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Journal entry import over 1,000 lines: how to split the file

Updated

The short answer

Count the lines in the CSV, and if there are more than 1,000, cut it into parts at the end of a journal entry, never in the middle of one. Each part keeps the header row, and every Journal No. stays whole so each part balances by itself. Import the parts one after another.

How to do it by hand

  1. Count the rows. Subtract the header. If you are at or under 1,000 you are done.
  2. Find the entry boundaries. Sort the file by Journal No. so each entry's lines sit together. Make sure you do not break the sort of lines within an entry.
  3. Cut at an entry boundary. Pick a cut at or before line 1,000 that falls right after the last line of an entry. Copy the lines above it into part 1.
  4. Repeat for the rest. Start part 2 with the next entry's first line. Continue until nothing is left.
  5. Copy the header into every part. Each file needs the same header row as the original.
  6. Check each part balances. Sum debits and credits per Journal No. in every part. They must all still be equal.
  7. Import the parts one at a time. Use Settings, Import data, Journal Entries for each file. Do not re-import a part that already went in, or you will post those entries twice. Use unique Journal No. values so a duplicate is easy to spot.

Why this happens

The limit is on lines, not entries, and a month of studio sales rarely gets near it. It shows up when you load a long run of history at once, or when each location or each day gets its own entry. Cutting inside an entry would leave two files that each fail to balance.

When the manual way is not enough

Splitting by hand across ten or twenty files is where duplicates and half-entries creep in. The free CSV checker shows a split plan for a file you paste or drop in, without uploading it anywhere.

The faster path: Studio Month-End splits a long run of months into files of at most 1,000 lines without ever dividing an entry, and names the parts so you import them in order. Free covers one studio and one month's import file download, ever; Studio is $19/mo and Bookkeeper is $59/mo for up to 15 studios. Your export is read in your browser and never uploaded. Try it free, or see pricing.