Importing your data lawfully

Every import asks two questions before it runs
where the data came from, and your lawful basis for processing it. Both are stored against the import, so you have a record if you are ever asked.

Where the wizard asks

At the Settings step you fill in a short description of the origin, something like Fresha customer export, March 2026. It is required. Vague answers help nobody in a year's time when you cannot remember which file this was.

Choosing a lawful basis

You pick one of three.

• Legitimate Interest, the usual choice for moving your own existing client records between systems you control
• Consent, where the people concerned actively agreed
• Contract Performance, where you hold the data to deliver something you have agreed to do

You are the data controller

Youzse processes this data on your instructions. The decision about what to import and why is yours, which is exactly why the wizard asks you to record it rather than assuming.

Marketing is a separate question

A lawful basis for holding a customer record is not the same as consent to market to them. Where your export carries a marketing consent column it is imported and honoured. Where it does not, imported customers arrive without marketing consent and stay out of campaigns until they opt in. That is deliberate.

Keep the export file safe

Store the CSV you uploaded somewhere sensible and delete stray copies from your downloads folder. It is personal data sitting on a laptop.

Common questions

Which lawful basis should I choose for moving my own client list?

Legitimate Interest usually fits, because you already hold the records to serve the same clients and you are changing the system rather than the purpose.

Does importing a customer mean I can email them marketing?

No. Marketing needs consent, which is tracked separately. Imported customers are excluded from campaigns unless a consent column said otherwise.

Where can I see what I recorded?

Open the import from Import Data. The source description and lawful basis are stored on it, and the Activity Log under Settings records that the import happened.