Import subscriptions from a CSV file or spreadsheet

You can easily import data from a CSV file or spreadsheet using Subsail's upload feature. Uploads give you the option to do two things:

  1. Import subscriptions sold on a selling platform that doesn’t support Subsail’s automatic imports
  2. Import current or old subscriber data, so that all your subscriptions can be managed and viewed within your Subsail account

Imports are done by uploading a CSV file of order data. There are specific format requirements to make sure Subsail can import your data correctly.

The supported options for uploads are:

  • Squarespace exports
  • Subsail-formatted data

Squarespace export

Full instructions for importing Squarespace orders are on the Squarespace page.

Custom data (in Subsail’s column format)

This option is for when you have your subscription data in a custom spreadsheet. The import process is quite flexible, but there are some required columns. If any of the following is confusing, please email dan@subsail.com.

→ Please look at the Subsail import template for an example.

Tips

  • The example above shows columns and their names but you can label them however you want; after you have uploaded your file, you can assign columns to match Subsail’s requirements.
  • Dates in the CSV file must match the format you provide in the upload form’s “Date format” field. This field tells Subsail how you have formatted your dates. Example dates and respective formats:24/03/2016 > DD/MM/YYYY12-9-15 > D-M-YY2016.24.02 > YYYY.DD.MM2017/09/15 18:13 > YYYY/MM/DD HH:mm2017/09/15 6:13pm > YYYY/MM/DD h:mma

Available columns

Start issue (required)
Numerical value of start issue.

Length (required)
How many issues are included in this subscription.

Sent issues and Sent dates
“Sent issues” and “Sent dates” are special fields that you can use to tell Subsail if you have already sent out issues. This can be really helpful to add this extra information in bulk.

List more than one item in these two fields using a pipe character (|), like this:

  • Sent issues column: 3|4|5 or All
  • Sent dates column: 20-08-2015|20-12-2015|20-04-2016 (make sure these dates match the format you specify in the form’s “Date format” field!)Note: You can use the “Sent issues” without the “Sent dates” field, but if you don’t specify data in the “Sent issues” column, the “Sent dates” column will be ignored.

Price and Currency (both required)
How much the customer paid.
In the Currency column, use the ISO 4217 code (for example, EUR for Euro, AUD for Australian dollar, GBP for British Pound).

Medium Options: Print (default if not specified), Digital or Both

Order ID (required)
Original order ID (eg. the order number generated by your selling platform).
Should be unique.

Date (required)
Order date.
Dates in the CSV must match the date you define in the upload form (information above).

Status
Order status
Options: Confirmed (default if not specified), Cancelled or Refunded

Transaction ID
Payment or transaction ID.

Amount refunded
If a full or partial refund has been made, list the amount.

Promo code
A code used in a subscription campaign, or a discount code used for this order.

Discount amount
When using the “Promo code” column for a discount, the amount discounted for this order.
Important: The “Price” column should reflect the total paid after the discount, if the “Discount amount” column is used.

Email (required)
The subscriber’s email address.
Email is what Subsail uses as a unique identifier. Multiple subscriptions for the same email address will be grouped under a single subscriber record.

First name and Last name (both required if no company name)
The subscriber’s name.
Also used in the shipping address.

Company Company name.
Will only be imported from this column if first and last name are empty.
If you want to import personal and company name, move the company name to the “Address 1” column

Address columns (required)
Shipping address for the subscription.

  • Address 1
  • Address 2 (optional)
  • City
  • State (optional)
  • Postcode
  • Country – use the ISO 3166-1 Alpha-2 code for each country (for example, GB for United Kingdom, DE for Germany, US for United States)

Recurring
Denotes if this subscription has a recurring payment on a different platform.
This is important because non-recurring subscribers will be sent automated emails for lapsing subscriptions.
Options: No ((default if not specified)) or Yes

Comp
Denotes if this subscription has been gifted as a “comp” (complimentary subscription).
When used together with the “Recurring” column, this can generate recurring comped subscriptions.
Options: No ((default if not specified)) or Yes

Notes
A free-form field to add any extra information to a subscription.

Gift Record if this was a gift subscription.
Options: No ((default if not specified)) or Yes

Gifter first name and Gifter last name
The name of the purchaser of a gift subscription.

Gifter email
The email address of the purchaser of a gift subscription. Gifter email is required when saving a gifter.

Upload from other platforms

Other popular e-commerce platforms are supported with automatic imports, which is a much easier and simple process. There are currently no plans to add other platforms for use with uploaded imports.

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