Import limits and fixes
Know the row and size limits on an import, what each message means, why retrying is safe, and what to check in Manage afterwards.
An import has two hard limits and a handful of messages. All of them are recoverable, and re-running an import never writes a record twice.
Limits
| Limit | Value | What happens past it |
|---|---|---|
| Rows per file | 5,000 | The file is refused with a message. Split it |
| Size per upload | 32 MB | The upload is refused with a message. Split it |
| Files per drop zone | No fixed limit | Drop several; duplicates merge on the couple |
| Contracts and quotes | 5,000 per import | Extra ones are ignored |
A file read from Excel, PDF or a screenshot that has more than 5,000 rows is cut to the first 5,000 without a message. If you have more couples than that, split the export by year.
Messages and what to do
| Message | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| "Too many rows in clients. Cap is 5,000 per file." (or "in financials") | One file is over the row cap | Split the file and import each part |
| "Too many rows. Cap is 5,000 per file." | Same, on a single-file read | Split the file |
| "That file is too large to import in one go. Split it into smaller files." | The upload is over 32 MB | Export fewer columns or fewer years per file |
| "Upload at least one file." | You clicked preview with nothing dropped | Drop a clients file |
| "No file uploaded." | The drop did not register | Drop it again or click the zone to pick it |
| "That file was empty." | A zero-byte or header-only file | Re-export it |
| "Couldn't read that file." | Excel, PDF or image could not be parsed | Save it as CSV and try again |
| "Couldn't read those files. Check the columns and try again." | No header row, or no column Hailo recognises | Put column names in the first row |
| "Couldn't read a booking from that file." | A contract or quote with no couple, date or amount Hailo could find | Add the details on the couple's card |
| "Import failed partway. Nothing was double-written. Open Manage → Clients to check, then try again." | The write stopped before the end | Open Clients, then run the import again |
| "Unknown import job." | The progress check lost track of the job | Run the import again |
Retrying is safe
An import is written as one job that Hailo can resume. If it stops partway, the couples and invoices already written stay, and running the same files again merges into them rather than creating a second copy. The message says it outright: "nothing was double-written".
Two safeguards sit behind that:
- Clicking Run import twice within two minutes hands you the same job instead of starting a second one.
- A couple is matched on name and email, so a re-run updates the existing record.
Large imports keep writing in the background after you click. The progress bar polls the job, so you can wait on the screen or come back to Manage > Clients in a minute.
What to check afterwards
- Manage > Clients: names, partner names, wedding dates and venues. Anything the old tool did not export is blank here.
- Manage > Leads: couples with no payment on record were filed as prospects. Move any that are booked with Book on the lead.
- Finance > Invoices: totals, what has been collected and what is outstanding. Where a jobs list only gave revenue and balance, Hailo built one invoice and one deposit per couple; edit them if your real invoices were split differently.
- The skipped list, if the preview offered Download the skipped list. Fix those rows in the CSV and import that file on its own.
- Duplicate couples, especially from tools that export each partner as a separate contact. Merge or delete the extra.
If it didn't work
The preview shows zero for every couple's money. Your clients file has no revenue or balance column and you did not upload a payments file. Add the invoices and payments export, or fill totals in the gap interview.
Everything landed as a lead. No money was found for any couple. Upload the payments file, or open each lead and book it.
Dates are a month off. The export uses day-first dates and Hailo read them month-first (or the reverse). Pixieset is read day-first on purpose; for any other tool, reformat the date column to an unambiguous form such as 2026-06-14 and re-import.
The progress bar sits at the same number. Give it a minute; large imports write in the background. If nothing changes after several minutes, open Manage > Clients, see what arrived, and run the import again.