Import open balances in Canopy by filling out and uploading the Open Balances tab in the Client Workbook before your team starts using the account.
Why it matters: Importing your existing unpaid invoices during setup ensures you may begin accepting payments in Canopy immediately.
Table of Contents
Prepare Your Workbook
You'll need a few things before you start:
Download your open balance data from your current system(s) — QuickBooks Online, desktop accounting software, or wherever you currently track invoices. You'll paste this into the workbook in the next section.
Download your Client List from Canopy:
Go to Clients > Client List.
Remove all filters.
Click the three-dot menu next to Add Client.
Select Export filtered list.
Save this file — you'll use it to verify client names in the next section.
Download the Client Workbook ("Canopy_Universal_Template.xlsm") from the email sent by your Implementation Specialist or Data Migration Specialist. Save it to your computer.
Enable macros in Excel (Windows and Mac may differ slightly):
Right-click the file and select Preferences.
Scroll to the bottom and find the Security section.
Select Unblock and click Save.
Open the workbook in Excel. You may see a prompt below the ribbon to enable macros — select Enable.
Fill in the Open Balance Workbook
In the workbook, navigate to the Open Balances tab.
Use the Add/Paste Rows button under Canopy Tools in the Excel ribbon to add at least as many rows as you have invoices to import.
This unlocks cells so you can paste data.
Add at least as many rows as open balances you have (rows can be added in groups of up to 1,000).
Fill in the required fields:
Client Display Name — Copy client names from your Canopy export. Names must match exactly (spelling, capitalization, spacing) so we can match the invoices to your clients in Canopy.
Invoice Date — The date the invoice was created. Format: mm/dd/yyyy (e.g., 03/15/2024).
Due Date — The date payment is due. Format: mm/dd/yyyy. Can be the same as Invoice Date or a later date.
Amount — The balance owed. Must be a positive number. Negative balances cannot be imported.
Fill in the optional fields (if applicable):
Client Group Name — If you use Client Groups in Canopy, enter the group name here. Use this link to learn more about group billing.
Invoice Description — What appears in the Invoice List under "Description" in Canopy. Can be anything (e.g., "Tax Return", "Monthly Service").
Single Line Description — What appears on the invoice sent to your client. Can be anything you'd like.
📝 Note: You can import multiple invoices per client or one combined open balance per client — your choice. Just make sure each row has the correct client name and all amounts are positive.
Example of a filled out Open Balance Worksheet:
Upload and Wait for Import
Use the secure upload link sent by email from your Implementation Specialist or Data Migration Specialist to send us your completed Open Balance workbook. Your Migration Specialist will review your workbook, clean as needed and potentially reach out to you for additional clarification.
The import will take 5–7 business days to complete.
Once reviewed and corrected as-needed, your Data Migration Specialist will handle the import and notify you when it’s complete.
Review Your Imported Open Balances
Go to Billing > Invoices.
Check the Total Outstanding amount at the top of the page. It should match the total of the open balances you submitted in your workbook and your previous system.
If you have other invoices in Canopy (from sources other than the open balance import), filter to see only the imported invoices:
Click the download icon to export all invoices.
Open the export and look at column H, Invoice Creator.
Filter to show only invoices created by Implementation Team — these are the ones your Data Migration Specialist uploaded.
Summary
This article covered how to prepare your Canopy account and Client Workbook, fill in your open balance data, and upload the file for import. After 5–7 business days, you'll be asked to review the results and confirm everything imported correctly.
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