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Importing and Mapping Contacts from .CSV Files

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Jake Crown
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SharpSpring enables you to import your contacts through a Comma-Separated Value (.CSV) spreadsheet by using the Import Tool.

In order to import the file properly, you will need to map your spreadsheet to SharpSpring.

This article will detail how to map contacts from your .CSV fields into SharpSpring fields.


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Important Information Regarding .CSV Files

The Import Tool uses information from .CSV files and creates contact lists from this information. These files contain only alphanumeric data and are presented in a table format.

Any .CSV file that you import should be structured similar to the following:

First Name Last Name Email Is Unsubscribed
Galileo Galilei g@polymath.com

0
Edwin  Hubble space@extragalatic.com

0
Hipparchus   math@trig.com

1


When importing .CSV files, be aware of the following:

  • Header rows are required. Header rows are necessary for mapping SharpSpring fields to imported fields.
  • Email fields are required. The Import Tool requires that your .CSV file contain a column mapped to the Email field. You will still need to include the Email column when a contact does not have an email address. 
  • Is Unsubscribed fields are required. For SharpSpring to successfully import a .CSV file, the file needs one column header that is labeled as Is Unsubscribed. The Is Unsubscribed field should be a boolean field, where 0 is for leads who are opted in, and 1 is for leads who are not opted in.
  • Utilize first and last names. For the import to be successful, a first and last name are suggested in the event that you do not have an email address for that contact. Use both as often as possible.
  • Values must match. When importing custom field values, ensure that they are formatted to match the custom field values. For example, picklist and checkbox values are case-sensitive.
  • When importing data with picklist and checkbox fields, the fields must be present in the file import in order to appear. Ensure that the picklist or checkbox fields in your file exist before importing. Otherwise, the data may not import properly.
  • When importing to a checkbox custom field, the data cannot have spaces between values and commas. An example of this would be value1,value2,value3. 

For more information on how to structure .CSV files and what they should contain, refer to the following help articles:


Importing Contacts

You can import contacts through the Import Tool.

To import contacts, do the following: 

  1. Click Contacts in SharpSpring's left toolbar.
  2. Click  12more.png  Options > Import Contacts.
  3. Scroll to the bottom of the Import Tool page.
  4. Select the appropriate delimiter from the Select delimiter drop-down menu.
  5. Select the appropriate date format from the Select date format drop-down menu.
  6. Select the appropriate time format from the Select time format drop-down menu.
  7. Click Choose a File.
  8. Choose the applicable .CSV file. 
  9. Click Upload .CSV File.
  10. Select either New List or Use Existing List, located under List Settings on the Import Contacts page.
  

Click to enlarge.

 
Note: You can import notes via the CRM Migration Tool.
  1. Depending on the list type, do one of the following in the List Name text box:
    • New lists: Enter a name for the list.
    • Existing lists: Enter the name of the desired existing list to add contacts to.
  2. Select from the following options the How Should We Handle Duplicates? drop-down menu:
    • Do not update: Duplicate fields and information are not updated.
    • Update only new: Adds information from a new column.
    • Update new and existing: Updates all fields and information in the record.
  3. Select one of the following in the Import Unassigned Leads in List As... drop-down menu:
    • Open
    • Unqualified Leads
    • Qualified Leads
    • Contacts
    • Customers
  4. Optionally, do the following:
    • Click the Overwrite Existing Lead Status? checkbox.
    • In the drop-down menu that appears, select the desired status.
  5. Optionally, do the following:
    • Click the Assign to a campaign? checkbox.
    • In the drop-down menu that appears, select the desired campaign.
  6. Optionally, do the following:
    • Click the Assign leads to a particular user? checkbox.
    • In the drop-down menu that appears, select the desired user.


Mapping Fields  

When importing .CSV files, SharpSpring tries to automatically map certain standard fields like First Name, Last Name, and Email.

It is not always able to do so, but you may see fields already mapped.

You can reassign these fields if you do not want to map them how SharpSpring tries to map them for you.

To map contacts when importing .CSV files, do the following:

  1. Import an applicable .CSV file.
  2. Select the appropriate fields to map to in the field text boxes.
  3. Optionally, click the Make Custom Field box to import the column as a custom field.
  4. Repeat as necessary for all applicable fields.
  5. Click Import.
  6. Type Confirm in the pop-up window that appears.
  7. Click the I confirm that my unsubscribed contacts are mapped correctly and that this list is not purchased checkbox.
  8. Click Import.
  

Click to enlarge.
Important: When importing and mapping contacts, use SharpSpring fields already present in the system when possible instead of duplicating the fields. Importing and mapping custom fields with the same name as system fields results in those system fields being rendered invisible and unusable in the platform. For more information on available system fields, refer to Available SharpSpring System Fields. To restore system fields, contact SharpSpring Support.

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