How to Import Time Entries into Clio — Complete Guide

Clio Manage is one of the most popular cloud-based practice management systems used by Australian law firms. While Clio has excellent built-in time tracking, there are many situations where you need to import time entries from an external source — whether from a billing tool, a spreadsheet, or a migration from another system.

This guide walks through the complete process of importing time entries into Clio, from preparing your data to troubleshooting common errors.

Before you start: what you need

• Clio Manage account with admin or billing permissions
• Existing matters — the matters referenced in your import file must already exist in Clio
• User accounts — the timekeepers referenced must be set up as Clio users
• CSV or XLSX file containing your time entries

Step 1: Prepare your CSV file

Clio’s import expects specific columns. Here’s the format that works reliably:

• User — The timekeeper’s name as it appears in Clio (e.g. “Sarah Williams”)
• Date — In YYYY-MM-DD format (e.g. 2026-03-24). This is critical — DD/MM/YYYY will be rejected
• Matter — The matter name or reference number as it appears in Clio
• Activity Description — The billing description text
• Quantity (Hours) — Decimal hours in 0.1 increments (e.g. 1.5 for 1 hour 30 minutes)
• Rate — Hourly rate in dollars (e.g. 450)
• Total — Quantity × Rate (e.g. 675.00)
• Type — Always “TimeEntry”
• Non-Billable — “Yes” or “No”

Important: Clio requires dates in YYYY-MM-DD format. If your dates are in DD/MM/YYYY (common in Australian practice), you’ll need to convert them before importing.

Step 2: Navigate to the import screen

In Clio Manage:

1. Click Settings (gear icon) in the bottom-left
2. Under the “Firm” section, select Data Import
3. Choose Time Entries as the import type
4. Click Import from CSV and upload your file

Step 3: Map your fields

Clio will show a preview of your data and ask you to map each column to a Clio field. If you used the column names listed above, most fields will auto-map correctly. Double-check that:

• The “Date” column maps to Clio’s date field
• The “Matter” column maps to the correct matter reference
• The “User” column matches Clio user names exactly
• Hours are being read as decimal, not as time format (1.5, not 1:30)

Step 4: Review and import

Clio shows a preview with any validation errors highlighted. Common issues at this stage:

• Matter not found — The matter name in your file doesn’t match any matter in Clio. Check for typos or extra spaces.
• User not found — The timekeeper name doesn’t match a Clio user. Names must match exactly, including capitalisation.
• Invalid date — Usually means your dates aren’t in YYYY-MM-DD format.

Fix any errors in your CSV, re-upload, and try again. Once everything looks clean, click Import.

Common pitfalls and how to avoid them

Date format confusion

This is the number one import error. Australian lawyers naturally write dates as DD/MM/YYYY, but Clio requires YYYY-MM-DD. If you’re using LexUnits, the Clio export format handles this automatically.

Matter name mismatches

Clio matches matters by name, not by ID. If your matter is called “Smith v Jones (2024)” in Clio but your import file says “Smith v Jones”, it won’t match. Copy the exact matter name from Clio.

Rate discrepancies

Clio may have its own rate configurations for each user. If your imported rate differs from the Clio-configured rate, the imported rate will be used for that specific entry. This can create inconsistencies if you’re not careful.

Duplicate entries

Clio does not automatically detect duplicates. If you import the same file twice, you’ll get duplicate entries. Always keep track of which files you’ve already imported.

Using LexUnits with Clio

LexUnits has a dedicated Clio export format that handles all the formatting requirements automatically:

• Dates are converted to YYYY-MM-DD
• Hours are in decimal format (0.1 increments)
• The “Type” column is pre-set to “TimeEntry”
• Non-billable entries are correctly flagged
• Descriptions use formal Australian legal language

The workflow is: upload your meeting recording or document to LexUnits → review the generated entries → click Export → select Clio → import the XLSX file into Clio.

See also: How to Import Time Entries into Actionstep, LEAP Time Recording & Import Guide, and Import Guide for All Three Systems.

Frequently asked questions

Can I import time entries in bulk into Clio?

Yes. Clio’s CSV import supports bulk imports of any size. Prepare your file with the correct columns and field mapping, and import them all at once through Settings > Data Import.

What date format does Clio accept?

Clio requires dates in YYYY-MM-DD format (e.g. 2026-03-24). The common Australian DD/MM/YYYY format will be rejected with a validation error.

Does Clio detect duplicate time entries?

No. Clio will import every row in your file without checking for duplicates. Keep track of which files you’ve imported to avoid double-billing.