Batch Create From File

You may create up to 1000 new client portals at one time using a tab-delimited text file (also called a tab-separated value file) of exported client data. You can create this export from your tax or write-up software and edit it in a spreadsheet program like Microsoft Excel® or Google Sheets®.

Note: Batch Create Portals are only available to Owners or Partners.

Before Starting the Batch Create Process

Careful planning is a must to ensure a smooth experience with the Batch Create feature!

1. If you manage your DNS, add Dillner's SPF record to validate the automatic outgoing emails.  
2. Click on Management>Staff to create portals for each of your staff members.
3. Click on Management>Office Profile in the left menu. Scroll down to the Department area to verify that Departments are defined as needed for your office and the Default Notice Email is set to the staff member who should receive an email notification when a file is uploaded. If additional Departments are needed, click here for instructions to create new Departments.
4. Click on Management>Office Profile to edit the Send Reminder Email Days if you desire.
5. Click on Management>Clients in the left menu, then click on the Create/Edit Categories button to verify that all desired Client Categories are defined as needed for your office. If additional Categories are needed, click here for instructions to Create a Client Category.
6. Click on Conversations>Automated Email Templates to edit the New Client Setup email if you desire.  This email will be automatically sent to all of the clients listed on the import file.
7. Depending on the number of client portals being set up during this process, your office may want to give your clients a "heads-up" about the automated email which will be sent to them. The email will have a link to set up the username/password for their new portal. This can reduce the number of phone calls and emails from clients checking the validity of the automated email.

Create a File to Import

1. In your tax or write-up software, export your client data by Category (i.e. 1040,1065, 990, etc.) to an Excel spreadsheet. We recommend creating a separate spreadsheet for each Category. For best results, use the attached Batch Create File Template. The file format needs to be a tab-delimited text file. 
2. The first row of the template is a header row that contains the column headings needed for the import. The column headings must be used exactly as they appear in the template (i.e. "Lastname" not "Last Name" with a space, or "Company" not "Company Name"). There are notes attached to some of the column headings in the template with additional instructions.
   
   
   
   
3. Other key things to know about the template: 
   
   • Columns that are not supported by the import will be ignored.
   • Each client record needs to be on a single row with each element of data in the appropriate column.
   • If the client is an individual tax client, leave the Company column blank.  The system will add the word "Individual" automatically as the Company name.
   • If the client name is in one column, it is recommended (but not necessary) to separate the names into two columns, Lastname and Firstname. (You can use the Text to Columns formula in Excel to do this easily.)
   • Review the names to decide if there should be only one portal or separate portals for those clients listed as both a Company and an Individual, or multiple companies for one owner.
   • Email addresses are necessary to send email notifications.
   • Assign the client to a Department by placing a character ("x") under the appropriate Department column heading (i.e. Dept 1, Dept 2, etc.). Clients may belong to more than one Department.
     
     • Example: ABC Company is a Payroll client. If the Department section of the Office Profile in your Portal has Payroll listed as the 2nd department, you would place an "x" in the Dept. 2 column for ABC Company. Click here for instructions for editing Departments in the VO.
4. Add the Department notification email and Department Contact name (i.e., a Staff member for that client) if you wish.
5. If you are using Excel, save the file as a Text (tab-delimited) file. This file type has the .txt extension. If you are using Google Sheets, click File>Download>Tab-separated values to save the file to your computer with the .tsv extension. 
6. From the Employee Record page, click on the Browse button to locate and select the import file. If the import file is created through PBM or FCA then the file is in the correct format for the import.
7. Once the import file has been attached, click the Submit button.

Batch Create Process

1. From your Portal, click Management>Clients in the left menu. 
2. Click the Batch Create From File button.
   
3. Use the drop-down menu to assign the spreadsheet being attached to a Client Category. If additional categories are needed, click here for instructions to Create a Client Category.
4. Check the box for each Message Category to assign to this group of clients for group emails. (i.e. sending the 1040 clients an annual tax checklist).
5. Click the blue Select File button to select the desired file and click Open. 
   
   
   
   
6. Once the file has been attached, scroll to the bottom of the page and click the Continue button to proceed to the Process Batch File page.
7. Your data will be displayed for review before any Portals are created. A red border indicates corrections are needed in that field. Click the Cancel button to edit your file as needed. The corrections must be made to the file itself, not the red-bordered field.
8. Repeat steps 5 and 6 once all corrections have been made.
   
   
   
   
9. If you are satisfied, click the Create Portals button. 
   
   
   
   
10. Click the Confirm button to create portals from the attached file.
11. A confirmation message will open. 
    
    
    
    

    Note: Multiple client records where the Company, Last Name, and First Name are the same as others in either the attached file or in your existing Portals will not be imported. You will be advised of the duplication after the file is uploaded.