Switching to Praxi
This guide walks you through migrating your practice data from another practice management system to Praxi. Whether you are switching from Cliniko, Halaxy, Zanda (formerly Power Diary), Splose, or another platform, Praxi's import wizard handles the heavy lifting — including AI-powered column mapping, duplicate detection, and Australian healthcare field validation.
Before You Start
Who Can Import Data?
Data import requires one of these roles:
- Practice Owner
- Practice Manager
Rolling an import back is restricted to the practice owner.
What Can Be Imported?
| Data Type | Supported | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Clients / patients | Yes | Full demographics, Medicare, DVA, NDIS |
| Appointments | Yes | Historical and upcoming |
| Practitioners | Yes | Name, AHPRA number, provider numbers |
| Locations / sites | Yes | Practice addresses and rooms |
| Services / item types | Yes | Appointment type definitions |
| Clinical notes | Yes | Convert to Praxi format or attach as files |
| Invoices | No | Start fresh with billing in Praxi |
intentional — billing configurations (Medicare provider numbers, payment gateways, fee schedules) differ between systems, so starting fresh avoids cascading errors. Outstanding balances can be recorded manually. :::
Supported Source Systems
Praxi has built-in parsers for these systems, so your CSV columns are mapped automatically:
| System | Import Method | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cliniko | CSV or direct API | Most complete integration |
| Halaxy | CSV or FHIR R4 API | FHIR-based with CSV fallback |
| Zanda | CSV | Formerly Power Diary |
| Splose | CSV | Full field mapping |
| Nookal | CSV or direct API | Allied health focused |
| CorePlus | CSV | Comprehensive healthcare management |
| Jane App | CSV | International PMS |
| PracSuite | CSV | Formerly Smartsoft / Front Desk |
| Carepatron | AI-assisted CSV | International healthcare platform |
| SimplePractice | AI-assisted CSV | US-based, mapped via AI |
| Generic CSV | AI-assisted CSV | Any system not listed above |
If your system is not listed, use Generic CSV — Praxi's AI column mapper analyses your headers and suggests mappings with confidence scores.
Step 1: Export Data from Your Current System
Cliniko
- Log in to Cliniko as an administrator
- Go to Settings > Export Data
- Export each data type separately:
- Patients — includes demographics, contact details, and Medicare numbers
- Appointments — select the date range you want to bring across
- Practitioners — staff details and provider numbers
- Save each file as CSV (UTF-8 encoding)
data from Cliniko's API. In the import wizard, select Cliniko and choose API Connection instead of CSV upload. You will need your Cliniko API key (found under Settings > API Keys in Cliniko). :::
Halaxy
- Log in to Halaxy as a practice administrator
- Go to Settings > Data Export
- Export your patient list, appointments, and practitioner details as CSV files
- Halaxy exports use Australian date formats (DD/MM/YYYY) by default, which Praxi expects
provides the richest data transfer. Select Halaxy in the import wizard and choose FHIR Connection. :::
Zanda (formerly Power Diary)
- Log in to Zanda as an administrator
- Navigate to Settings > Data Management > Export
- Export your client list as CSV — this includes contact details, referral information, and funding sources
- Export appointments separately if needed
- Ensure dates are in DD/MM/YYYY format (Australian default)
Splose
- Log in to Splose as a practice owner
- Go to Settings > Data > Export
- Export clients, appointments, and practitioners as separate CSV files
- Splose exports are UTF-8 by default
Other Systems
For systems not listed above:
- Export your data as CSV from your current system
- Ensure the file is saved as UTF-8 CSV (not Excel format)
- Include column headers in the first row
- Use the Generic CSV option in Praxi — the AI column mapper will analyse your headers and suggest field mappings
Step 2: Open the Import Wizard
- In Praxi, go to Settings > Data Migrations (or search "Import" in the command palette with Cmd+K)
- Click New Import
- Select your source system from the list
- Upload your CSV file (maximum 50 MB)
Praxi automatically detects your source system from the CSV headers in most cases. If it cannot determine the source, you will be prompted to select it manually.
Step 3: Map Your Columns
Automatic Mapping
For recognised source systems (Cliniko, Halaxy, Zanda, Splose, Nookal, CorePlus, Jane App, PracSuite), Praxi maps columns automatically. You will see a mapping preview showing:
- Source column — the header from your CSV
- Praxi field — the field it maps to
- Confidence — how certain the mapping is (green = high, amber = review)
Review the mappings and adjust any that look incorrect.
