What it does for you

Brings your existing customers and leads into the CRM, so you can replace your old tool and start from a full list.

Steps

  1. Export your contacts from your old tool or spreadsheet as a CSV file. Keep one row per person.
  2. Tidy the file: one column each for first name, last name, email and phone, with phone numbers including the country code where you can.
  3. In the CRM, open Contacts, choose Import, and upload the CSV.
  4. Match each column in your file to the right field in the CRM. Anything that does not fit can be skipped or added as a custom field.
  5. Add a tag to the import, such as the name of the old tool, so you can find this batch later.
  6. Start the import and wait for the confirmation.

You'll know it worked when

  • The import shows as complete with the number of contacts you expected.
  • Searching for a customer you know is in the file finds them.
  • The tag you added filters down to exactly the imported batch.

Common snags

  • Replacing an old tool. Export everything you can before you cancel it, including notes, as separate files if needed. Import contacts first, then bring over anything else once you are happy.
  • Contacts are missing after import. Rows without an email or phone number are usually skipped. Check the import report for the reason.
  • Everything landed in the wrong field. Re-check the column matching step, and re-import the file with the fixed mapping.
  • Duplicates. Importing the same file twice can create them. Tag each import so you can tell batches apart.
  • Phone numbers look wrong. Spreadsheets drop leading zeros, so format that column as text before you export.

Go deeper

  • [How To Import & Manage Contacts](/help/how-to-import-manage-contacts)
  • [Troubleshooting Importing Contacts](/help/troubleshooting-importing-contacts)
  • [How To Import Multiple Contacts](/help/how-to-import-multiple-contacts)