Switch to Wave from a spreadsheet

To help move your information into Wave, check out Wave Advisors. Learn more about Personalized help with Wave Advisors.

Business spreadsheets can vary based on personal preferences. How you transfer your data into Wave depends on the type of spreadsheet you have and the volume of data.

Transfer extensive records

If your records are extensive, consider entering only your account balances into Wave. These are your:

  • Assets and liabilities
  • Sales tax amounts
  • Income and expenses
  • Equity accounts

To enter your account balances, read Starting balances: What they are, and how to enter them in Wave.

Keep your old spreadsheet for more detailed records.

Transfer only transactions

To transfer your transactions into Wave, you can upload a transaction statement, or connect your bank account to Wave. Connecting a bank account for transaction imports is part of Wave’s Pro plan. Learn more about Wave’s plans.

Determine the date range you want to enter into Wave. If you have a transaction statement, open it in Excel and save it as a .CSV file.

To upload your file to Wave:

  1. On the left-side menu, click Accounting > Transactions.
  2. At the top right, click More > Upload transactions.
  3. Click Choose file and select your CSV file.
  4. Select the payment account you want the transactions to import to. If the account is not listed, click the + icon to add a new account.
  5. Click Upload.

When you upload a .CSV file, Wave may show specific formatting errors if there are too many columns or the file can’t be read. For formatting help, read What to do if Wave can’t read your statement in CSV format.