> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Import vehicles from a spreadsheet
> Bring many car records into Car Storage Software at once and link them to the right customers.
Use this guide when you already have vehicle information in a spreadsheet and need to create many car records without typing each one by hand.
This is common when you are moving from another system, cleaning up a paper list, or uploading a file your team keeps in Excel or Google Sheets.
**Need photos too?**
This page covers the **Cars** spreadsheet only. If you also have a ZIP file of old intake photos, use [Import vehicles and photos from a spreadsheet](/docs/cars/import-vehicles-and-photos) after the car records exist.
## What you will accomplish
You will upload a vehicle file, match each spreadsheet column to the correct field, review a preview, and create car records in one batch. When your file includes a customer email or external ID, each car can link to the correct owner automatically.
**Expected outcome:** The vehicles appear on the [Cars page](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/cars) with the right year, make, model, and customer links.
## When to use car import
* You are onboarding dozens or hundreds of stored vehicles at once.
* Customers are already in the system (or you will import customers first on the same page).
* You have a reliable column for **Customer Email**, **External Customer ID**, or **Composite External ID** so cars can link to owners.
* You need to bring in extra details such as insurance dates, tags, declared value, or photo URLs from your old system.
**Import customers first when you can**
Cars need a customer record to connect to. If your customer list is not in the app yet, import customers on the **Customers** tab first, then return here for vehicles. See [Import customers and cars from a spreadsheet](/docs/contacts/import-customers-and-cars).
## Before you start
* Save your file as **CSV**, **XLS**, or **XLSX**.
* Put each vehicle on one row.
* Include **Make**, **Model**, and **Year** when possible. The system can also try to fill these from a **VIN**.
* Include **Customer Email** (or an external ID column) on every row that should link to an owner.
* Know your facility **location** names if you use more than one building.
*Open [Import Data](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/import), click the **Cars** tab, and download the template if you need example column names.*
## Step 1: Open the Cars import tab
In the left sidebar, open **Import Data**, or go directly to [Import Data](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/import).
**Expected result:** The page title says **Import Data** with the subtitle "Bulk import customers, vehicles, events, and photo archives."
Near the top of the page, click the **Cars** tab (car icon).
**Expected result:** You see **Download car template** and a file upload area below it.
Click **Download** on the **Download car template** card. Open the file to see recommended headers such as Make, Model, Year, VIN, and Customer Email.
## Step 2: Upload your vehicle file
Click the upload area below the template card.
Select your CSV, XLS, or XLSX file from your computer.
After the file loads, the page shows how many rows were found.
**Expected result:** A mapping area appears so you can connect spreadsheet columns to car fields.
## Step 3: Map spreadsheet columns to car fields
"Mapping" means telling the system which spreadsheet column belongs in each car field.
Click **Auto-Map Columns**. The system tries to match common header names for you.
**Why this matters:** Auto-map saves time when your columns are named Make, Model, Year, VIN, or Customer Email.
Check each **Database Field** and the **Spreadsheet Column** beside it. Fix any wrong matches using the dropdown. Choose **-- None --** if you do not want to import a field.
Primary fields include:
* **Make**, **Model**, **Year**, **VIN**, **Color**
* **License Plate**
* **Customer Email** — links the car to the customer with that email
* **External Customer ID** or **Composite External ID** — links using IDs from your old system
* **Declared Value** and **Declared Value Currency**
Expand **Advanced vehicle & registration fields** for insurance dates, registration dates, mileage, trim, key number, tire pressure, and similar details.
**Expected result:** Extra rows appear in the mapping list for the fields you need.
Expand **Photo URLs** when your spreadsheet lists image links. You can map multiple photo columns so intake pictures attach to each car during import.
Expand **Intake notes & customer linking** for notes that should appear on the car record or for extra customer match fields.
*Review every mapping row before you continue. A wrong column match is the most common reason cars import with missing owners or wrong years.*
## Step 4: Review before importing
Click **Review Import** at the bottom of the mapping screen.
Look for rows where **Customer Email** or external ID is missing. Those cars may import without an owner.
**Why this matters:** Billing, contracts, and the customer portal work best when every stored car has a linked customer.
Scan a few rows in the preview. If make or model looks wrong, go back and fix the mapping or your spreadsheet.
When the preview looks correct, confirm the import. The system creates the car records.
**Expected result:** You return to a success view or the import page, and the new cars appear on [Cars](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/cars).
*Review Import is your last safe stop before new car records are created.*
## Step 5: Spot-check after import
Go to [Cars](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/cars) and search for a few vehicles from your spreadsheet.
Click **View** on a vehicle and confirm year, make, model, plate, and customer link look right.
Open the linked customer in [Contacts](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/contacts/all) and confirm the car appears under **Customer's Cars**.
## Common mistakes to avoid
* Do not import cars before customers exist if you rely on **Customer Email** to link owners.
* Do not skip the review screen—even when auto-map looks correct.
* Do not mix up **License Plate** and **VIN** columns in the mapping list.
* Do not assume photo URLs will work if the links are private or expired. Test a few rows first.
## Troubleshooting
**Cars imported without a customer**
Open the car record and use [View and edit vehicle details](/docs/cars/view-and-edit-vehicle-details) to **Link customer**. Or fix the spreadsheet and import only the missing rows.
**VIN did not decode make and model**
The system still creates the record using whatever make, model, and year were in your file. You can edit the car later or run **Autofill Info** when adding cars one at a time with [Add a car](/docs/cars/add-a-car).
**I only need one or two cars**
For a single arrival today, [Add a car](/docs/cars/add-a-car) is faster than preparing a spreadsheet.
## What to do next
After vehicles are in the system:
* Assign parking with [Move a car](/docs/cars/move-a-car).
* Run intake photos with [Start a car session](/docs/cars/start-a-car-session) or [Manage vehicle photos](/docs/cars/manage-vehicle-photos).
* Add service plans with [Assign service plans on a vehicle](/docs/cars/assign-service-plans-on-a-vehicle) when your facility uses recurring care packages.
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