Can I import my client list from Excel or Google Sheets into Hunt Outfitter?

Yes. Hunt Outfitter's bulk import accepts CSV and Excel (XLSX) files. You can import clients (name, email, phone, address, notes), guides (name, email, role), and leads in one step. The importer includes a column mapping screen so you match your spreadsheet headers to the system fields, plus a row preview before the import runs. Bulk import is available on Solo, Pro, Business, and Elite plans.

What data can I bring into Hunt Outfitter from a spreadsheet?

Clients, guides, and leads — with name, email, phone, address, and notes for each. Historical booking records don't have a direct import path; completed past bookings stay in your spreadsheet as an archive while you create active bookings (current and upcoming season) manually in the new system.

How long does it take to switch from spreadsheets to outfitter software?

Most outfitters can import their client list and set up hunt types in a few hours. Active bookings (current season, upcoming hunts with outstanding payments or unsigned agreements) need to be entered manually — usually a half-day of work for a typical operation. The spreadsheet can stay open as a reference while you get comfortable in the new system.

Do I have to enter all my historical bookings by hand?

No. Completed, paid-out bookings from past seasons don't need to move to the new system — the spreadsheet is the archive for those. Only active bookings (current season, upcoming hunts with outstanding payments or unsigned documents) need to be in Hunt Outfitter.

Which plans include bulk data import?

Bulk import of clients, guides, and leads is available on Solo, Pro, Business, and Elite plans. On Starter and Basic plans, records are added individually through the interface.

June 26, 2026

Switching from Spreadsheets to Outfitter Software (Without Losing Your Data)

Every outfitter who has switched to dedicated software says some version of the same thing: they waited longer than they should have. The thing that kept them on a spreadsheet wasn't skepticism about software — it was the question of what happens to the data. Years of client names, booking history, emails, and notes built up in a workbook nobody else could read.

The short answer: you import it. Hunt Outfitter's bulk import handles your client list, guide roster, and leads in one step. Here's what moves, what doesn't, and how to do it without losing anything.

What you can import

The importer accepts a CSV or Excel (XLSX) file and covers three record types:

Clients — name, email, phone, address, state or province, country, and any notes you've kept on them. Each client gets a full record in the system with their contact information and history attached.
Guides — name, email, and role. Guides imported this way receive an invitation to activate their account and set up their login.
Leads — prospects who have inquired but not yet booked. Name, contact info, hunt interest, and notes.

Bulk import is available on Solo, Pro, Business, and Elite plans.

The migration in practice

Step 1: Export your spreadsheet to CSV

In Excel or Google Sheets, go to File → Download → CSV (or Save As → CSV from Excel). One file per record type works best — a client list file, a leads file. If everything is in one sheet, copy the relevant rows to a separate sheet before exporting.

Step 2: Map your columns

The importer reads your CSV headers and shows a column-mapping screen where you match each column to the system field — for example, “Hunter Name” → First Name + Last Name, “Cell” → Phone. Fields that don't map to anything are skipped without error. You can also download a template CSV if you want to structure your file before starting.

Step 3: Preview and run

Before the import commits, the importer shows you a preview of the first several rows so you can catch anything that looks wrong. Confirm, and the records load. A summary at the end shows how many imported successfully and flags any rows with errors — usually a missing email or a malformed phone number — for you to fix and re-import.

Step 4: Spot-check a sample

Verify five to ten records from different parts of the list — your oldest client, your newest lead, a guide whose name includes unusual characters. Make sure names aren't split incorrectly and phone numbers formatted differently (with or without country code) came through clean.

What you can't import automatically

Historical booking records don't have a direct import path. Past bookings that are fully completed and paid don't need to live in the new system — your spreadsheet is the archive for those. What needs to move are active records: open bookings from this season or next, outstanding balances, and unsigned agreements.

For active bookings, create them manually in Hunt Outfitter. There are usually far fewer of those than the total historical record count — most operations have somewhere between 10 and 50 active at any given time. Once the current season is in the system, historical records stay in the spreadsheet as a read-only archive.

After the migration

With your clients and guides in the system, the next step is creating your hunt types — species, duration, pricing, guide areas. From there, you can start taking bookings, collecting deposits, and sending agreements.

The spreadsheet doesn't need to disappear on day one. Most outfitters keep it open as a reference for the first few weeks while they build confidence in the new system. What changes immediately: clients get a real portal instead of forwarded PDFs, guides get their own scoped login, and you get a single view of every open booking, outstanding payment, and unsigned document.

If you need to confirm you're ready to migrate, there's more detail in what spreadsheets can't do for a hunting outfit.

Hunt Outfitter has a 14-day free trial — no credit card required. Import your client list and run the first test booking before you commit.

Start your free 14-day trial →