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Contacts Import

Import your client contacts and leads to populate your customer database.

Overview​

Contacts are your clients, leads, and prospects. Importing contacts lets you migrate from another system or bulk-add new contacts to start tracking opportunities.

What Gets Imported​

  • Contact Information - Names, email, phone
  • Company Details - Company name, address
  • Lead Attribution - Source, campaign
  • Custom Fields - Your custom contact fields

Template Download​

Download the Contacts Import Template:

  1. Go to Contacts board
  2. Click Import
  3. Select Clients as contact type
  4. Download the template file

Template Fields​

Required Fields​

FieldDescriptionExample
company_nameCompany or household nameSmith Residence
OR first_name + last_nameContact nameJohn Smith

At minimum, provide company name OR first/last name.

Contact Information​

FieldDescriptionExample
first_nameFirst nameJohn
last_nameLast nameSmith
emailEmail addressjohn.smith@email.com
phone_numberPrimary phone555-123-4567
secondary_phoneSecondary phone555-234-5678
job_titleContact titleHomeowner

Address Fields​

FieldDescriptionExample
addressStreet address123 Oak Street
cityCityMilwaukee
stateStateWI
zipPostal code53202

Lead Attribution​

FieldDescriptionExample
sourceLead sourceWebsite
campaignMarketing campaignSpring 2024

Pipeline Fields​

FieldDescriptionExample
statusContact statusActive
sales_stageCurrent sales stageInitial Contact

Optional Fields​

FieldDescriptionExample
websiteContact websitewww.example.com
notesContact notesReferred by ABC
legacy_idID from previous systemOLD-12345
created_dateOriginal creation date2024-01-15

Custom Fields​

Import custom field values:

  • Use the custom field name as column header
  • Match field name exactly
  • Support for text, dropdown, date, checkbox fields

Example with custom fields:

company_name,first_name,last_name,email,Preferred Contact Method,Project Timeline
Smith Residence,John,Smith,john@email.com,Email,Spring 2025
Jones Family,Mary,Jones,mary@email.com,Phone,Summer 2025

Preparing Your Data​

Example Contacts File​

company_name,first_name,last_name,email,phone_number,address,city,state,zip,source,campaign,sales_stage,status
Smith Residence,John,Smith,john.smith@email.com,555-123-4567,123 Oak St,Milwaukee,WI,53202,Website,Spring 2024,Initial Contact,Active
Jones Family,Mary,Jones,mary.jones@email.com,555-234-5678,456 Elm Ave,Chicago,IL,60601,Referral,Spring 2024,Proposal Sent,Active
Williams Home,Bob,Williams,bob.williams@email.com,555-345-6789,789 Pine Rd,Madison,WI,53703,Home Show,Home Show 2024,Sold,Active
Brown Remodel,Sue,Brown,sue.brown@email.com,555-456-7890,321 Maple Dr,Milwaukee,WI,53203,Google Ads,Spring 2024,Lead,Active

Phone Number Formatting​

Multiple formats accepted:

  • 555-123-4567
  • (555) 123-4567
  • 5551234567

Multiple Phone Numbers​

Use designated columns:

phone_number,secondary_phone
555-123-4567,555-234-5678

Address Handling​

  • If address matches existing house record, contact is linked
  • New addresses create new house records
  • ZIP code used for validation

Import Steps​

  1. Prepare Your File

    • Fill in contact information
    • Map sources and campaigns
    • Include custom field values
    • Save as CSV

  2. Upload

    • Go to Contacts board
    • Click Import
    • Select Clients as contact type
    • Choose your CSV file
    • Click Upload

  3. Column Mapping

    • Review automatic mapping
    • Adjust mismatched columns
    • Map custom fields

  4. Processing

    • Click Import
    • Import runs in background
    • Email sent when complete

Import Results Email​

After processing, you'll receive:

  • Summary Statistics
    • Total rows processed
    • Successfully imported
    • Skipped (duplicates)
    • Failed (errors)
  • Error Details
    • Row number
    • Contact information
    • Error message
    • First 50 errors shown

Handling Duplicates​

Matching Logic​

Contacts matched by (in order):

  1. legacy_id if provided
  2. company_name (exact match)
  3. first_name + last_name combination

Existing Contacts​

If match found:

  • Record is updated
  • New information merged
  • Existing data preserved

Avoiding Duplicates​

  • Check for existing contacts first
  • Use consistent company names
  • Provide legacy_id for re-imports

Common Issues​

Missing Required Fields​

At minimum, provide:

  • Company name, OR
  • First name AND last name

Invalid Email Format​

Email must be valid format:

  • Check for typos
  • Remove spaces
  • Valid domain required

Source/Campaign Not Found​

If source or campaign doesn't exist:

  • Created automatically
  • Or specify existing values
  • Review after import

Date Formatting​

Use consistent date format:

  • YYYY-MM-DD (recommended)
  • MM/DD/YYYY
  • DD/MM/YYYY (specify locale)

After Import​

Verify Data​

  • Spot-check imported contacts
  • Review source attribution
  • Check custom field values

Organize​

  • Assign to salespeople
  • Set pipeline stages
  • Add to campaigns

Follow Up​

  • Create activities for follow-up
  • Send welcome emails
  • Start nurture campaigns

Lead Sources and Campaigns​

Setting Up Sources​

If sources don't exist:

  • Import creates them
  • Or create in Admin first
  • Standardize naming

Campaign Tracking​

Link contacts to campaigns:

  • Marketing campaigns
  • Events and shows
  • Referral programs

Integration with Projects​

Converting to Projects​

After import, contacts can be:

  • Converted to projects
  • Linked to existing projects
  • Associated with opportunities

Legacy ID Tracking​

Use legacy_id to:

  • Track original system IDs
  • Enable re-imports/updates
  • Maintain cross-reference

Best Practices​

Data Quality​

  • Clean data before import
  • Remove duplicates in source
  • Verify email addresses

Standardization​

  • Consistent company naming
  • Standard source values
  • Uniform address format

Attribution​

  • Always include source
  • Link to campaigns
  • Track referrals

Maintenance​

  • Import new contacts regularly
  • Update existing records
  • Archive inactive contacts