CSV import: Contracts

You can import contract information by uploading a CSV file. This import process imports the contract header. Import the contract lines and any associated expenses in separate import processes after you import the contract header(s).

Download a contract import template

We recommend downloading a new blank import template whenever you import contracts into Sage Intacct. This is important because:

  • Templates are automatically customized based on your company configuration, including dimensions and custom fields you created.
  • Templates can be updated by Intacct at any time, especially when a new version of Intacct is released. This means that an older template might not work.

To download a contract template:

  1. Go to Contracts > All > Contracts.

  2. In the Contracts list, select Import.

    The Import Company Information dialog box appears.

  3. Select the Download template link.

    The template opens in Excel.

Access can vary depending on your organization's subscriptions and your permissions. To access the Company Setup Checklist, you need the following:

Subscription

Contracts
User type

Business
Permissions

Add, List, Edit, Delete, View Contracts

Prepare a CSV file for import

When you download a template, the correct headers are in the template already. All you have to do is fill in the columns with your data, save it as a CSV file, and upload the file. The header titles in the template you download correlate to fields in Intacct. Incorrect header titles will cause an upload error.

For more information about the CSV upload process, including best practices, common errors, and how to upload your CSV file, see Prepare your file for CSV import.

Best practices

The following best practices will help you prepare your CSV file for upload.

  1. Download a template.

    • Use the latest template, especially following a product release.
    • Use the correct template for the area in which you want to upload information. Different templates organize different types of information. Use a template specifically for the information you need to upload.

  2. Use the column descriptions as a guide to entering information.

    • Do not change the titles in the header row.
      The header titles correlate to fields in Intacct. Incorrect header titles will cause an upload error. When you download a template from the Company Setup Checklist, the correct headers are in the template.
    • Read the header descriptions in the template.
      The header description is the cell under the header row that explains what type of information is accepted for each column. If you enter information in the wrong format, or with an incorrect accepted value, it will cause an error in your upload.
    • Enter required information.
      Some data is required, while others are not. Read the description field to determine which information is required. If you do not enter required information, your upload will fail.
  3. Save the file as a comma-separated value, or CSV, file. If saving from Excel, you could choose the comma delimited file type.

The file will have the file extension .csv after you save it.
Leave the file open until your import is successful. Excel can sometimes reformat the file if you close it before the import is successful.

Avoid common import errors

Intacct recommends following these guidelines to avoid import errors.

In Microsoft Excel:

  1. Select all cells.
  2. Right-click the cells and select Format Cells.
  3. On the Number tab, select Text and then select OK.
  4. Save the file.

The short date format is formatted like this: 3/15/2021

In Microsoft Excel:

  1. Select a column of dates.
  2. Right-click the column and select Format Cells.
  3. On the Number tab, select Date and select the short date format.
  4. Save the file.

While spaces within memo fields are allowed, make sure there are no leading or trailing spaces in any field (not just memos). Leading and trainling spaces may cause import errors. For all other fields, remove unnecessary spaces at the start or end of the data.

In Microsoft Excel:

  1. Select a range of cells.
  2. On the Home tab, in the Editing group, select Find & Select and select Replace.
  3. In the Find what box, press the space bar once. Leave the Replace with box blank.
  4. Select Replace All. A prompt opens telling you how many spaces have been removed.
  5. Save the file.

Commas are used to separate fields in CSV files.

To prevent data from shifting into the wrong columns, avoid using commas in numeric and text fields.

If you must include a comma in a text field, always surround the field with double quotes, for example "Smith, John".

Headers in your CSV file must match the template exactly, including spelling, capitalization, and spacing. Even small changes (such as adding a space or changing a letter’s case) will cause the import to fail. Always use the official template provided by Sage Intacct.

ID fields must contain exact references to customers or suppliers.

ID fields must match exactly, including capitalization. For example, ven100 and VEN100 do not match.

Enter the ID exactly as it appears in Intacct or you run the risk of matching transactions to the wrong supplier or customer, or having the upload fail.

