Self-Service Import Manager

Plans: Premium, Unlimited, Unlimited+ · Permissions: Admins

Getting Started Handbook Import projects, users and tags into Timely with the self-service Import Manager tool.

Overview

Managing data in Timely just got a whole lot easier! We’re excited to introduce Self-Service CSV Imports, a powerful new tool that helps workspace admins quickly add and update users, projects, and tags — without all the manual work.

If you’ve ever needed to onboard a large team, reorganize project structures, or clean up your workspace, you know how time-consuming it can be. With this new feature, you can upload your data in bulk using simple CSV files, making setup and ongoing management more efficient than ever.

We’ve built this feature from the ground up with flexibility in mind! You can map your data exactly where it needs to go, preview changes before they’re applied, and even catch errors before they cause any headaches. Plus, every import is logged, so you can track what’s been updated and make adjustments as needed.

In this article we’ll discuss:

• Getting Started
• Starting a New CSV Import
• Best Practices, Tips & Tricks
• CSV Import File Templates & Instructions
• Reviewing Previous CSV Imports
• FAQs

Getting Started

You’ll find the new CSV Imports section conveniently located in your Timely Settings, with the other admin options. From here, you’ll see your workspace’s import history and status at a glance, as well as the ”+ New Import” button to begin a new import.

Using this process you can create new objects — such as projects, tags, or users — or modify existing data to better reflect changes in your workspace. Whether you’re building out your team structure, updating tag groupings, or populating client project lists, this feature is designed to streamline those tasks.

Starting a New CSV Import

Step 1: Download & Prepare Your Import Template File

While you can technically use any CSV file for your import process, and map each column to an existing data field in Timely, we’ve put together a standard template with all the required fields. This will make the import process a lot easier and reduce the risk of any errors.

• Projects Template
• Users Template
• Tags Template

Each template includes all the columns you’ll need. You’ll want to ensure that you input your data into the rows of those templates exactly as laid out in the template instructions.

You can use any common spreadsheet app, like Google Sheets or Excel, to edit and manage these files.

An example import file completed

Step 2: Review & Upload

Once your CSV is ready:

1. Navigate to Settings > CSV Import in Timely.
2. Click the ”+ New Import” button.
3. Choose the type of data you’d like to import (Projects, Users, or Tags).
4. Upload your completed CSV file using the file selector.

After uploading, you’ll be prompted to review the column matching and ensure everything aligns in the next steps.

Step 3: Map Columns & Review Warnings

During this step, Timely will help you match the columns in your CSV file to the fields in Timely. This ensures your data is imported accurately.

1. Carefully review the CSV column options as taken from your spreadsheet and compare them closely to the required fields in the Timely section.
2. If you use any other import file besides the provided templates, Timely will attempt to match your columns to the Timely fields, but you will need to adjust the mapping to ensure fidelity.
3. Look closely for any errors and adjust your mapping using the drop down selector to the right of each field.
4. Once everything looks good, click the “Continue and review mapping” button at the bottom to proceed.

Step 4: Process Upload & Review Outcome

After mapping is complete, confirm your import:

1. Perform a final quick review to ensure that the number of objects listed along the top matches what you expect from the import file.
2. If anything doesn’t appear correct, click the Edit Mapping button to go back to the last step and adjust your column mapping as needed.
3. If there are data issues, you can click the Cancel button to stop the process, adjust and correct your import file as needed, and then start the process again at some other point.
4. If everything looks good, click the Create x objects button along the top to finalize this import.
5. Once the import is processed, a summary will display the number of successful entries and any that encountered issues.

Best Practices, Tips & Tricks

• Double-Check Your Data: Mistakes can’t be undone! Be sure to review your CSV carefully before importing.
• Use Unique Identifiers: For updating existing data, make sure the data you’ve input into your import file matches exactly what is already within Timely. Be careful of trailing spaces or other small character issues which may throw off an exact match.
• Start Small: For larger data sets, consider running a smaller test import first to catch any potential issues.

