---
title: "Manually importing and exporting suppliers"
slug: "manually-importing-and-exporting-suppliers"
description: "Import or export suppliers with the Payhawk spend management platform: use the Excel template to upload supplier data and export your supplier database."
updated: 2026-10-27T14:17:11Z
published: 2026-10-27T14:17:11Z
canonical: "payhawk.com/manually-importing-and-exporting-suppliers"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://payhawk.com/help/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Manually importing and exporting suppliers

Payhawk enables you to manually import your existing suppliers by using the Excel template file and, similarly, allows you to export your existing supplier database from Payhawk.

> [!WARNING]
> You won’t be able to manually import suppliers if you have an active ERP integration, as they are automatically synced between systems.

## Specifics

When manually populating your suppliers in Payhawk, the system will update the existing supplier database (if any) by matching the supplier names, tax numbers, and external IDs:

- If a match of these fields is found between the existing suppliers and the imported ones, Payhawk will update the existing suppliers.
- If an existing supplier is not in the file, Payhawk will archive it. If the file includes a supplier that an earlier import archived, Payhawk will make it active again. Suppliers you archived yourself stay archived.
- If no match is found for existing data in a file row, Payhawk will create a new supplier for that row.
- If the file includes bank details for a supplier, they replace the supplier's current bank details. If the file has no bank details for a supplier, the supplier keeps its current ones.

## The template file

The template file in Excel for performing a manual import of suppliers to Payhawk contains the **Suppliers** and **Additional fields** sub-sheets, and also provides brief instructions on the required supplier import fields to facilitate the process:

- **Suppliers** - The sub-sheet allows you to import multiple suppliers at once. Here you can specify the supplier contact and bank details, tax number, and more supplier details.
- **Additional fields** - The sub-sheet allows you to specify the names and possible values for the [additional (custom) supplier fields](/help/overview-of-supplier-fields), for example, **Project name**, **External reference**, or **Discount code**. If you specify possible values for an additional field, the field will be treated as a value list. If not, the field will be treated as a free text field.

> [!WARNING]
> You cannot specify [expense categorization fields](/help/editing-the-supplier-expense-categorization) in the import template file.

## Importing suppliers with the Excel template

To import your suppliers to Payhawk with the template Excel file:

1. Log in to the [Payhawk web portal](https://portal.payhawk.com).
2. Go to **Suppliers**.
3. Click on the three dots menu and select the **Import suppliers** option.
4. On the next screen, click on the **the template file** link to download the template file locally.
5. Fill in the necessary data for the supplier import in the file.
6. Go back to Payhawk and upload the file with your supplier data. Click on **Continue**.
7. On the next screen, a summary of the uploaded data will be displayed. Confirm the import in the system and click on **Import**.

The summary shows how many suppliers will be created, updated, and archived. Check these numbers before you confirm the import.

![The Import suppliers from an Excel file page showing the import summary: number of suppliers, current state and changes after import, with the Import and Cancel buttons.](https://cdn.payhawk.com/navigation-redesign-didi_20261009_ai/manually-importing-and-exporting-suppliers-01_20261009_ai.png)

Note that if required supplier data is missing or incorrect, for example, duplicated supplier names, tax numbers, or external IDs, Payhawk will display a warning message.
8. When the import is finished, the screen will display a summary of what the import achieved and the current state of the **Suppliers** app will be displayed. Click on **Done**.

## Exporting suppliers in Excel

You can also manually export your suppliers:

1. Go to **Suppliers**.
2. Click on the three dots menu and select the **Export suppliers** option. As a result, an Excel file will be generated and automatically downloaded locally on your machine.

![The Company suppliers list with the three-dot menu open on Import suppliers, Update suppliers and Export suppliers.](https://cdn.payhawk.com/navigation-redesign-didi_20261009_ai/manually-importing-and-exporting-suppliers-02_20261009_ai.png)

## Useful resources

- [Creating, archiving, and searching for suppliers in Payhawk](/help/creating-archiving-and-searching-for-suppliers)
- [Editing, viewing, and applying supplier details](/help/editing-viewing-and-applying-supplier-details)