Import and export data
PLANA Business Cloud lets you import and export most record types via CSV or Excel. Useful for the initial data load when you start, for bulk updates, and for compliance exports.
What you can import
Most record types support import. The common ones:
- Contacts (customers, vendors, employees)
- Products (with variants)
- Chart of accounts
- Opening balances (via a journal entry import)
- Bank statements (CSV, OFX, or PSD2 — see Bank reconciliation)
- Stock — initial inventory, purchase orders
- CRM leads
For each, the import flow is the same.
The import flow
1. Get the template
In any list view → top-right action menu → Import records → Download template.
The template is a CSV with one row of headers matching the fields PLANA will read. Many fields are optional; the template highlights which are required.
2. Fill in your data
Open the CSV in Excel, Google Sheets, or LibreOffice Calc. Fill in one row per record.
Common patterns:
| Pattern | How |
|---|---|
| Required field | Always include — import fails if missing |
| Many-to-one (customer → country) | Type the country name; PLANA matches |
| Many-to-many (product → tags) | Comma-separate the tag names |
| Boolean | "True" / "False" |
| Date | ISO format 2026-05-29 |
| Decimal | 123.45 (or 123,45 depending on your locale) |
If a field is unclear, hover the column header in the template — a tooltip describes what PLANA expects.
3. Save as UTF-8 CSV
Save with these settings:
- Encoding: UTF-8 (critical for non-ASCII characters)
- Delimiter: comma
- Quote: double-quote
In Excel: File → Save As → CSV UTF-8. In Google Sheets: File → Download → CSV (UTF-8 by default).
4. Upload
Back in PLANA → action menu → Import records → Choose file → select your CSV.
PLANA shows a mapping screen: each CSV column maps to a PLANA field. Most columns auto-map if you used the template; manually pair any that don't.
5. Preview
Click Preview. PLANA validates the file:
- Required fields are present
- Many-to-one references resolve to existing records
- Date / number formats are correct
Errors appear in a list, with the row and column. Fix in your CSV, re-upload.
6. Import
When the preview is clean, click Import. PLANA processes the records. For large imports (thousands of rows), this can take a few minutes.
After import, the records appear in the list. Open one to verify the data is what you expected.
What you can export
Almost any list view supports export.
Standard export
Action menu → Export records. Pick:
- The fields to include (drag from the available list)
- The records (all visible, or only selected)
- The format (CSV or XLSX)
Save the resulting file.
Save export templates
Export configurations can be saved by name and reused. Useful for monthly compliance exports or for handing data to your accountant in the format they want.
GDPR data subject export
For a specific person's personal data (a customer, an employee), there is a dedicated export:
Action menu on any contact → GDPR export → produces a PDF + ZIP with every record referencing that person (invoices, sale orders, emails, etc.).
This is the right tool for fulfilling GDPR data-access requests.
Bulk updates via import
To update many existing records at once:
- Export the records you want to change (include the External ID column — the unique identifier)
- Edit the values in the CSV
- Import the same file, mapping back to the existing records via External ID
- PLANA updates instead of creating new records
This is the safe way to do bulk updates — Odoo's update path checks external IDs and won't accidentally create duplicates.
Common gotchas
| Gotcha | Avoidance |
|---|---|
| Excel changes "01" to "1" in tax-ID columns | Format the column as text in Excel before pasting |
| Diacritics show as "?????" after import | Save as UTF-8, not Windows-1252 |
| Many-to-one fields fail to match | Use the exact name as it appears in PLANA, including capitalisation |
| Required field missing on bulk import | Check the per-record errors in the preview |
| Currency / amount comma vs dot | Match your tenant's locale — Bulgaria uses dot; some accountants prefer comma |
What you cannot import
- Posted journal entries (use an opening-balance Journal Entry instead)
- Reconciled bank transactions (import the bank statement and let PLANA reconcile)
- Historical sales reports (those are derived from records, not imported)
- Audit logs (PLANA generates these; not user-importable)
Where to read more
- Activities and reminders — once your data is in, this is how you stay on top of it
- Accounting overview
- Reference → Module list — what's installed on your edition