If you reference a supplier, customer, term, budget, etc., in a CSV file, whatever you’re referencing must already exist in Intacct.

For example, if you’re uploading transactions for a particular supplier, if the supplier does not already exist as a supplier in Intacct before your upload, your upload will fail.

This does not apply when creating new customers or suppliers using the import process.

For more information about to correctly number line items, see CSV import: Line number examples.

For fields with predefined valid entries (such as True/False), use initial capitalization. For example True, not TRUE or true. IDs require exact case matches, while predefined entries require initial capitalization.

If your import template contains a country field, for example for an address, make sure that this field has an entry.

If your company has enabled ISO country codes, you must specify the country code in the country field for each record. If you are unsure whether ISO codes are enabled, check with your administrator or test a sample import to confirm the required format.

Format dates

When uploading your CSV file, you can select a Date Format for the dates in your file.

Date sequence Date format
Day, month, year
  • DD MM YY
  • DD.MM.YY
  • DD/MM/YY
  • DD-MM-YY
Month, day, year
  • MM DD YY
  • MM.DD.YY
  • MM/DD/YY
  • MM-DD-YY
Year, month, day
  • YY MM DD
  • YY.MM.DD
  • YY/MM/DD
  • YY-MM-DD
Day, month, year
  • DD MM YYYY
  • DD.MM.YYYY
  • DD/MM/YYYY
  • DD-MM-YYYY
Month, day, year
  • MM DD YYYY
  • MM.DD.YYYY
  • MM/DD/YYYY
  • MM-DD-YYYY
Year, month, day
  • YYYY MM DD
  • YYYY.MM.DD
  • YYYY/MM/DD
  • YYYY-MM-DD

When you select a date format here, Intacct attempts to import your file using the selected date format. If Intacct can’t import your file with the selected date format, it attempts to discover the date format used in your file and import the data using that date format.

Now that you've entered your data and looked through it for any of the common issues imports can have, you are ready to import your file to Intacct.

To import your CSV file:

  1. When you are ready to import the file, go to Contracts > All > Contracts and select Import.

    The Import Company Information dialog box appears.

  2. Browse to locate the CSV file you want to import.
  3. Specify the email address where results should be sent. If any records fail to import, you will be notified by email.

  4. Select other options as needed.

    Import file option descriptions
    Option Description

    Browse

    Use the Browse button to locate and select the CSV file you want to import.

    Date format

    When you select a date format here, Sage Intacct attempts to import your file using the selected date format. If Intacct can’t import your file with the selected date format, it attempts to discover the date format used in your file and import the data using that date format.

    File encoding

    Leave this option set to "auto-detect" unless you're unable to import your file. Depending on your operating system, you may need to select a different type of file encoding.

    Process offline

    Some imports can take considerable time, depending on their size and how much processing the system must do on the uploaded data. If you're not sure how much time your upload will take, select Process offline. When the system completes the process, it sends an email to the address you provide in the Email results to this address field. The system also sends you any errors that may have occurred in the process. If you prefer to wait until the upload process is complete, don’t select the Process offline checkbox.

    Transactions and other records that are processed offline show a source of System in the audit trail, instead of CSV import.

    Email results to this address

    Email address to which import results and errors should be sent. You can enter multiple email addresses, separated by a semicolon (;) or comma (,).

    Sage Intacct highly recommends entering an email address.

  5. Select Import.

    One of the following will appear:

    • Import Success Notification: all contract lines were imported successfully. Select Done to dismiss the dialog box.
    • Import Error Notification: at least one contract line could not be imported. See Import error notification for detailed information on how to resolve any errors.

Import offline

Some imports can take considerable time, depending on their size and how much processing Intacct must do to the data. When in doubt, select Process offline on the import utility page.

When the offline process is complete, Intacct sends an email to the address you entered in the Import Company Information dialog (where you imported your file).

Intacct recommends that you select Process offline when importing CSV files, and provide your email address. If your import fails, you’ll always be notified, and the failed records are sent to your email.

