Bring your existing book over from a spreadsheet without losing data or creating duplicates.
Updated May 19, 2026 · 5 min read
Most brokers come in with a spreadsheet — Excel, Google Sheets, or an export from another platform. The CSV import handles all three, with AI-assisted field mapping so you don't have to rename a single column.
Before you start
Save your spreadsheet as .csv (UTF-8). Excel: File → Save As → CSV UTF-8.
Make sure each row is one customer (or one meter if you track meters separately — see below).
One column should hold either the legal business name or a contact name. Without that, the importer refuses the file.
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Don't clean the columns first
The mapping step lets you point any of your columns at any of our fields. There's no need to rename headers or reorder columns. Bring it in as-is.
Drag the .csv onto the upload zone or click to browse. The importer reads the first 200 rows for preview — your whole file is processed once you confirm.
Screenshot coming soon
Drag-and-drop or click to upload.
Map your columns
Broker Forge guesses the mapping using column headers and a quick scan of the data — a column of values like 75201 or 77002 becomes ZIP, BR1234 becomes PUCT, and so on. Review the guesses and adjust any that look wrong.
AI-suggested mappings on the left, your columns on the right. Override any guess.
Confirm and import
The importer shows you a preview of the first ten rows mapped, plus the count of new vs. duplicate customers (matched by legal name + service address). Click Import to commit.
Screenshot coming soon
Final result screen — counts of imported, skipped, and errored rows.
Tips & gotchas
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Duplicate detection
The importer matches on legal name + ZIP. If you have two locations of the same company at the same ZIP, the second one will be flagged as a duplicate. Add a suffix to the legal name (e.g. "ACME — Dallas Warehouse") to keep them distinct.
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ESI IDs need 17 digits
ESI IDs in Texas are 17-digit numbers. If you've stored them with dashes or in a column formatted as "number with commas," the importer will reject those rows. Export the column as text and re-import.
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One meter per row vs. one customer per row
If your spreadsheet is one row per meter (common when exporting from a TDU or supplier portal), use the Group by option in the mapping step. Pick the column with the parent legal name and the importer will create one customer with N meters underneath.
