NaqoodHow to Import External Invoices in Naqood
You may have old invoices sitting in a legacy accounting tool like QuickBooks, Zoho Books, Xero, or Sage. Or you may still create invoices in an external system like Excel, a separate invoicing app, or your own billing software.
Either way, you can bring those invoices into Naqood without typing every line again. Naqood books the accounting entries right away. You can attach the original invoice file afterwards.
This guide shows you how to prepare your data and upload the original PDF.
What Is an External Invoice?
An external invoice is an invoice you created outside Naqood. When you import one:
- Naqood records the revenue, VAT, and money owed to you in your books
- The invoice is marked as sent and booked right away
- Naqood does not create a new invoice PDF. You upload the original file from your other system
Use this when you are moving to Naqood partway through the year, or when you still send invoices from another tool but want all your accounting in one place.
Before You Start
Make sure the following already exist in Naqood:
- Customers. The customer names in your CSV must match exactly. If you still need to bring contacts over, see our guide to importing contacts.
- Products. Each line item must match an existing product name in Naqood. Create products under Sales → Products if needed.
- Revenue accounts. Optional. You can map each line to a specific account using the account number from your chart of accounts.
You can import up to 50 invoices per CSV file.
Step 1: Open the Upload Dialog
Go to Sales → Invoices and click Upload Invoices in the top-right corner.
Step 2: Download the CSV Template
In the upload dialog, click Download CSV Template. The template shows the required columns and example rows.
Keep the column headers exactly as they appear in the template. Do not rename or reorder them.
Step 3: Fill In Your Invoice Data
Each row in the CSV is one line item. Use the same External Invoice Number on multiple rows when an invoice has more than one line.
Required fields
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| External Invoice Number | The invoice number from your other system (e.g. INV-2024-042). Must be unique per invoice. |
| Customer Name | Must match an existing customer in Naqood exactly. |
| Invoice Date | Format: YYYY-MM-DD (e.g. 2026-01-15). |
| Due Date | Format: YYYY-MM-DD. Must be on or after the invoice date. |
| Currency | Three-letter code (e.g. AED, USD). |
| Product Name | Must match an existing product in Naqood exactly. |
| Quantity | Positive number. |
| Unit Price | Positive number. |
Optional fields
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Exchange Rate | Required when the invoice currency is different from your base currency. |
| Description | Line description shown on the invoice. Defaults to the product name if left blank. |
| Revenue Account Number | Account code from your chart of accounts. Defaults to the product’s account if left blank. |
| Date of Supply | For VAT reporting. Format: YYYY-MM-DD. |
| Comment | Internal note stored on the invoice (max 255 characters). |
Tips for a smooth import
- Customer and product names are matched without caring about capital letters, but spelling must be exact.
- If two customers or products share the same name, the import will fail for those rows. Use unique names in Naqood first.
- Rows with the same External Invoice Number must share the same customer, dates, currency, and exchange rate.
- Payment terms are calculated automatically from the invoice date and due date.
Step 4: Upload and Review
Drag your completed CSV into the upload area, or click to choose a file.
Naqood checks every row. If some rows have errors, you can fix the file and try again, or continue importing only the valid invoices.
When everything looks good, review the summary table. It shows each invoice’s customer, dates, line count, and total. Click Import to book them in Naqood.
Step 5: Upload the Original Invoice PDF
After import, open each invoice from Sales → Invoices. On the invoice page:
- Find the Invoice document section below the preview
- Upload the PDF (or image) from your external system
The original document is used for preview, download, and sending to customers. Invoices without an uploaded document cannot be sent or downloaded until you attach the file.
Step 6: Register Payments (If Already Paid)
Imported invoices are booked as sent. If a customer has already paid, open the invoice and click Register Payment to record the payment against your bank or cash account.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I edit an imported invoice?
Yes, but editing a sent invoice deletes it and creates a new one. See our guide on correcting approved invoices for compliance considerations.
Does Naqood send the invoice to the customer automatically?
No. After you upload the original document, use Send on the invoice page to email it to the customer.
What if I need to import more than 50 invoices?
Split your data into multiple CSV files with up to 50 invoices each, and upload them one at a time.
Can I use this for quotes or draft invoices?
No. Imported external invoices are always approved and booked as sent. Use Create Invoice in Naqood for new drafts and quotes.