Handle errors

If you experience import errors, review the importing tips and common errors.

Import errors occur when you try to import information that doesn’t match the requirements of the template. Each template has a set of required information you must enter to import the file successfully, and formats to follow for certain kinds of information. Read the descriptions in the template to determine the most accurate way to enter your data.

If individual transactions are in error, the rows in the transaction that are in error are saved in a CSV file for you along with an error code for each row. Check your email for information about specific errors. See Find and fix CSV import errors for more information.

For more information about the CSV upload process, read Prepare your file for CSV import.

Field descriptions

The field definitions in your template explain what type of information is required for each field, and how to enter valid information. It's always a good idea to read the field definitions before making entries.

You can reorder the columns of your CSV file for ease of use. However, the column header must contain the field name exactly as it appears in the original template.

If you downloaded a template from the Company Setup Checklist or an object list page, your template contains the headers and dimensions that are specific to your company. The headers in a standard template might not contain field definitions specific to your company.

To import dimension values, enter information in the appropriate dimension column of the import spreadsheet. Otherwise, no information appears for that dimension.

If you relabeled any dimensions (see Terminology for more information), your dimension name does not appear in the CSV template, but the original Intacct dimension name does.

Dates in the Contracts template

The Contracts template contains several fields referring to dates, either start or end dates. These date fields refer to the field that is immediately before it in the template. When entering a start or end date in this template, be sure to check the field immediately before the date field, to correctly set and reference the dates you intend.

When importing data, names in the FIELD column may differ from terminology used in your location. For information on terms that may differ in your location, see Terminology across locales.

Field Name: DONOTIMPORT

#

Any row that starts with # is ignored during import.
Field Name: CONTRACT_ID

UI Field Name:

 

Type:

Character

Length:

50

Default Value:

None

Valid Values:

Alphanumeric and underscore

Dependencies:

None

Required:

Yes

Editable:

No
Field Name: CONTRACT_NAME

UI Field Name:

 

Type:

Text

Length:

200

Default Value:

None

Valid Values:

Alphanumeric and underscore

Dependencies:

None

Required:

Yes

Editable:

Yes
Field Name: CONTRACT_DESCRIPTION

UI Field Name:

Description

Type:

Character

Length:

1000

Default Value:

None

Valid Values:

Alphanumeric and underscore

Dependencies:

None

Required:

No

Editable:

Yes
Field Name: PARENT_CONTRACT

UI Field Name:

Parent Class

Type:

Character

Length:

20

Default Value:

None

Valid Values:

Alphanumeric and underscore

Dependencies:

Refers to a valid location

Required:

No

Editable:

Yes
Field Name: BEGIN_DATE

UI Field Name:

Start date

Type:

Date

Length:

12

Default Value:

 

Valid Values:

 

Dependencies:

 

Required:

Yes

Editable:

 
Field Name: END_DATE

UI Field Name:

End date

Type:

Date

Length:

12

Default Value:

 

Valid Values:

 

Dependencies:

 

Required:

Yes

Editable:

 
Field Name: CUSTOMER_ID

UI Field Name:

Customer ID

Type:

Character

Length:

 

Default Value:

 

Valid Values:

 

Dependencies:

A valid Customer

Required:

Yes

Editable:

 
Field Name: BILL_TO_CONTACT_NAME

UI Field Name:

AP supplier invoice to

Type:

Character

Length:

 

Default Value:

 

Valid Values:

 

Dependencies:

A valid Contact

Required:

No

Editable:

 
Field Name: SHIP_TO_CONTACT_NAME

UI Field Name:

Ship to

Type:

Character

Length:

 
Field Name: STATE

UI Field Name:

State

Type:

Character

Length:

 

Default Value:

In progress

Valid Values:

In progress, Draft

Dependencies:

Required:

No

Editable:

 
Field Name: CURRENCY

UI Field Name:

Currency

Type:

Character

Length:

