Importing your data
Firm settings → Import data brings contacts and matters into Mattersimple from CSV files: a spreadsheet you keep, or an export from another practice management system. You need the Update firm settings permission.
Import contacts first. Matters find their client among your contacts, so a matter whose client isn't there yet fails.
Preparing the file
- Save it as CSV (in Excel: File → Save As → CSV UTF-8). Commas, semicolons and tabs between columns all work.
- The first row names the columns. Each row after it is one contact or one matter.
- Up to 5,000 rows and 10 MB per file. Split bigger files.
- Download a Contacts template or Matters template from the page to start from.
Importing
- Choose what's in the file, pick the file and click Upload.
- Mattersimple matches each field to the column whose name looks like it. Check each one, change any that are wrong, and choose Don't import for fields your file doesn't have. Fields marked * are required. The example under each field shows what's in that column.
- Click Import. The page updates as it goes. One import runs at a time.
- When it's finished, click Results to download your file with two columns added:
status(created, skipped or failed) andreason. Fix the failed rows and import just those again.
Uploaded files and results are deleted after 7 days.
Contacts
| Field | Notes |
|---|---|
| Type | person or company. Left empty, a row with a company name and no first or last name is a company. |
| First name, Last name | Required for a person. |
| Company name | Required for a company. |
| Works at company | For a person: linked to a company already in Mattersimple with exactly that name. Otherwise it's left unlinked, and the results say so. |
| Required: every contact needs one. It becomes the primary email. | |
| Phone, address fields | Optional. Country is a two-letter code (CA, US) or the country's name. |
| Notes | Added to the contact as a note called "Imported notes". |
A row whose email already belongs to a contact is skipped. Nothing is merged or overwritten.
Matters
| Field | Notes |
|---|---|
| Title | Required. |
| Client | Required: the client's email, or their exact name when only one contact has it. |
| Practice area | The area's name, or Group / Area when two groups have an area with that name. It must be enabled. |
| Status | open (the default), pending or closed. |
| Opened on, Closed on | Written as 2024-03-31 or 3/31/2024 (month first). Opened defaults to today; a closed matter without a date closes today. |
| Responsible lawyer | The email of a team member marked as a lawyer. Left empty, it's you, if you're marked as a lawyer. |
| Summary | Becomes the matter's summary. |
| Previous reference | Your old file number. Matters get new Mattersimple numbers, and the old one is kept in an Imported reference custom field. Importing a reference again is skipped, so re-running a file doesn't create duplicates. |
Automatic conflict checks don't run during an import. Run them on your active matters afterwards (see Conflict checks). Everything created is on the audit trail under your name.
Still need help?
Send a request to the Mattersimple team and we'll reply by email.