Bulk Imports
Bulk imports let you bring large amounts of data into Pilot at once using CSV or Excel files — whether you're setting up for the first time or updating existing records. You can import customers, products, users, historical case data, and more.
Getting started
Navigate to Settings → Bulk Imports. Use the left sidebar to choose what you want to import:
Customers — customer records, custom prices, and custom fields
Products — product catalog, price lists, and custom fields
Line Items — historical case line items
Case Custom Fields — custom field values on cases
Production Tasks — production task records on cases
Users — lab staff accounts
Select the import type, then choose your operation mode and upload your file.
Operation modes
Each import type supports one or more operation modes, selectable from the Operation Mode dropdown:
Create only — creates new records. Existing records are not touched.
Update only — updates existing records. You must include each record's ID in the file. No new records are created.
Create and Update — creates new records and updates existing ones in a single pass. Include the ID column and fill it in for records you want to update; leave it blank to create new ones.
Not all operation modes are available for every import type — the dropdown will only show the modes supported for what you've selected.
Downloading a template
For most import types, click Download Template to get a sample CSV pre-formatted with the correct column headers. Fill it in with your data and upload it back.
Exporting before updating
If you're updating existing records, we recommend exporting your live data first:
Click Export live data (available on the import page for supported types).
Edit the exported file with your changes.
Re-upload it using Update or Create and Update mode.
This ensures your IDs and identifiers are correct before importing.
Uploading a file
Drag and drop a CSV or Excel file onto the upload area, or click Select File to browse. Once a file is selected, click Process to start the import.
You'll see a results dialog as records are processed, showing how many succeeded, failed, or were skipped — with per-record error messages for anything that didn't go through.
Import history
Switch to the History tab to see all previous imports for the selected type. Each entry shows the file name, operation, total records, success/failure/skipped counts, duration, and who uploaded it. Click any row to drill into the per-record results.
Field reference
Each import type has a Field Reference panel below the upload area. It lists every supported column with:
Column name — the exact header to use in your CSV
Required — whether the column must be present
Type — the data type (string, number, boolean, date, currency, enum, etc.)
Description — what the field does and any constraints
Example — a sample value
By default only required fields are shown. Click Show all fields to see optional columns too.
Customer imports
Customer records in Pilot connect doctors, offices, and billing accounts together. When importing customers, a single row represents a doctor–office relationship tied to a billing account.
The import uses the Doctor Reference and Office Name columns as identifiers to determine whether to create or update specific records:
Level | Update triggered by | New record triggered by |
Doctor | Any change except Doctor Reference | Changing the Doctor Reference |
Office | Any change except Office Name | Changing the Office Name |
Billing Account | Any change except Account Name | Changing the Billing Account Name |
Doctor–Office pair | Changing Price List or Billing Account Name | Changing Doctor Reference, Office Name, or Billing Account Name |
Only Create and Update mode is supported for customer imports. Click Export live data first to get your current records as a starting point.