3

Default Value:

Base Currency

Valid Values:

Any defined currency, such as USD or EUR. Blank denotes base currency

Dependencies:

Must reference a previously defined currency

Required:

No

Editable:

Yes
Notes: Use only in multi-currency companies. This field defines the transaction currency. If no field is defined here, the base currency is used.
Field Name: BASE_CURRENCY

UI Field Name:

Base currency

Type:

Character

Length:

 

Default Value:

 

Valid Values:

 

Dependencies:

A valid Currency And Format Setup

Required:

Yes

Editable:

 
Field Name: EXCHANGE_RATE_TYPE

UI Field Name:

Exchange rate type

Type:

Character

Length:

 

Default Value:

 

Valid Values:

 

Dependencies:

A valid Exchange Rate Type

Required:

No

Editable:

 
Field Name: ENTITY

UI Field Name:

Entity

Type:

Character

Length:

20

Default Value:

None

Valid Values:

An existing valid location

Dependencies:

None

Required:

In shared multi-entity companies this field is must.

Editable:

No
Field Name: ACTIVE

UI Field Name:

Status

Type:

Character

Length:

1

Default Value:

T

Valid Values:

T (True), F (False)

Dependencies:

None

Required:

No

Editable:

Yes
Notes:

T = visible in lists; F = not visible in lists, but remains available for later use.
Field Name: BILLING_FREQUENCY

UI Field Name:

Billing frequency

Type:

Character

Length:

 

Default Value:

Monthly

Valid Values:

Monthly, Quarterly, Annually

Dependencies:

 

Required:

Only required if there are contract lines subsequently added where Usage quantity recurs = true and Flat/fixed amount frequency = One-time or Use billing template.

Editable:

Yes
Field Name: BILLING_PRICE_LIST

UI Field Name:

Billing price list

Type:

Character

Length:

 

Default Value:

 

Valid Values:

 

Dependencies:

A valid Billing Price List

Required:

No

Editable:

 
Note:

This field has no affect on contract lines associated with this contract that you import after importing the contract. Any contract lines that you import via the contract line import template will have the Flat/Fixed amount entered in the import template. They will not get default pricing from any associated billing price list.
Field Name: FAIR_VALUE_PRICE_LIST

UI Field Name:

Fair value price list

Type:

Character

Length:

 

Default Value:

 

Valid Values:

 

Dependencies:

A valid Fair Value Price List

Required:

No

Editable:

 
Field Name: TERM_NAME

UI Field Name:

Term

Type:

Character

Length:

 

Default Value:

 

Valid Values:

 

Dependencies:

A valid AR Term

Required:

Yes

Editable:

 
Field Name: ADV_BILL_BY

UI Field Name:

AP supplier invoice in advance: # of days/months before contract start date

Type:

Number

Length:

3

Default Value:

 

Valid Values:

 

Dependencies:

 

Required:

No

Editable:

 
Field Name: ADV_BILL_BY_TYPE

UI Field Name:

AP supplier invoice in advance: # of days/months before contract start date

Type:

Character

Length:

 

Default Value:

 

Valid Values:

days, months

Dependencies:

 

Required:

No

Editable:

 
Field Name: RENEWAL_ADV_BILL_BY

UI Field Name:

AP supplier invoice in advance: # of days/months before contract start date

Type:

Number

Length:

3

Default Value:

 

Valid Values:

 

Dependencies:

 

Required:

No
Notes:This field is only applicable to the child contract created upon renewal.

Editable:

 
Field Name: RENEWAL_ADV_BILL_BY_TYPE

UI Field Name:

AP supplier invoice in advance: # of days/months before contract start date

Type:

Character

Length:

 

Default Value:

 

Valid Values:

days, months

Dependencies:

 

Required:

No
Notes:This field is only applicable to the child contract created upon renewal.

