How to Import Contacts via CSV

Overview

Import contacts into your CRM in bulk using a CSV file. This feature lets you add multiple contacts at once, mapping your data to CRM fields like name, email, phone, and company information.

Before You Start

Make sure you have:

• Edit permissions - Admin or member role required (viewers cannot import)

• A CSV file - Saved in UTF-8 encoding

• Clean data - Remove duplicate emails and blank rows before uploading

Step 1: Navigate to Import

Go to CRM > People in your dashboard sidebar. Click the Import People button in the top-right corner.

Step 2: Upload Your CSV File

On the import page, drag and drop your CSV file into the upload zone, or click Choose a .CSV file to browse your computer.

If you need a template with pre-formatted headers, click Download template before uploading.

Step 3: Map Your Columns

Match each column from your CSV to the corresponding CRM field using the dropdown menus. The system auto-maps common headers like "email" or "first name."

Required fields:

• Email - Used to identify and update existing contacts

• Name - First/last name or full name (minimum 1 character)

Optional fields:

• Phone (E.164 format recommended, e.g., +1-123-456-7890)

• Company Name

• Job Title

• Tags (comma-separated, e.g., "lead,high-priority")

• Social profiles (LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook)

• Address details

Hover over any column to preview up to 10 sample values from your file. When finished, click Next Step.

Step 4: Review and Validate Data

The validation screen shows a preview of your contacts with editable fields. Any errors appear highlighted in red with error messages.

Common validation errors:

• Invalid email format - Email must follow standard format ([email protected])

• Missing required fields - Email or name not mapped or empty

• Duplicate emails - Warning shown if multiple rows use the same email

You can edit any cell directly in the table or remove invalid rows using the trash icon. Toggle Show only rows with errors to focus on issues. Click Next Step when ready.

Step 5: Confirm and Import

Review the import summary showing how many contacts will be created versus updated.

Toggle Update existing contacts on email match if you want to skip updates and only create new records. When ready, click Import records.

After import completes, you'll see a success message with the number of contacts created and updated. The system redirects you to the People table where your new contacts appear.

After Importing

Your imported contacts are now available in the CRM. You can:

• Filter by Recently Added to review new contacts

• Link contacts to companies if company names were included

• Use bulk actions to merge duplicates or assign to deals

• Add imported contacts to cold email campaigns using tags

• Create notes, tasks, or appointments for individual contacts

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Upload Failures

Problem: "Invalid file format. Please upload a CSV" Solution: Convert your file to CSV format using Google Sheets or Excel. Ensure UTF-8 encoding when saving.

Problem: "File too large" or "Exceeds row limit" Solution: Split your file into smaller batches (under 2MB and 1,001 rows each). Import each batch separately.

Validation Errors

Problem: "Invalid email" appears for valid-looking addresses Solution: Check for extra spaces, special characters, or missing @ symbols. Edit directly in the validation table.

Problem: "Missing required field" during mapping Solution: Ensure at least one column is mapped to Email and another to Name. Remap if needed.

Import Failures

Problem: "Successfully imported 0 records" despite validation passing Solution: Check your plan limits in Settings > Billing. Free plans have contact quotas that may block imports. Upgrade or contact support.

Problem: Imported contacts don't appear in the People table Solution: Refresh the page or check table filters. There may be a brief sync delay for large imports.

Best Practices

• Clean your data first - Remove duplicates and blank rows in Excel or Google Sheets before uploading

• Standardize formats - Use consistent data formats and lowercase emails for better matching

• Use the template - Download and populate the CSV template to avoid mapping errors

• Test with small batches - Import 10-20 contacts first to verify mappings before uploading larger files

• Add tags during import - Use the tags column to organize contacts by source, campaign, or status

Related Articles

• CRM Overview - Understanding the People tab and CRM structure

• How to Add a Company to the CRM - Linking imported contacts to companies

• How to Create a New Cold Email Campaign - Using imported contacts in campaigns