Bulk import from cloud-based systems & Excel

You can import multiple companies in a single import session when importing from Xero, QuickBooks Online, MYOB Business, Sage Business Cloud Accounting, or Excel. Only financials are imported in bulk. Budgets must be imported individually.

Bulk import is part of the regular import process for Excel and cloud-sourced accounting systems. It can be accessed by following the ‘Add a company’ workflow on the My Companies page.

📝 Note: Due to QuickBooks’ security protocols, you may only select to connect one company from QuickBooks at a time. You can still connect multiple companies during the same import session, but you must select each one individually to add it to the list of companies for import.

For more information about importing from each source accounting system, please see the import article for that source:

You cannot import a company from Excel or Sage 50 if a company with the same name has already been imported into Fathom.

When bulk importing Excel companies, you can import up to 10mb or 20 files in a single import session.

For other accounting systems, if a company has the same name as an already imported company but a different source accounting system, it will successfully import into Fathom. The second company name will automatically have a numeric suffix added to it.

For example, if a QuickBooks company with the name Vanderlay exists in your Fathom organisation, you can import a company with the same name from a different source system, like Xero. The second company will be named Vanderlay (1).

📝 Note: Company names can be up to 50 characters long. Longer names will be truncated. If you've imported a company onto a Fathom Pro plan, then you can change the company's name in the Company Profile.

💡Smart Tip: Fathom's Portfolio plan enables you to import multiple companies into your Fathom organisation at a lower price point. You can learn about the differences between the Fathom Pro and Portfolio plans from our 'Fathom Pro v Portfolio' article.

Desktop-sourced companies

Companies sourced from QuickBooks Desktop, MYOB Desktop and Sage 50 Accounts cannot be imported in bulk. The only desktop-sourced system that can be imported in bulk is Excel.

Non-Excel desktop companies must be imported onto a Fathom Pro plan. They cannot be imported onto a Portfolio plan.

For more information about importing from each source accounting system, please see the import article for that source:

Check the progress of a bulk import

🎉 Beta feature: The progress tracker for bulk imports is in beta. To enable this feature, you must turn on the beta flag.

Once a bulk import has been triggered, the selected companies will be added to the queue.

You can check the progress of a bulk import:

Go to the My Companies page.
Select the Update Companies icon on the black bar at the top of the page.
If an import is in progress, select View details. If an import has finished, select View queue history.
Click Imports.
Select an import status to view the companies currently in that status. The statuses are:
1. In Progress: Companies currently being updated
2. Queued: Companies next in line to be updated
3. Successful: Companies successfully updated within the last 24 hours
4. Failed: Companies unsuccessfully updated within the last 24 hours

Who can import companies?

Admin-level users can import companies into Fathom. Advisor or Editor-level users may be able to import companies into Fathom, depending on their Advanced User Permissions. If the 'Add companies' permission is toggled on, then that user can import companies into Fathom.

Data security and privacy

We take the stewardship of your and your clients' data seriously. All data imported into your Fathom account, regardless of import method or subscription plan, is subject to our security and privacy policies. You can also read our terms of service.

Learn more