Documentation - Cadence IP

What you can import

The CSV import tool supports six record types. Each type has its own import flow and column requirements:

Contacts

Import your client, inventor, and associate directory. Columns include name, email, phone, company, address, and any custom contact fields.

Matters

Import matter records with their name, matter type, current step, and tags. Each row creates a new matter and places it at the specified workflow step.

Field Values

Populate custom field data for existing matters. Map CSV columns to the fields defined on your matter type — application numbers, filing dates, deadlines, and more.

Roles

Link contacts to matters by role. Each row specifies a matter, a role name (e.g., Applicant, Inventor), and the contact to assign.

Tasks

Import tasks with due dates, assignees, priority levels, and descriptions. Tasks are attached to the specified matter.

File Notes

Import historical file notes and memos. Each row specifies the matter, subject, body text, and date.

Import order matters

Import in this order: Contacts first, then Matters, then Field Values, Roles, Tasks, and File Notes. Roles reference both contacts and matters, so those must exist before you can link them.

Download sample CSV files

Each import type has a downloadable sample CSV that shows the exact columns expected. Navigate to Settings → Import Data and select the record type you want to import. Click Download Sample CSV to get a pre-formatted file with example rows.

Import Data

Matters

Download Sample CSV

Drag and drop your CSV file here, or click to browse

Import page showing the record type selector and sample download

Use the sample as your template

The easiest approach is to download the sample CSV, keep the header row intact, and paste your data beneath it. This guarantees your columns match what the importer expects.

Preparing your data

Before uploading, ensure your CSV file is correctly formatted:

Requirement	Details
File format	UTF-8 encoded CSV. Save as .csv from Excel or Google Sheets.
Header row	The first row must contain column headers. These are used during the mapping step.
Date format	Use YYYY-MM-DD (e.g., 2026-04-20) for unambiguous parsing. DD/MM/YYYY and MM/DD/YYYY are also accepted if you select the correct format during import.
Matter type	When importing matters, the matter type name must exactly match one of your configured types (e.g., "PCT Application", not "PCT").
Step names	Step names must match the steps defined on the matter type. Use the exact spelling.
Empty values	Leave cells blank for fields with no value. Do not use "N/A" or "null" — these will be imported as literal text.

Duplicate detection

The importer checks for duplicate matters by name within the same matter type. If a match is found, you will be prompted to skip or overwrite. For contacts, duplicates are detected by email address.

Step-by-step import process

1

Select the record type

Navigate to Settings → Import Data. Choose the type of data you are importing from the dropdown: Contacts, Matters, Field Values, Roles, Tasks, or File Notes.

2

Upload your CSV file

Drag your CSV file into the upload area or click to browse. The importer reads the header row and displays a preview of the first five rows so you can verify the data looks correct.

3

Map columns to fields

The importer shows each column from your CSV alongside a dropdown of available fields. It will auto-match columns where the header name matches a field name. Review the mappings and correct any that were not matched automatically.

Map your CSV columns

Application Number

Application No

Date Filed

Filing Date

Case Title

Name

Atty Ref

— Select field —

Priority Dt

Priority Date

Column mapping interface showing auto-matched and unmatched columns

4

Review and confirm

The importer displays a summary: number of rows to import, any warnings (missing required fields, unmatched columns, potential duplicates). Review this carefully, then click Start Import.

5

Monitor progress

The import runs in the background. A progress bar shows how many rows have been processed. You will receive a toast notification when the import completes, along with a summary of imported, skipped, and failed rows.

Example: migrating 500 matters from a spreadsheet

Spreadsheet-based docketing migration

Your firm has been tracking 500 patent matters in an Excel spreadsheet with columns for Reference, Title, Application No, Filing Date, Convention Deadline, Client, and Status. Here is how to migrate everything into Cadence IP:

1

Prepare your matter types

Before importing, create the matter types you need (e.g., PCT Application, AU Standard Patent, Trademark). Define the steps and fields for each type so the importer has targets to map to.

2

Split by matter type

Filter your spreadsheet by type and export separate CSV files: one for PCT applications, one for AU Standard Patents, etc. Each file will be imported against its corresponding matter type.

3

Import contacts first

Extract a unique list of clients from your spreadsheet. Create a contacts CSV with columns for Company Name, Contact Name, and Email. Import this via Settings → Import Data → Contacts.

4

Import matters

Upload each matter type CSV. Map your "Reference" column to the matter name, and "Status" to the current step. The importer creates 500 matter records in under a minute.

5

Import field values

Upload a field values CSV with the matter name, field name, and value columns. This populates Application No, Filing Date, Convention Deadline, and any other custom fields.

6

Import roles

Finally, import roles to link each matter to its client contact as the Applicant role. Your CSV needs three columns: Matter Name, Role, and Contact Email.

After import, all 500 matters appear on your dashboard with their field values populated, deadlines visible on the calendar, and contacts linked. Convention deadlines that were just dates in your spreadsheet are now live — automations can send reminders and the calendar highlights approaching dates.

Common issues & troubleshooting

Dates are parsing incorrectly

If your dates appear shifted (e.g., 03/04/2026 interpreted as March 4 instead of 3 April), check the date format selector during import. Switch between DD/MM/YYYY and MM/DD/YYYY to match your data. For best results, use YYYY-MM-DD in your CSV.

Matter type not found

The matter type value in your CSV must exactly match the name of a configured matter type, including capitalisation and spacing. "PCT Application" will not match "PCT application" or "PCT App".

Rows skipped as duplicates

If you re-run an import, rows that match existing records (by matter name + type, or by contact email) will be flagged as duplicates. You can choose to skip or overwrite in the confirmation step.

Special characters in field values

Ensure your CSV is saved as UTF-8. Characters like accented names (e.g., "Muller" vs "Müller") or trademark symbols (™) require UTF-8 encoding to import correctly.

CSV file too large

If your file exceeds 10,000 rows, split it into smaller batches. The importer processes each file in the background, so you can upload multiple files in sequence.

Test with a small batch first