Large customer lists on iPhone, iPad and Mac
Swiftly Workspace loads a long customer list in pages of 100 and shows the rows as each page arrives, with a Loaded 300 of 2,400… counter until the list is complete. Search by name, VAT number or phone, sort the columns, and filter by type, lifecycle stage or status.
A customer list that started as a spreadsheet can grow to several thousand rows after an import or a few busy years. This guide explains what you see when you open a big list, and how to find one customer in it quickly on each device.
What happens when you open a big list
When you open Customers, the app asks the server for the opening page of 100 customers and puts them on screen. It keeps fetching the next pages and adds each one to the list as it lands, so you can start scrolling while the rest arrives. A small capsule at the top reads, for example, Loaded 300 of 2,400…, and it disappears once every page is in.
If the connection drops halfway, the customers already loaded stay on screen. You see an error when nothing could be loaded at all. Vendor lists in Vendor Management load the same way, with the same counter.
The list on each device
| Device | Layout | Sorting | Opening a customer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mac | A table of columns you can show or hide | Click a column header | Double-click, press Return, or Control-click and choose View Profile |
| iPad | A table at full width, a list in narrow split view | Click or tap a column header | Tap the row |
| iPhone | A list | The sort menu: Customer, Type, VAT, Status, Phone or Email | Tap the row |
On a Mac, Control-click a column header to choose which columns show; a narrow table with the three or four columns you check most is easier to scan than a wide one. On iPhone and iPad, pull the list down to refresh it. On a Mac, each customer opens in a window of its own, so you can keep the list open beside it.
Find one customer in thousands
Search
Type in the Search customers... field. It matches the customer's name, VAT number or phone number, so a VAT number from an incoming email or a caller's number takes you straight to the right record.
Search works on the rows already on screen. While the counter is still running, a customer from a later page may not show up yet; wait for the counter to disappear before you decide a customer is missing.
Filters
Click or tap the empty search field to see the filter suggestions under Filter by. Each one becomes a token in the search field, and you can combine them:
- Type: Business or Individual.
- Lifecycle stage: Prospect, Active or Deactivated.
- Status: each active customer status your company has set up.
A filter plus a few typed letters narrows a long list down to a handful of rows, for example every active business with the same word in its name.
Sort to spot duplicates
Big lists often hide duplicates, especially after merging two spreadsheets. Sort by VAT number or by name and look for neighbors that match. If you find two records for one company, decide which one to keep before anyone invoices the other. How to structure customers, contacts and addresses explains why one company should be one customer, with its people as contacts.
Habits that keep a large list usable
- Clean before you import. A list of thousands usually arrives by import. Remove duplicates and fix names in the spreadsheet, then import in batches. A migration plan for moving off spreadsheets walks through the order.
- Keep statuses meaningful. A status such as "On hold" helps while it is current. Review it when a customer's situation changes, so the status filter keeps telling the truth.
- Check who changed what. With many people editing many customers, the record's history answers questions faster than asking around. See who changed this customer, using change history.
- Add new customers the same way each time. A consistent name format makes search and sorting work better. How to add a customer on Mac shows the steps.
Native apps can keep a long list responsive while they fetch more data in the background, one reason they suit people who live in their customer list all day. Native app or web app covers the trade-offs.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the customer list say Loaded 300 of 2,400?
The list arrives in pages of 100, and the counter tells you how many customers are on screen so far out of the total. You can scroll and open customers while it runs. It disappears when the last page is in.
Can I search customers before the list has finished loading?
Yes, but search covers the customers loaded so far. If you don't find someone while the counter is still showing, wait for it to finish and search again.
Can I search customers by VAT number or phone number?
Yes. The search field matches the customer's name, VAT number and phone number. Combine it with a filter token such as Business or Active to narrow the results further.
How do I find duplicate customers in a long list?
Sort by VAT number, or by name, and look for neighboring rows that match. Searching for a VAT number also shows every customer that carries it. Decide which record to keep before anyone invoices the other.
Do vendor lists load the same way?
Yes. The vendors list in Vendor Management loads in pages too and shows the same counter while it fills in.
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