CSV Import File Templates & Instructions

While you can use any CSV file of your choosing to kick off the import process, and map the columns to fields, we highly recommend utilizing one of our comprehensive import templates to ensure best results.

Projects Import

Download Project Import Template (CSV)

Template Instructions:

Field	Description
Client Name (required)	Name of the client. Any valid client name.
Project Name (required)	Name of the project. Any valid project name.
User Hourly Rate	The hourly rate for the user assigned to the project. Numeric values only.
Project Color	The project’s color code. Enter a valid hex code (e.g., #c697c0).
Project Rate Type	Choose: user, project (default), or non-billable.
Project Budget	The total budget allocated to the project. Numeric values only. Default is 0.
Project Budget Type	Select: hours, money, or non-billable (default).
Project Users	Email addresses separated by commas, or all for all workspace users.
Required Notes	Specify if notes are mandatory: Y (Yes) or N (No, default).
Project External ID	Alphanumeric value up to 512 characters.
Project Teams	Team names separated by commas, all, or none.
Enable Project Tags	Choose: all, none (default), or custom.
Client External ID	Alphanumeric value up to 512 characters.
Project Description	Up to 300 characters. Useful for AI suggestions with AutoSheet.
Require at least one tag	Y (Yes) or N (No, default). Requires tags to be enabled.
Project Tags	Comma-separated tag list names. Requires custom tags enabled.
Enable Default Tags	Y (Yes) or N (No, default).
Default Project Tags	Comma-separated tag list names. Must be separate from project tags.

Users Import

Download User Import Template (CSV)

Template Instructions:

Field	Description
User Name (required)	Name of the user. Only normal letters allowed.
User Email (required)	Email of the user used to sign in Timely.
User Role	admin, manager, or employee (default).
Hide Default Billable Rate	Y (Yes) or N (No, default).
Default Billable Rate	Default hour rate. Numeric values only. Default is 0.
Deleted	Y (Yes) or N (No, default). Marks user as deleted.
Teams	Team names, all, or none. New teams are created if they don’t exist.
User External ID	Alphanumeric, max 512 characters, must be unique.
User Cost Rate	Cost rate. Numeric values only.
Team Lead	Marks user as lead for given team names.
User Projects	Use all to assign to all projects, or leave blank.

Tags Import

Download Tag Import Template (CSV)

Template Instructions:

Field	Description
Name of Tag list (required)	Tag list name. Any string.
Name of Tag	Sub tag name related to the tag list. Any string.

Reviewing Previous CSV Imports

After an import has been completed you’ll see it listed in the CSV Imports panel within your workspace settings. You can then click the See Mapping button for each import to look over how the columns and fields were aligned, or click the Details button to see how many specific objects were successfully imported.

When you are done reviewing those items you can click the Done button to return to the previous screen.

If adjustments need to be made to these imported objects, it isn’t possible to revert or roll back an import. You would need to manually adjust those items within Timely, or perform another CSV import to revise and update those objects as needed.

FAQs

What happens if I upload duplicate data?

If the system detects an existing record with one changed attribute, it will update the record instead of creating a duplicate.

Can I undo an import?

Unfortunately, imports cannot be reversed. We recommend carefully reviewing your data during the validation step before proceeding.

What do I do if I encounter validation errors?

Errors will be highlighted, and problematic rows will appear at the top of the preview list. Correct these errors in your file and re-upload to proceed.

How many rows can I import at once?

There is no strict limit, but larger files may take longer to process. For optimal performance, we recommend splitting files into manageable sizes if working with very large datasets.

I don’t see the CSV Imports section in Timely settings?

This feature is available to admin level users of Premium, Unlimited, Unlimited+ plans.

Can I import other types of data?

Currently, the supported import types are Users, Projects, and Tags. If you need to import additional data types, let us know via feedback!