You have generated your time entries — whether manually, from a spreadsheet, or using an AI tool — and now you need to get them into your practice management system. For many Australian lawyers, this "last mile" of the billing process is unexpectedly frustrating. Each platform has its own import format, required fields, and quirks that can cause imports to fail silently or produce garbled data.
This guide walks through the import process for the three most widely used practice management platforms in Australian law firms: Actionstep, LEAP, and Clio. For each platform, we cover the step-by-step import workflow, the required CSV field mapping, common errors and how to avoid them, and how LexUnits automates the entire process with pre-configured exports.
Before You Start: The Basics of CSV Import
All three platforms accept time entry imports via CSV (Comma-Separated Values) files. A CSV is simply a text file where each row represents one time entry and each column represents a data field, separated by commas. You can create and edit CSV files in Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, or any text editor.
The critical thing to understand is that each platform expects specific column headers and data formats. A CSV that works perfectly for Actionstep will fail in Clio because the column names are different. A date formatted as "20/03/2026" might work in one system but need to be "2026-03-20" in another. These small differences are the source of most import failures.
Importing into Actionstep
Actionstep is one of the most popular practice management systems in Australian mid-tier and boutique firms. It supports CSV import for time entries, but the process requires careful attention to field names and data types.
Step 1: Prepare your CSV file. Actionstep expects specific column headers. The minimum required fields are the action (matter) number, the date, the time quantity, and the description. Additional fields like the user (timekeeper), activity code, and rate can be included for more precise imports.
| Actionstep Field | Description | Format |
|---|---|---|
Action | Matter/action number | Numeric ID (e.g., 1234) |
Date | Date of the time entry | DD/MM/YYYY |
Quantity | Time in hours (decimal) | 0.1, 0.5, 1.0, etc. |
Description | Billing description | Free text |
User | Timekeeper name or ID | As configured in Actionstep |
Activity | Activity/task code | As configured in Actionstep |
Step 2: Navigate to the import screen. In Actionstep, go to Admin > Data Import, then select Time Records as the import type. Upload your CSV file and map each column to the corresponding Actionstep field. Actionstep will show a preview of the first few rows so you can verify the mapping before committing.
Step 3: Review and confirm. After mapping, Actionstep validates the data. It will flag any rows where the matter number does not exist, the date format is wrong, or required fields are missing. Fix any flagged issues in your CSV and re-upload if necessary.
Action field must match an existing matter number exactly. If your CSV contains matter number "12345" but the matter in Actionstep is "A-12345" or "12345.001," the import will fail for those rows. Always verify your matter numbers against Actionstep before importing. When using LexUnits, the associated_matter field stores the exact matter number to prevent this mismatch.
Actionstep also offers a REST API for programmatic imports. The endpoint for creating time records is POST /api/rest/timerecords, which accepts JSON payloads with the same fields. LexUnits is building a direct Actionstep integration using this API, which will allow one-click export without any manual CSV handling.
Importing into LEAP
LEAP is widely used by small to mid-sized Australian firms, particularly in conveyancing, family law, and litigation. LEAP's time entry import is done through its desktop application rather than a web interface, which introduces some platform-specific considerations.
Step 1: Prepare your CSV file. LEAP uses slightly different field names from Actionstep. The matter reference format also differs — LEAP typically uses a combined matter ID that includes the matter type prefix.
| LEAP Field | Description | Format |
|---|---|---|
MatterRef | Matter reference number | As shown in LEAP (e.g., M-20260001) |
Date | Entry date | DD/MM/YYYY |
Units | Time in 6-minute units | Integer (e.g., 1, 3, 5) |
Description | Billing narrative | Free text |
FeeEarner | Staff member code | Staff initials or code |
Rate | Hourly rate (ex-GST) | Numeric (e.g., 500.00) |
Step 2: Open LEAP's import tool. In the LEAP desktop application, navigate to the Time and Fees section, then select Import from the tools menu. Browse to your CSV file and LEAP will present a field mapping screen similar to Actionstep's.
Step 3: Map fields and validate. LEAP shows a preview and highlights any rows that cannot be matched to existing matters or staff members. Pay particular attention to the Units field — LEAP expects whole-number units (1, 2, 3...) rather than decimal hours (0.1, 0.2, 0.3...). If your CSV contains decimal hours, you need to convert them: multiply the decimal by 10 to get units (e.g., 0.3 hours = 3 units).
LEAP's import process is reliable once the field mapping is correct, but the desktop-only nature of the tool means you need to be at your workstation to perform imports. There is currently no web-based or API import option, though LEAP has indicated that API access may be available to approved integration partners in the future.
Importing into Clio
Clio is a cloud-based platform popular with modern, tech-forward Australian firms. Its import process is web-based and arguably the most user-friendly of the three platforms covered here. Clio also offers a robust API that makes programmatic integration straightforward.
Step 1: Prepare your CSV file. Clio's field requirements are well documented in their help centre. The key fields are:
| Clio Field | Description | Format |
|---|---|---|
Matter | Matter name or number | Must match exactly |
Date | Entry date | YYYY-MM-DD (ISO format) |
Quantity | Duration in hours | Decimal (e.g., 0.50) |
Note | Billing description | Free text |
User | Timekeeper email or name | As registered in Clio |
Activity Description | Activity type | Must match Clio activity list |
Step 2: Navigate to Settings > Import. In Clio's web interface, go to Settings, then select Import Data. Choose "Time Entries" as the data type, then upload your CSV. Clio's import wizard walks you through column mapping with a visual drag-and-drop interface.
