operation. Each data type is exported as its own CSV file and bundled into a single ZIP archive. The selected company scope applies to the whole bundle. Use this when you need a complete copy of your MSPortal data, for example for backup, compliance evidence, or offboarding.

Export File Naming

Exported files are automatically named with the format:

{datatype}_export_{company}_{date}.csv

Example: companies_export_all_20251230.csv Export All bundles are named msportal_export_{company}_{date}.zip.

Download Templates

Import templates provide the correct column structure for each data type. Always use templates to ensure your data imports correctly.

Available Templates

Companies

Client companies with PSA defaults (board, priority, status)

Locations

Company locations with addresses

Devices

Device inventory records

Standards

Compliance standards definitions

Planner

Roadmap and planner items

Goals

Strategic goals

Company Roles

User-to-company role assignments

Template Structure

Each template includes:

Required columns with asterisks (*)
Optional columns that can be left empty
Example row showing expected data format
Column headers matching expected field names

Custom CSV formats may cause import errors. Always start with the provided templates.

CSV Format Requirements

General Requirements

Requirement	Description
Encoding	UTF-8 (required for special characters)
Delimiter	Comma (,)
Headers	First row must contain column headers
Line Endings	Windows (CRLF) or Unix (LF) both supported

Data Formatting

Data Type	Format	Example
Dates	YYYY-MM-DD	2025-12-30
Phone Numbers	Any format	+1 (555) 123-4567
Boolean	true/false or 1/0	true
Empty Values	Leave blank

When editing CSV files, use a spreadsheet application like Excel or Google Sheets. Save as CSV (UTF-8) when done.

Best Practices

Before Importing

Backup First

Export existing data before major imports. This allows you to restore if something goes wrong.

Test with Small Batches

Import a few records first to verify formatting. Fix any issues before importing the full dataset.

Clean Your Data

Remove duplicates, fix inconsistent formatting, and validate required fields before importing.

Use Templates

Always start with downloaded templates rather than creating CSV files from scratch.

Data Quality

Consistent formatting: Use the same date and phone formats throughout
Required fields: Ensure all required columns have values
Unique identifiers: Avoid duplicate IDs or email addresses
Valid references: Company IDs and other references must exist in the system

Troubleshooting

Common Import Errors

Error	Cause	Solution
Missing required field	Required column is empty	Fill in all required columns
Invalid format	Date/number format incorrect	Use YYYY-MM-DD for dates
Duplicate record	Record already exists	Use “Update only” mode or remove duplicate
File too large	CSV exceeds size limit	Split into smaller files
Invalid reference	Company/user ID doesn’t exist	Verify referenced records exist
Encoding error	Wrong file encoding	Save as UTF-8

File Not Uploading

Ensure the file extension is .csv
Check file size is under the limit
Try saving the file with UTF-8 encoding
Verify the file isn’t open in another application

Records Not Importing

Check that required columns have values
Verify date formats match YYYY-MM-DD
Ensure referenced IDs (company, user) exist
Review the import results for specific error messages

Import Companies

Detailed guide for importing company records

Import Users

Guide for importing user accounts

Settings Overview

All settings configuration options

Companies Settings

Configure company defaults and fields

​Accessing Import/Export Settings

​Permissions

​Import Data

​Supported Import Types

​Import Process

​Import Modes Explained

​Export Data

​Supported Export Types

​Export Process

​Export All

​Export File Naming

​Download Templates

​Available Templates

Companies

Locations

Devices

Standards

Planner

Goals

Company Roles

​Template Structure

​CSV Format Requirements

​General Requirements

​Data Formatting

​Best Practices

​Before Importing

​Data Quality

​Troubleshooting

​Common Import Errors

​File Not Uploading

​Records Not Importing

​Related Resources

Import Companies

Import Users

Settings Overview

Companies Settings

Accessing Import/Export Settings

Permissions

Import Data

Supported Import Types

Import Process

Import Modes Explained

Export Data

Supported Export Types

Export Process

Export All

Export File Naming

Download Templates

Available Templates

Template Structure

CSV Format Requirements

General Requirements

Data Formatting

Best Practices

Before Importing

Data Quality

Troubleshooting

Common Import Errors

File Not Uploading

Records Not Importing

Related Resources