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Import contacts

Use Import when migrating from another CRM or loading event lead lists. Manual create is for one-offs; import handles hundreds or thousands of rows with column mapping, bulk assignment, and error reporting.

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Who can do this​

Users with import permission (Admin/Manager typically). Export and import history may share the same permission bundle.

Before you begin​

  • CSV or Excel file (.csv, .xls, .xlsx) with a header row
  • Custom fields already created for any columns you plan to map
  • Statuses, sources, and lifecycle stages defined so bulk assignment dropdowns are populated
  • A 10-row pilot file ready before running the full migration

What you'll accomplish​

  • File processed with success and error counts visible on the completion step
  • Imported contacts appear in All contacts and respect bulk-assigned Status, Source, and owners
  • Import history (/contact-management/imports) documents the run for audit

Step-by-step procedure​

Open the import wizard​

  1. Contacts → Import (or navigate to /contact-management/import).
  2. The wizard uses a stepper across the top. The three steps you will spend the most time on are Upload, Map, and Bulk Assign (plus optional Opt-In Consent, Importing, and Complete).

Step 1 — Upload​

  1. On Upload, select Select File or drag a file into the drop zone.
  2. Supported formats: .csv, .xls, .xlsx.
  3. Confirm the preview shows expected column headers parsed from row one.
  4. Select Next when the file name and row count look correct.

Step 2 — Map (Map & Preview)​

  1. The Map step displays your file columns alongside Maps to Field dropdowns.
  2. Map at least one column to First Name—the wizard blocks progress without it.
  3. Map Email, Phone, Company, Status, Source, and any custom fields.
  4. Use Skip for columns you do not need; unmapped columns are ignored.
  5. Review the preview table (first rows) to confirm values land in the right CRM fields.
  6. Optional: map Email type / Phone type columns so each row's channel type comes from the file instead of defaults.
note

Auto-mapping suggests matches when column headers resemble CRM field names. Always verify phone columns are not mapped to First Name—the UI warns when that mismatch is detected.

Step 3 — Bulk Assign​

  1. On Bulk Assign, use Apply to All Contacts fields to set workspace-wide defaults for every imported row.
  2. Common bulk fields: Lifecycle stage, Status, Source, Assigned To, Contact Owner, and Tags.
  3. Choose No change — use file column or leave unset when the file already supplies that value per row.
  4. In nested pipeline workspaces, pick Lifecycle stage first—Status stays disabled until a lifecycle is selected.
  5. Select Next to start Importing.

Finish and review​

  1. Wait on the Importing step until processing completes.
  2. On Complete, note created, updated, skipped, and failed counts.
  3. Open Import history (/contact-management/imports) for row-level errors.
  4. Fix failed rows in your source file and re-import if needed.

Verify your work​

  • Import history shows a success count matching the completion banner
  • A sample imported contact opens on detail with mapped phone, email, status, and owner
  • Bulk-assigned Status and Source appear on records that did not map those columns from the file

Tips​

tip

Run a 10-row pilot import before migrating an entire database. Validate mapping and bulk assign once, then scale.

tip

Normalize phone numbers and emails in your spreadsheet first—duplicate detection works best on clean values.

Troubleshooting​

| Column unmapped | Add the custom field in settings, then re-upload | | Duplicates skipped | Normalize phone/email; check duplicate rules with Admin | | Bulk Status greyed out | Select Lifecycle stage first in nested pipeline mode | | Import stuck on Importing | Large files take minutes—check history before re-uploading |

See also​