Step 3: Review the preview and import. Clio shows a detailed preview of every row, colour-coded to indicate which entries will import successfully (green), which have warnings (yellow), and which will fail (red). This preview is particularly helpful because it lets you fix issues before any data is written to the system.
Clio's API is free to use and well-documented, making it the most integration-friendly of the three platforms. LexUnits offers a direct Clio export that generates a CSV in exactly the format Clio expects, including the correct ISO date formatting and decimal hour quantities. A direct API integration is planned for a future release, which will allow entries to flow from LexUnits into Clio with a single click.
A Note on Smokeball
While this guide focuses on the three most common platforms, Smokeball is also widely used in Australian firms, particularly in conveyancing and personal injury. Smokeball's time entry import follows a similar CSV-based approach. LexUnits supports Smokeball export formatting, ensuring the correct fields and data types are included in the output file.
How LexUnits Simplifies the Entire Process
The import workflows described above are manageable once you understand the requirements, but they involve a frustrating amount of manual formatting work — especially if you are exporting from one tool and importing into another. Different date formats, different time representations (units vs. decimal hours), different field names, and different matter number conventions all create opportunities for error.
LexUnits eliminates this friction by building the export formatting directly into the platform. When you generate time entries in LexUnits — whether from an audio recording, an email thread, a document, or a transcript — you simply select your target platform from the export menu. The system automatically formats the CSV with the correct column headers, date format, time representation, and field structure for your chosen platform.
The workflow is: generate entries in LexUnits, review and edit them, click "Export for Actionstep" (or LEAP, Clio, or Smokeball), and then import the downloaded CSV into your practice management system. No manual reformatting, no field mapping headaches, no date conversion errors.
For Clio users specifically, LexUnits is also developing a direct API integration that will eliminate the CSV step entirely. Once connected, entries generated in LexUnits can be pushed directly into Clio with a single click, mapped to the correct matter, user, and activity code automatically.
Troubleshooting Common Import Errors
Even with careful preparation, imports sometimes fail. Here are the most common errors across all three platforms and how to resolve them.
Matter not found. This is the most frequent import error. It means the matter reference in your CSV does not match any matter in the system. Double-check the exact format — some systems use numeric IDs, others use alphanumeric references, and some include prefixes or suffixes. Copy the matter reference directly from your practice management system rather than typing it manually.
Invalid date format. Actionstep and LEAP use DD/MM/YYYY, while Clio uses YYYY-MM-DD. If you see date errors, check which format your target platform expects. Excel sometimes reformats dates automatically when you save a CSV, so open the file in a plain text editor to verify the actual format.
User not recognised. The timekeeper field must exactly match a user in the system. Some platforms expect full names, others expect email addresses, and others expect staff codes. Check your system's user directory for the correct identifier.
Description too long. Some platforms impose character limits on billing descriptions. If your entries are being truncated or rejected, check whether the platform has a maximum description length and trim your entries accordingly. LexUnits keeps descriptions within standard length limits by default.
Encoding issues. If your descriptions contain special characters (accented letters, em dashes, curly quotes), they may display incorrectly after import. Save your CSV with UTF-8 encoding to avoid this issue. In Excel, use "Save As" and select "CSV UTF-8 (Comma delimited)" rather than the standard CSV option.
Looking Ahead: Direct Integrations
The CSV import workflow is functional but inherently manual. The legal technology industry is moving toward direct API integrations that eliminate the file-based import step entirely. Clio already offers a well-documented API, Actionstep provides REST API access, and LEAP has indicated that integration partnerships are available to approved vendors.
LexUnits is actively building these integrations, starting with Clio (which offers free API access and the most developer-friendly documentation) and followed by Actionstep. The goal is a seamless workflow where time entries generated by AI flow directly into your practice management system without any manual file handling.
In the meantime, the CSV export approach works reliably and adds only about 30 seconds to the workflow — a small price for entries that are correctly formatted on the first attempt.
FAQ: Can I import time entries in bulk, or only one at a time?
All three platforms — Actionstep, LEAP, and Clio — support bulk CSV import. You can include hundreds of time entries in a single CSV file and import them all at once. LexUnits exports include all entries from your current session in a single file, so you can process a full day's meetings and import them in one batch.
FAQ: What happens if an import partially fails?
Behaviour varies by platform. Clio shows you exactly which rows failed and imports the rest. Actionstep flags errors and gives you the option to skip or fix them. LEAP may reject the entire file if critical errors are found. In all cases, it is best practice to fix the errors and re-import the failed rows separately rather than trying to manually enter them.
FAQ: Does LexUnits support direct integration without CSV files?
Direct API integration with Clio is currently in development and will be available soon. Actionstep API integration is planned for the following phase. For LEAP and Smokeball, CSV export remains the primary method, as these platforms have more limited API access for third-party vendors. LexUnits will add direct integrations as each platform makes API access available.