Contact Importing

Prepare a clean CSV

Format, dedupe, and tag before uploading.

Beginner25 minWeek 6

Related training lesson: Week 6: Contact Importing and Data Hygiene

Purpose

This SOP helps you prepare a contact CSV before importing it into the CRM. Importing is a bulk action. Every mistake multiplies by the number of rows. A messy import can create duplicate contacts, bad field mapping, broken phone formatting, unclear consent status, accidental workflows, and future reporting problems. The goal is to clean, tag, map, and verify the import before uploading the file.

When to Use This SOP

Importing contacts from a spreadsheet
Moving contacts from an old CRM
Importing event leads
Importing partner or referral lists
Importing customer lists
Cleaning a sample file before a real import
Preparing a batch for controlled follow-up
Avoiding accidental workflow triggers during import

Before You Start

Do not upload the file first and fix later.
Start outside the CRM in a spreadsheet.

You should know:

Where the list came from
Why the list is being imported
Whether consent/source status is known
Which fields should be imported
Which fields should be ignored
Which source tag or source field should be used
Which import tag or batch value should be applied
Which workflows could fire during import
How the batch will be reviewed after import

Step-by-Step Procedure

1
Save a backup copy
Before editing the CSV, save an original backup copy.
Keep:
- Original file
- Cleaned working file
- Final import file
If something goes wrong, the original file helps you compare and recover.
2
Confirm the list source
Document where the list came from.
Examples:
- Website leads
- Event signup sheet
- Old CRM export
- Customer list
- Referral partner list
- Manual spreadsheet
- Lead magnet download
- Appointment list
Do not import contacts when no one can explain where they came from.
3
Review consent and communication status
Before importing, decide what communication is allowed.
Ask:
- Did these contacts opt in?
- What did they opt in to receive?
- Was the list collected from a form, purchase, event, referral, or old system?
- Can the consent source be documented?
- Should these contacts be excluded from marketing?
- Should they be stored only for recordkeeping or operational follow-up?
If consent cannot be confirmed, keep those contacts out of marketing workflows and broadcast campaigns unless proper permission is obtained.
Consent and communication rules vary by country, state, industry, message type, and platform requirements. Treat this as a planning baseline, not legal advice.
4
Standardize the column names
Clean the column headers before import.
Good column names:
- First Name
- Last Name
- Email
- Phone
- Company
- Source
- Import Batch
- Consent Status
- Service Interest
- Notes
Avoid messy columns like:
- Name 1
- Info
- Details
- Extra
- Misc
- Phone??
- Email old
- Random notes
Clear column names make field mapping safer.
5
Split first and last names
Separate names into first name and last name where possible.
Avoid importing a full name into the first name field.
Examples:
- First Name: Jane
- Last Name: Smith
If only a full name exists, split carefully and spot-check the results.
6
Standardize email formatting
Clean the email column.
Check:
- Lowercase all emails
- Remove spaces before and after emails
- Remove obvious invalid emails
- Remove rows with missing email if email is required
- Remove duplicate emails or mark for review
- Watch for personal notes accidentally included in the email column
Email is often the main duplicate matching point, so keep it clean.
7
Standardize phone formatting
Clean the phone column.
Use consistent phone formatting where possible.
Recommended format:
- +15551234567
Check:
- Missing country codes
- Extra spaces
- Parentheses
- Dashes
- Extensions
- Multiple numbers in one field
- Landlines mixed with mobile numbers
- Invalid or incomplete numbers
Do not assume the CRM will fix all phone formatting automatically.
8
Remove obvious duplicates
Review duplicates before import.
Check duplicates by:
- Email
- Phone
- Full name plus company
- Existing customer ID, if available
Do not delete records blindly. Some duplicate-looking rows may represent different contacts with shared business numbers or family emails.
Mark questionable duplicates for review.
9
Remove rows that should not be imported
Remove or separate rows that are not safe or useful to import.
Examples:
- Empty rows
- Test rows
- Invalid contacts
- Internal staff, unless needed
- Vendors, unless needed
- Contacts with no usable email or phone