Editable:

 
Field Name: RENEW

UI Field Name:

Renew

Type:

Character

Length:

 

Default Value:

 

Valid Values:

T (True), F (False)

Dependencies:

 

Required:

No

Editable:

 
Field Name: RENEWAL_TEMPLATE

UI Field Name:

Renewal template

Type:

Character

Length:

40

Default Value:

 

Valid Values:

 

Dependencies:

A valid Renewal template ID

Required:

No

Editable:

 
Field Name: RENEWAL_TERM_LENGTH

UI Field Name:

Renewal term length

Type:

Number

Length:

4

Default Value:

 

Valid Values:

Digits 0-9

Dependencies:

 

Required:

No

Editable:

 
Field Name: RENEWAL_TERM_PERIOD

UI Field Name:

Renewal term period

Type:

Character

Length:

 

Default Value:

Months

Valid Values:

Years, Months, Days

Dependencies:

 

Required:

No

Editable:

 
Field Name: CONTRACT_TYPE

UI Field Name:

Contract type

Type:

Character

Length:

 

Default Value:

 

Valid Values:

 

Dependencies:

A valid contract type

Required:

No

Editable:

 
Field Name: TIMESHEET_AGGREGATION

UI Field Name:

Defer estimated time-based revenue by

Type:

Character

Length:

 

Default Value:

 

Valid Values:

Project, Project and Item, Project and Task

Dependencies:

Enable deferred revenue for Time & Materials projects must be turned on in Configure Contracts.

Required:

No

Editable:

 
Field Name: LOCATION_ID

UI Field Name:

Location

Type:

Character

Length:

20

Default Value:

 

Valid Values:

 

Dependencies:

A valid Location

Required:

No

Editable:

 
Field Name: DEPARTMENT_ID

UI Field Name:

Department

Type:

Character

Length:

20

Default Value:

 

Valid Values:

 

Dependencies:

A valid Department

Required:

No

Editable:

 
Field Name: CONTRACT_PROJECTID

UI Field Name:

Project

Type:

Character

Length:

20

Default Value:

 

Valid Values:

 

Dependencies:

A valid Project. The project's customer must be the same customer as the contract customer.

Required:

No

Editable:

 
Field Name: CONTRACT_EMPLOYEEID

UI Field Name:

Employee

Type:

Character

Length:

20

Default Value:

 

Valid Values:

 

Dependencies:

A valid Employee

Required:

No

Editable:

 
Field Name: CONTRACT_CLASSID

UI Field Name:

Class

Type:

Character

Length:

20

Default Value:

 

Valid Values:

 

Dependencies:

A valid Class

Required:

No

Editable:

 
Field Name: CONTRACT_VENDORID

UI Field Name:

Supplier

Type:

Character

Length:

20

Default Value:

 

Valid Values:

 

Dependencies:

A valid Supplier

Required:

No

Editable:

 
Field Name: CONTRACT_WAREHOUSEID

UI Field Name:

Warehouse

Type:

Character

Length:

20

Default Value:

 

Valid Values:

 

Dependencies:

A valid Warehouse

Required:

No

Editable:

 
Field Name: APPLICATION

UI Field Name:

Contract tracking

Type:

Character

Length:

Default Value:

Contracts

Valid Values:

Contracts, Order entry

Dependencies:

 

Required:

No

Editable:

 

Notes:

Contracts = a fully functional contract and Order entry = a dimension-only contract.

Only the following template fields are applicable when importing dimension-only contracts: CONTRACT_ID, CONTRACT_NAME, CONTRACT_DESCRIPTION, BEGIN_DATE, END_DATE, CUSTOMER_ID, BILL_TO_CONTACT_NAME, SHIP_TO_CONTACT_NAME, APPLICATION, ADDITIONAL_CONTACT_CONTACT_NAME

Field Name: ADDITIONAL_CONTACT_CONTACT_NAME

UI Field Name:

Additional contact

Type:

Character

Length:

 

Default Value:

None

Valid Values:

 

Dependencies:

A valid Contact name.

Required:

No

Editable:

Yes

Notes:

Only applicable when APPLICATION = Order entry.