AI-Assisted Mapping
For generic CSVs or unrecognised formats, Praxi's AI column mapper:
- Analyses your column headers and sample data
- Suggests the best Praxi field for each column
- Shows confidence scores and alternative suggestions
- Flags columns it cannot map (you can assign them to custom fields or skip them)
Australian Healthcare Fields
Praxi automatically validates and formats Australian-specific fields during import:
| Field | Validation |
|---|---|
| Medicare number | 10-digit with checksum, plus IRN (1-9) |
| DVA number | Format validation, card type (Gold/White/NLHC) |
| IHI | 16-digit with Luhn check |
| Phone numbers | Australian format (04XX XXX XXX or +614XXXXXXXX) |
| Postcodes | 4-digit Australian postcode |
| Dates | DD/MM/YYYY (Australian format) |
| NDIS numbers | Format and plan detail validation |
Step 4: Choose What to Import
Select which entity types to include in this import:
- Clients (recommended first)
- Practitioners
- Locations
- Services / appointment types
- Appointments (requires clients to exist first)
- Clinical notes (requires clients to exist first)
clients**, then appointments and notes in a second pass. This ensures all client references are resolved when importing related records. :::
Step 5: Configure Duplicate Handling
Praxi checks for duplicates using multiple matching strategies:
| Match Type | Confidence | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Medicare number | Highest | Exact 10-digit match |
| Email address | High | Same email on existing client |
| Mobile number | High | Same Australian mobile |
| Name + DOB | Moderate | Same name and date of birth |
Choose how to handle detected duplicates:
- Skip — ignore the duplicate row (safest option)
- Merge — update the existing record with non-empty fields from the import
- Overwrite — replace the existing record entirely (use with caution)
Step 6: Validate and Preview
Before any data is written, Praxi runs a full validation pass:
- Every row is checked for formatting errors, missing required fields, and invalid values
- Duplicates are flagged with the matching strategy used
- A summary shows:
- Total records to import
- Records that will be created
- Records that matched duplicates (and what will happen to them)
- Rows with validation errors
- Estimated import duration
Review the validation summary carefully. You can download an error report for any rows that failed validation, fix them in your CSV, and re-upload.
Step 7: Execute the Import
Click Execute Import to begin. For large imports (over 1,000 records), the import runs in the background and you can track progress in real time.
After completion, you will see:
- Total records created
- Records skipped (duplicates)
- Records that failed (with reasons)
- A link to download the full error report
Step 8: Verify Your Data
After importing, take time to verify:
- Spot-check client records — open several imported clients and confirm their details (name, DOB, Medicare number, contact info) match your old system
- Check record counts — compare the total clients in Praxi against your old system
- Verify appointments — if you imported appointments, confirm dates and practitioner assignments are correct
- Review clinical notes — if imported, check that note content transferred correctly
- Test search — search for specific clients by name, Medicare number, and email to confirm they are findable
Rolling Back an Import
If something went wrong, you can roll back an import within 30 days:
- Go to Settings > Data Migrations
- Click the Import History tab
- Find the import you want to undo
- Click Rollback
Rollback soft-deletes all records created by that import. It does not affect records that existed before the import.
Recommended Migration Order
For a smooth transition, follow this sequence:
| Order | Step | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Import practitioners | So client assignments resolve correctly |
| 2 | Import locations | So appointment locations resolve |
| 3 | Import services | So appointment types are available |
| 4 | Import clients | Core records, with Medicare and funding data |
| 5 | Import appointments | Links to clients, practitioners, locations |
| 6 | Import clinical notes | Links to clients |
| 7 | Set up billing fresh | Configure Medicare, payment gateways, fees |
| 8 | Invite your team | Staff accounts and permissions |
Tips for a Smooth Migration
- Export and import on a quiet day — avoid importing during peak clinic hours to minimise confusion
- Keep your old system accessible — maintain read-only access to your previous system for at least 3 months after switching, so you can cross-reference historical records
- Import a small batch first — test with 10-20 client records before importing your full dataset to catch any mapping issues early
- Check date formats — if your old system used US date formats (MM/DD/YYYY), convert to Australian format (DD/MM/YYYY) before importing
- Clean your data first — remove test records, deceased clients (if appropriate), and obviously duplicate entries from your export before importing into Praxi
- Save your CSV files — keep copies of your exported CSV files as a backup for at least 12 months
Clinical Notes Import Options
When importing clinical notes, you have two choices:
- Convert to Praxi format — note content is converted to Praxi's rich text editor format. This makes notes searchable and editable within Praxi, but complex formatting (tables, embedded images) may not transfer perfectly.
- Attach as files — notes are stored as file attachments under each client record. This preserves the original formatting exactly but notes are not searchable within Praxi's note system.
(last 12 months) and Attach as files for older historical notes. This gives you the best of both approaches. :::
Getting Help
If you encounter issues during migration:
- In-app support — click Help > Contact Support and attach your CSV file and any error reports
- AI assistant — ask Praxci "Help me import data from [system name]" for guided assistance
- Import troubleshooting — see Import & Export Troubleshooting for common CSV formatting issues
For large practices (over 5,000 clients) or complex migrations involving multiple locations, contact Praxi support to discuss assisted migration options.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I import from multiple systems at once?
Yes. Praxi tracks each import as a separate session. You can import clients from one system and appointments from another. Use the Import History tab to see all past imports.
Will importing overwrite my existing Praxi data?
Only if you choose the Overwrite duplicate handling option. The default is Skip, which leaves existing records untouched.
How long does an import take?
Small imports (under 500 records) complete in seconds. Larger imports (1,000+ records) run in the background — you will see a progress bar and receive a notification when complete.
Can I import data from a system not on the supported list?
Yes. Use the Generic CSV option. Praxi's AI column mapper analyses your CSV headers and suggests field mappings. You can also manually assign columns during the mapping step.
What happens to data that fails validation?
Failed rows are skipped (not imported) and included in the downloadable error report. Each failed row shows the specific reason (e.g., "Invalid Medicare number", "Missing surname"). Fix the issues in your CSV and re-import only the corrected rows.
Is there a record limit?
CSV uploads support up to 50 MB file size. For client imports via the CSV method, the practical limit is around 10,000 rows per file. For larger datasets, split into multiple files and import in batches.
Related
- Managing Clients — client records overview including the import section
- Import & Export Troubleshooting — common CSV formatting issues
- Practice Owner Quick Start — first-week setup guide