Importing your clients and contacts is the foundation for everything else in SurgeTK. You should complete this step before importing account, insurance, or billing data. Correctly loading clients—and grouping them into households—ensures all future data connects properly.
At a glance
Start the import from the Households or Imports page.
Choose Import client data (not account data).
Required fields: Household ID, Client ID, Client Name.
Upload one spreadsheet at a time (multiple files at once are not supported).
You may import data from multiple sheets one at a time until all clients and data is filled in.
The import supports both creating new clients and updating existing clients in the same run.
Confirm the column mapping and run the import.
Watch the progress indicator; review Created / Updated / Duplicates / Failed.
After completion, view the import report on the Imports page.
Before you start
Download the Client Import Template (recommended)
This ensures your column headers auto-map to SurgeTK’s fields. You can access this after you select "import Client Data" in the import modal and click "next".Required fields
Household ID – groups clients into the same household.
Clients with the same Household ID will be grouped together.
Best practice: keep households to no more than two clients.
Client ID – a unique, stable identifier for each client.
This must never change between imports. SurgeTK uses it to know when to update instead of creating a duplicate.
Client Name – the client’s display name.
Recommendation: use
Last, Firstformat and avoid titles like “Mr.” or “Dr.” for consistency.
Data hygiene tips
One row per client.
Remove obvious duplicates before importing.
Keep IDs consistent with your source system so future updates map correctly.
Step 1 — Open the import modal
Two entry points lead to the same modal:
From Households: Go to Households → Click Add / Update button→ Import Data.
From Imports: Go to Imports → Click Import button.
Step 2 — Choose what to import
Select Import client data (not “account data”), then click Next.
You’ll see a short overview of requirements and a link to download the template.
Step 3 — Upload your spreadsheet
Upload one spreadsheet at a time. SurgeTK does not allow uploading multiple files simultaneously.
If your data spans multiple sheets, simply repeat the process for each sheet until all your data is in.
Click Next to continue.
Step 4 — Map your columns
Match each spreadsheet column to the correct SurgeTK field.
If you used the template, most columns will auto-map.
Always double-check the three required fields:
Household ID
Client ID
Client Name
Click Import when everything looks right.
Tip: The only required field when updated contacts is Client ID. Save time when updating by mapping only Client ID and any fields you'd like to update.
Step 5 — Monitor progress (don’t refresh)
A progress indicator shows your import in real time.
Do not refresh the page or navigate away.
Use the tabs in the progress window to track results:
Created – new clients added.
Updated – existing clients updated (matched by Client ID).
Duplicates – rows with duplicate Client IDs within the same file.
Failed – rows that could not be imported, with reasons listed.
When complete, the indicator will confirm success. Your clients will now be visible in SurgeTK.
Step 6 — Review the import report
Go to Imports to view a permanent record of your import. From there you can:
Open the import report to see detailed results.
Re-download the original spreadsheet you uploaded.
Best practices
Stable Client IDs: Never change them once assigned.
Household discipline: Use the same Household ID for related clients. Avoid more than two clients per household.
Consistent names: Use
Last, First; omit titles.Update by re-import: To update existing clients, just re-import with the same Client IDs. SurgeTK will update those rows instead of creating duplicates.
Troubleshooting
Failed rows: Missing required fields, unmapped columns, or invalid values.
Unexpected duplicates: Multiple Client IDs for the same person. Standardize IDs and re-import.
Wrong household groupings: Incorrect Household IDs. Fix and re-import.
FAQs
Q: Can I import multiple files at once?
No. You can only upload one file at a time. If your data is spread across multiple sheets, import each sheet separately until all data is loaded.
Q: Does the import create or update?
Both. SurgeTK will create new records for new Client IDs and update existing records when a matching Client ID is found.
Q: Where can I see past imports?
On the Imports page. Each run has a record, a detailed report, and access to your uploaded file.
Quick start tip: Download the template, fill in the three required fields, import one file at a time, and let SurgeTK handle both creation and updates automatically. 3 Fields is all you need to get clients in the system and grouped properly.
Thats it!
Once clients are imported, you can move on to importing accounts for those clients. When importing accounts ensure you use the same Client ID's you used in the contact import so you can successfully map accounts to their correct owners.