Use this guide when you already have vehicle information in a spreadsheet or when you are moving from another system. Importing saves hours of typing and helps your team start with accurate records on day one.

What you will accomplish

You will upload a vehicle spreadsheet, match each column to the correct field, review a preview, and create many car records at once. You can also import a ZIP file of historical photos so older intake images appear on the right vehicles.

Expected outcome: New vehicles appear on the Cars page with make, model, year, VIN, customer links, and other details filled in from your file.

When to use import instead of Add a car

• You are onboarding dozens or hundreds of vehicles from a legacy system or Excel file.
• Your team already keeps a master vehicle list with VINs, plates, and customer emails.
• You have folders of historical photos organized by customer ID, car ID, or VIN.

For one vehicle at a time, use Add a car instead. Import is for bulk work.

Before you start

• Save your vehicle list as CSV, XLS, or XLSX.
• Put each vehicle on its own row. Use clear column names such as Year, Make, Model, VIN, License Plate, and Customer Email.
• Download the car template from the import page if you are unsure which columns to include.
• Confirm you can sign in to the dashboard and open Import Data from the left sidebar.

Step 1: Open the Cars import tab

1. Go to Import Data

   In the left sidebar, click Import Data, or go directly to Import Data.

   Expected result: The page title says Import Data and you see tabs across the top.

2. Click the Cars tab

   Click the Cars tab (the tab with the car icon).

   Why this matters: The Customers tab is for people. The Cars tab is for vehicles. Using the wrong tab will not create car records.

3. Download the template if needed

   Click Download on the Download car template card. Open the file to see recommended column names.

   Expected result: You have a sample CSV with headers such as Year, Make, Model, VIN, and Customer Email.

Step 2: Upload your vehicle spreadsheet

1. Click the file field

   Below the template card, click the file picker.

2. Choose your spreadsheet

   Select your CSV, XLS, or XLSX file from your computer.

3. Wait for the row count

   After the file loads, the page shows how many rows were found.

   Expected result: You see a number such as "50 rows found." If the count is zero, check that your file has data rows—not only header names.

Step 3: Match spreadsheet columns to vehicle fields

After the file loads, you will see a mapping area. Mapping means telling the system which spreadsheet column belongs in each vehicle field.

1. Click Auto-Map Columns when available

   If your column names are close to the template (for example Year and Make), click Auto-Map Columns to fill in matches automatically.

   Why this matters: Auto-map saves time, but you should still scroll through the list to confirm nothing important was skipped.

2. Match required vehicle details

   At minimum, connect:

   • Make, Model, and Year when your file has them
   • VIN when you track VINs (the system can try to fill missing make/model/year from the VIN)
   • Customer Email when you want each car linked to the right owner

   Expected result: Every field you care about has a spreadsheet column selected—or is intentionally left blank.

3. Review advanced fields

   Scroll to advanced fields if your spreadsheet includes insurance dates, tire pressure, tags, location names, or external IDs from your old system. Connect only the columns you actually use.

   Tip: You do not need to map every field. Extra spreadsheet columns can stay unmapped.

4. Preview before you import

   Use the preview step (when shown) to spot obvious mistakes—wrong year in a VIN column, swapped make and model, or missing customer emails.

   Expected outcome: The preview rows look like real vehicles your team would recognize.

5. Run the import

   Click the button to start the import (wording may say Import or Create records). Wait until the page confirms success.

   Expected result: New vehicles appear on Cars. Search for a VIN or customer name to confirm.

Step 4 (optional): Import historical photos from a ZIP file

If you have folders of older intake photos, you can attach them in bulk after vehicle records exist.

1. Open the Photo ZIP tab

   On Import Data, click the Photo ZIP tab.

   Expected result: You see instructions for folder naming and an upload area.

2. Organize folders before you upload

   Name folders so the system can match photos to the right car. Common patterns include:

   • Customer ID and car ID folders (for example 0003/001/)
   • Folders named by VIN

   Why this matters: Clear folder names prevent photos from landing on the wrong vehicle.

3. Upload the ZIP file

   Choose your ZIP file and wait for processing. HEIC images from iPhones are converted automatically.

   Expected result: Photos appear on the matching car records under Latest Photos and in the full photo gallery. See Manage vehicle photos.

After import: confirm records look right

• Open Cars and search for a few imported VINs or customer names.
• Open a car record and confirm the customer link, plate, and insurance dates look correct.
• Assign parking spots with Move a car when vehicles are physically on site.
• Attach service plans with Assign service plans on a vehicle when your facility uses recurring care packages.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Do not import cars before customers exist when you rely on Customer Email to link owners—create customers first or include emails that will match.
• Do not skip the mapping review. A column mapped to the wrong field can put license plates in the wrong place.
• Do not upload a photo ZIP before car records exist—the folders need matching vehicles in the system.
• Do not run import twice with the same file unless you intend to create duplicate records. Search first to see if a VIN already exists.

Troubleshooting

What to do next

• For day-to-day additions after migration, use Add a car.
• To find imported vehicles quickly, use Find and filter cars.
• To fix details on one record, use View and edit vehicle details.