- Contacts with unclear or risky consent status
- Rows that contain only notes and no contact information
The CRM should not become storage for every messy row in a spreadsheet.
10
Add source and import batch columns
Every import should include source and batch tracking.
Examples:
Source:
- source-event
- source-old-crm
- source-website
- source-referral
- source-client-upload
Import Batch:
- import-2026-07-event-list
- import-2026-07-old-crm-cleanup
- import-2026-07-website-leads
Batch tracking lets you find, review, exclude, or clean the import later.
11
Decide which columns should not be imported
Not every column belongs in the CRM.
Do not import:
- Messy notes no one will read
- Duplicate columns
- Temporary spreadsheet formulas
- Internal cleanup comments
- Data that belongs in a document, not a contact record
- Sensitive information that is not needed
- Columns with unclear purpose
If a column does not support action, reporting, personalization, or team context, question whether it should be imported.
12
Create a field mapping plan
Before upload, map each CSV column to the CRM field.
Document:
- CSV column name
- CRM field destination
- Field type
- Whether it is required
- Whether it should create a new field
- Whether it should be skipped
Do not create new custom fields during import unless they were planned.
13
Review workflow trigger risk
Before importing, review workflows that could fire.
Check for triggers like:
- Contact created
- Tag added
- Field updated
- Source applied
- Pipeline stage changed
- Imported contact added to smart list
Disable, filter, or review risky workflows before upload.
A single import can accidentally push hundreds or thousands of contacts into automation.
14
Upload and map carefully
When uploading, move slowly.
Confirm:
- Correct file is selected
- Column mapping is correct
- Import tag or batch tag is applied
- Source is applied
- Duplicate handling is understood
- No unwanted workflow or campaign option is selected
- Consent status is preserved where applicable
Do not rush the final confirmation screen.
15
Create a smart list from the import tag
After import, create or use a saved view for the batch.
The batch view should let you review:
- All imported contacts
- Source
- Import tag
- Missing emails
- Missing phones
- Field mapping issues
- Duplicate concerns
- Workflow entry status
If you cannot find the batch later, the import was not safely tracked.
16
Spot-check records after import
Open a sample of contact records.
Check:
- First name and last name
- Email
- Phone
- Source
- Import tag
- Consent status
- Custom fields
- Notes
- Workflow history
- Opportunity status, if used
Spot-check enough records to catch mapping errors.
17
Confirm no unintended workflows fired
Review workflow history and test records.
Confirm:
- No nurture started by accident
- No SMS sent by accident
- No duplicate opportunity was created
- No incorrect tag was applied
- No incorrect pipeline stage was set
- No internal team was spammed with notifications
Only after verification should any intended nurture or follow-up be applied.
18
Document the import
Create an import note.
Include:
- Import date
- File name
- Source
- Import batch tag
- Number of records
- Who imported it
- Consent/source status
- Workflows reviewed
- Post-import checks completed
- Any cleanup issues found
This documentation helps future audits.

Checks Before You Finish

✓Original file backup exists
✓List source is documented
✓Consent/source status is reviewed
✓Column names are standardized
✓First and last names are separated where possible
✓Emails are cleaned
✓Phones are standardized where possible
✓Duplicates are reviewed
✓Rows that should not be imported are removed
✓Source and import batch columns are added
✓Unneeded columns are removed
✓Field mapping plan is complete
✓Risky workflow triggers are reviewed
✓Import tag or batch value is applied
✓Smart list or saved view exists for the batch
✓Records were spot-checked after import
✓No unintended workflows fired
✓Import is documented

Common Mistakes

Watch for these

Uploading the raw CSV
Not saving the original file
Importing without a source
Importing without an import batch tag
Assuming consent is valid without review
Importing purchased or scraped lists into campaigns
Mapping columns too quickly
Creating one-off custom fields during import
Assuming the CRM will fix phone formatting
Forgetting to disable or filter risky workflows
Applying nurture before spot-checking records
Re-enabling workflows before confirming the import
Deleting duplicates blindly