ShipStation creates Customer Records when orders import as long as either an email address or username is present on the order (in addition to the recipient name and shipping address). Depending on the order source, the email address often is the username.
In ShipStation, you can add customer records manually or by uploading a specially formatted CSV file. Both options are detailed in the sections below.
MailChimp and Customer Records
If you use MailChimp, our native MailChimp integration automatically creates new MailChimp email subscribers when new orders are imported. In ShipStation, go to Settings > Integrations > Integration Partners > MailChimp to learn more.
To add customer records via a CSV spreadsheet file, follow these steps.
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Click the link to Download a sample CSV file.
This sample CSV is also available for download at the bottom of this article. Skip ahead to Step 4 if you're already familiar with our Customer Import format.
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Fill in the downloaded CSV file with your customer information in the correct field, or create your own CSV using this sample as a template.
Do Not Change the Customer CSV Header Row
Do not make any changes to the header row text or change the sequence of the columns in the header row (row 1) of the pre-formatted CSV template. Doing so will cause the customer import to fail.
Notice that, in addition to the typical address book type fields, there's a Username column. ShipStation requires unique values in the Username field to tell your customers apart. If you don't have a specific username to enter here, list their email addresses both here and in the email field.
Here's a quick list of the required fields:
Username
Address Line 1
City
State
Postal Code
And at least one of the following: Full Name, First Name, Last Name, or Company Name.
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Click Select a File to pick your CSV when you're certain that your file has the required headers, in the required order, with the required fields populated.
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Tell ShipStation what it should do if your CSV includes a username that's already in use by an existing customer record:
Update the existing record with the CSV
Will create a new customer record if the username is not currently in use by the manual ShipStation marketplace.
If username is already in use by the manual ShipStation marketplace, ShipStation will update the existing customer record.
Note
Customer records created by imports from selling channels will not be updated, even if the username in the CSV file matches.
Ignore the record in the CSV. Only customers with new usernames will import.
Will only create a new customer record if the username is not currently in use by any marketplace.
If username is already in use by any marketplace, the row on the CSV file will be ignored.
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Click Start Import once you've made your choice.
Since you'll be notified when the import process is complete, feel free to close the import window!
Troubleshooting Import Issues
Read our CSV Import Troubleshooting and Tips article if you encounter difficulty with your CSV file.CSV Import Troubleshooting
There are two ways to manually add customer records in ShipStation.
When you create a manual order, ShipStation creates a customer record if you include either an email address or username (in addition to the recipient name and shipping address). If you do not specify this information, a customer record will not be created.
ShipStation requires unique values in the Username field to tell your customers apart. If you don't have a specific username to enter, enter their email address(es) in the Username field as well as in the email field.
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Click the New Order button (Orders Tab)...
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Fill in all necessary information for the order.
Email Address Required!
For a customer record to be created using this method, you must Include an email address when creating the order.
Click Save and Create Another or Save Order.
ShipStation will also create a new customer record as long as an email address was filled in!
No Customer Export from Customers Tab
You cannot export a customer list from the Customer's tab. However, you can use the Raw Data Exports from the Insights Reports to export a list of your customer records from ShipStation.