Importing data
Getting your data in, without a project
Every bank hands you a different looking file, and none of them match a template. Filed Quarterly takes the file as it comes, works out what each column means, and tells you exactly what it did with every line.
What usually goes wrong
The four things that usually go wrong
Every bank looks different
You do not have to rename or rearrange anything. Filed Quarterly reads the top row of your file and works out for itself which column is the date, which is the money and which is the description.
The file just will not open
Files saved out of a spreadsheet often carry hidden characters that stop other software reading them. Those get cleared out on the way in, so the upload works instead of failing with an error nobody can act on.
January went in twice
Anything already brought in is spotted and left alone. Every upload finishes with a short summary: what went in, what was already there, and anything that could not be read.
Is that 5 June or 6 May?
Dates are worked out from the file rather than guessed at, so the fifth of June does not quietly turn into the sixth of May halfway through a year of rent.
Three imports
What you can bring in
Landlords, then properties, then the bank. Out of order works too: a property import creates any landlord it mentions, and payments re-match themselves as you add the records they were waiting for.
Landlords
Step 1 of 3. Best imported first, but not required: property imports create any landlords they mention, and this import fills in their details later.
Columns
- Namerequired
Landlord's full name (used to match properties to them). - Emailoptional
Contact email - needed later to invite them to the portal. - Phoneoptional
Contact phone number. - NINOoptional
National Insurance number (e.g. AB123456C). Optional - needed before MTD submissions. Stored encrypted, masked in the app. - UTRoptional
10-digit Unique Taxpayer Reference. Optional. Stored encrypted, masked in the app.
Properties
Step 2 of 3. Each row names a landlord. If that landlord does not exist yet, we create them and link the property automatically.
Columns
- Address line 1required
First line of the property address. - Address line 2optional
Optional second address line. - Cityrequired
Town or city. - Postcoderequired
UK postcode. - Landlordrequired
Landlord name. If they aren't in the app yet, we create them and link the property - add their details later.
Bank transactions
Step 3 of 3. Rent and expenses auto-match to your tenancies and properties, and re-match automatically as you add records later.
Columns
- Daterequired
Transaction date (most UK formats are auto-detected). - Amountrequired
Positive for money in (rent), negative for money out (expenses). - Descriptionrequired
The bank narrative - used to auto-match and categorise. - Referenceoptional
Optional payment reference.
These are the columns the importer looks for. Extra columns in your file are ignored rather than rejected, and templates with example rows can be downloaded from inside the app.
FAQ
Questions about imports
Do you connect directly to my bank?
No. You simply upload the file (CSV) you download from your bank. This means you do not need to share bank logins or renew bank connections every 90 days.
Does it integrate with my property management system?
You can import from any software that exports a spreadsheet or CSV file. Direct system-to-system connections are being added gradually, and Filed Quarterly does not name one until there is a tested import path for it, because ranking for an integration that does not exist wastes your time.
What if my file columns do not match?
The importer clearly highlights any missing information so you can fix it. You can also download simple starter templates directly from the app.
Can I import a whole year of past records at once?
Yes. When you import past records, Filed Quarterly sorts them into the correct quarters automatically.
What happens if a payment cannot be matched automatically?
Unmatched payments are listed separately for you to review and assign. Once assigned, similar payments will match automatically in the future.
Bring a real export to the demo
Send a bank CSV and a list of landlords ahead of the call, and the demo runs on your data rather than a tidy example.