The Import tool adds a large set of users to your platform in one go, and updates the ones you already hold. You can Import Clients, Tutors and Students from a CSV or Excel file.
Every row is checked before anything is saved, so you see exactly what will happen, and re-uploading the same file updates your users rather than duplicating them.
Note: Importing requires the 'Import' permission on your Administrator profile. Permissions are set via People > Administrators > select the Administrator > Edit Profile.
Starting an Import
Go to System > User Import.
You can also start from a user list. Go to People > Clients, People > Tutors or People > Students and click the Import button, and the wizard opens with that user type already selected.
The wizard has three steps: Upload, Preview and Import.
Step 1: Upload your file
Under System > User Import, choose what you are importing from the 'What are you importing?' dropdown: Clients, Tutors or Students.
Click Download the template. This gives you a CSV with the exact column headings for that user type.
Fill the template in with your users' details, or copy your existing spreadsheet's data into it.
Drag the file onto the upload area, or click Choose file.
TutorCruncher accepts CSV and Excel files, up to 10MB and 5,000 rows. If your Excel file has more than one sheet, you will be asked which sheet to use before it is read.
Note: Columns TutorCruncher does not recognise are ignored, and you will see a warning telling you which ones were skipped. Columns named after your Custom Fields are recognised, so they are not skipped. A missing required column stops the upload instead, so start from the template if you are unsure.
Step 2: Check the preview
Every row is checked as soon as the file is read, and the preview shows you what will happen before anything is saved.
At the top you will see counts you can click to filter the table:
to create - new users who will be added
already exist (will update) - rows matching a user you already hold, whose details will be updated
with errors - rows that cannot be imported
Rows with errors are listed first, with the reason shown underneath each one. Click Error rows (CSV) to download just those rows with their error messages, so you can fix them and upload again without hunting through the whole file.
The preview, with a failing row and its reason.
When you are happy, click Import. The button tells you how many rows will be imported. Use Back if you would rather change the file first.
Note: Rows with errors are skipped, not blocked. The good rows still Import. If every row has an error, Import is unavailable and you will need to fix the file and upload it again.
Step 3: Import
The Import runs in the background and the results appear when it finishes. You will see three counts:
Created - new users added
Updated - existing users whose details were changed
Skipped - rows that could not be imported, listed with their reasons
A finished Import.
Note: Imported users are not sent a welcome email.
What each column accepts
Download the template from System > User Import to get these columns in the right order. Headings are matched flexibly, so 'Surname' and 'Last Name' both work, but the template is the safest route.
Clients
Required:
Last Name: any text.
Email: a valid email address, unique within the file.
Status: Prospect, Live or Dormant. See Client Statuses.
Optional:
First Name: any text.
Mobile and Phone: any phone number.
Street Address and Town/City: any text.
State: the US two-letter code, for example CA. Full state names are not accepted.
Zipcode/Postcode: any letters and numbers.
Tutors
Tutors use the same columns as Clients, with two differences:
Status (required): Pending, Approved, Rejected or Dormant. See Tutor Statuses.
Rate (optional): a plain number such as 45 or 45.50, with no currency symbol. This sets their Default Rate.
Students
Required:
Last Name: any text.
Client Email: the email address of a Client already on your system. See Paying Clients.
Optional:
Email: a valid email address, unique within the file.
Rate: a plain number such as 45 or 45.50, with no currency symbol.
First Name, Mobile, Phone, Street Address, Town/City, State and Zipcode/Postcode: as above.
Students have no Status column. Because Client Email has to match a Client you already hold, Import your Clients before your Students.
Note: Status values are not case sensitive, so 'Live' and 'live' both work. Use the plain word Prospect for prospective Clients, not 'Prospect (Pipeline)' as it appears on their profile, which the Import will not accept. If a value is not accepted, the preview lists the valid options.
Custom Fields
Your Custom Fields can be Imported alongside the standard columns. The template you download from System > User Import already includes the Custom Fields set up on your Branch for the user type you are Importing, so filling those columns in is the safest route. Custom Fields are created and edited under System > Settings > System Customization > Custom Fields.
Headings are matched on the Custom Field's name, on its machine name, or on the 'Name (machine_name)' format used by the Export, so a file exported from TutorCruncher can be uploaded as it is.
What each type of Custom Field accepts:
Checkbox: yes or no. True, false, Y, N, 1 and 0 are also accepted.
Short Textbox: any text, up to 255 characters.
Long Textbox: any text.
Number: a whole number, with no decimal point.
Stars: a number between 0 and the maximum set on the field.
Dropdown: one of the options set on the field. Not case sensitive.
Date: the format YYYY-MM-DD, for example 2026-05-01. Date cells from Excel also work.
Date and Time: the format YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM, for example 2026-05-01 09:30.
A value that is not accepted shows as an error against that row in the preview, with the reason, and the row is included in the Error rows (CSV) download so you can correct it and upload again. A blank cell never overwrites a Custom Field value you already hold.
Note: If a Custom Field has the same name as a standard column, for example a Custom Field called 'Phone', its heading in the template becomes 'Phone (phone)' and the standard Phone column keeps the plain name. If two columns in your file match the same Custom Field, the first one is used and you will see a warning.
Updating your users in bulk
The Import tool is also the quickest way to change details for a lot of users at once.
Go to People > Clients (or Tutors or Students), apply any filters you need, and click Export CSV. See Clients Export for more on this.
Open the file in a spreadsheet and make your changes. Functions like VLOOKUP are useful for editing many profiles at once.
Go to System > User Import, choose the same user type, and upload the edited file.
Check the preview. Rows matching a user you already hold will show as 'already exist (will update)'.
Click Import.
Users are matched on their email address, so anyone already on your system is updated rather than duplicated. Students without an email address are matched on their name and their Client instead.
The Export also includes a column for each of your Custom Fields, headed in the 'Name (machine_name)' format. Edit those columns and upload the file to update Custom Field values in bulk, in the same way as any other column. Custom Fields are set up under System > Settings > System Customization > Custom Fields.
Note: A blank cell never wipes out a detail you already hold, including a Custom Field value. If you leave the Mobile column empty for someone who already has a mobile number saved, their number stays as it is. To clear a field, edit the profile directly.
The Export includes columns the Import does not use, such as user IDs and creation dates. You can leave them in, as they are ignored with a warning.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Import Jobs?
No. Only Clients, Tutors and Students can be Imported. Jobs need to be created in the platform.
Can I Import Custom Fields?
Yes. The template you download from System > User Import includes the Custom Fields set up for the user type you are Importing, and the Import also recognises columns named after them in your own file. The values are saved onto each user's profile as the Import runs. See the Custom Fields section above for what each type of Custom Field accepts.
Can I Import a user's Labels?
No. Labels vary between businesses, so they cannot be Imported. You can apply them in bulk from the user list once your users are in.
Will Imported users receive a welcome email?
No. Nobody added or updated by an Import is emailed.
Why does my Student row say no existing Client was found?
The Client Email on that row does not match any Client on your system. Check the spelling, and Import your Clients before your Students.
What happens to rows with errors?
They are skipped and everything else still Imports. Download the error rows as a CSV from the preview, fix them, and upload that file on its own.
How many users can I Import at once?
Up to 5,000 rows, in a file of up to 10MB. Split larger files and Import them one after another.