How to Import and Export Companies and Contacts and Using CSV
Introduction
Managing your contacts and companies efficiently is crucial for any business, and this comprehensive guide provides detailed instructions for importing and exporting data using CSV files. Whether you're looking to bulk upload new contacts, update existing company information, or export your data for backup purposes, you'll find step-by-step procedures and essential best practices. The guide covers everything from preparing your CSV files with the correct template structure to troubleshooting common import issues.
📒 Before importing contacts, you must have companies set up in your system first. The Company Numeric ID is a required field and must match existing company records in the system. This guide will walk you through all the necessary steps to successfully manage your contact and company data through CSV operations.
In this article
How to Import Companies with CSV
How to Export Companies to CSV
How to Import Contacts with CSV
How to Export Contacts to CSV
Best Practices for CSV Operations
Troubleshooting Common Issues
How to Import Companies with CSV
To import companies using a CSV file:
Navigate to the Companies tab
Click the arrow (▼) on the New button
Select Import from CSV from the dropdown menu
🌟 Quick tip: Need to add just one company? Click "New" directly – no need to use the dropdown!
Preparing Your Company CSV
Use our Company CSV Template: 🔗 Link to Download a Template
Ensure all required fields are properly formatted
🛠️ Note: Only CSV format is accepted
Company CSV Template Structure
| Field | Example | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Company Numeric ID | AUTO | Optional. System-generated, cannot be manually specified. Leave empty or use "AUTO" for new companies. To update existing companies, use their existing ID |
| Company Name | Acme Corporation | Required |
| Status | ACTIVE | Required. Must be either ACTIVE or INACTIVE |
| Address Street | 123 Main Street | Optional |
| Address City | New York | Optional |
| Address Zip Code | 10001 | Optional |
| Address Country | USA | Optional |
| Account Email | info@acmecorp.com | Optional. Company email address. Must be valid email format (e.g., name@domain.com). Use semicolon ( ; ) to separate multiple emails |
| Account Work Number | +1-555-345-6789 | Optional. Company phone number. Use semicolon ( ; ) to separate multiple numbers |
| Currency | EUR | Required. Must be supported by your account (e.g., EUR, PLN, USD) |
| Payment Terms | Net 30 | Optional |
Upload and Import Process
Drag and drop or click to upload your CSV file
Check Update existing companies if you want to update records with matching IDs:
If checked: Companies with matching IDs will be updated with new information from your CSV
If unchecked: Companies with matching IDs will be skipped - even if you've changed their data in the CSV file
Click Import to process
👉 Important: If you don't check "Update existing companies" but your CSV contains companies that already exist in the system, those records will be skipped entirely and won't be updated.
Handling Company Import Results
The results dashboard will show:
Records Processed - Total number of companies in your CSV file
✅ Records Added - New companies successfully created in the system
✅ Records Updated - Existing companies that were updated with new information (only if "Update existing companies" was checked)
⏯️ Records Skipped - Existing companies that were skipped because "Update existing companies" wasn't checked
🔺 Records Had Errors - Companies that couldn't be imported due to validation errors
If some records couldn't be imported:
Review errors in the data grid
Hover over warning icons for details
Common company errors:
Invalid status values (must be "ACTIVE" or "INACTIVE")
Unsupported currency codes (must be supported by your account)
Missing required fields (Company Name, Status, Currency)
Invalid Company Numeric ID (use "AUTO" or leave empty for new companies)
How to Export Companies to CSV
To export your Companies:
Go to the Companies tab
Click Export to CSV
A CSV file with all your companies will be generated and downloaded
How to Import Contacts with CSV
To import contacts using a CSV file:
Navigate to the Contacts tab
Click the arrow (▼) on the New button
Select Import from CSV from the dropdown menu
🌟 Quick tip: Need to add just one contact? Click "New" directly – no need to use the dropdown!
Preparing Your CSV File
Before importing, you need to prepare your CSV file correctly:
Download and use our CSV Import Template: 🔗 Link Download a Template
Ensure your CSV includes all required fields
Contact CSV Template Structure
| Field | Example | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Contact Numeric ID | AUTO | Optional. System-generated, cannot be manually specified. Leave empty or use "AUTO" for new contacts. To update existing contacts, use their existing ID |
| First Name | John | Required |
| Last Name | Smith | Required |
| Emails | john.smith@company.com | Optional. Work email address. Must be valid email format (e.g., name@domain.com). Use semicolon ( ; ) to separate multiple emails |
| Phone Numbers | +1-555-345-6789 | Optional. Work phone number. Use semicolon ( ; ) to separate multiple numbers |
| Company Numeric ID | 25 | Required. Must match existing company ID |
| Status | ACTIVE | Required. Must be either ACTIVE or INACTIVE |
| Address Street | 123 Main Street | Optional |
| Address City | New York | Optional |
| Address Zip Code | 10001 | Optional |
| Address Country | USA | Optional |
| LinkedIn Account | linkedin.com/in/johnsmith | Optional. LinkedIn profile URL |
Uploading Your CSV File
In the Import Contacts modal, you can Drag and drop your CSV file into the designated area or click Upload File to browse and select your file
Import Options
Before importing, you'll see an option to Update existing contacts. What does this mean?
If you check this box: We'll update any contacts that already exist in your system (based on their ID) with the new information from your CSV
If you leave it unchecked: We'll skip any contacts that already exist - even if you've changed their data in the CSV file. These records won't be updated and will appear as skipped in your import results
💡 Tip: Not sure? Leave it unchecked for your first import to avoid accidentally overwriting data. You can always run the import again with the box checked if you need to update existing records.
Import Process
After uploading your file, you'll see a green success area with a file. Click Import to start processing your contacts. If there's an error, check your connection and try again.
Import Results
After processing, you'll see the Import Results dashboard showing:
Records Processed - Total number of records in your CSV file
✅ Records Added - New contacts successfully created
✅ Records Updated - Existing contacts that were updated with new information (only if "Update existing contacts" was checked)
⏯️ Records Skipped - Existing contacts that were skipped because "Update existing contacts" wasn't checked
🔺 Records Had Errors - Contacts that couldn't be imported due to validation errors
Handling Import Errors
If some records couldn't be imported:
Review the error data grid below the results
Each error row shows the problematic record, a warning icon indicating the error, hover over the icon for detailed error information
Common errors include: ID contains letters (must be numbers only), missing required fields (First Name, Last Name) or invalid data format
Click to download a CSV file containing only the failed records
Correct the errors in the downloaded file
Re-upload the corrected file
How to Export Contacts to CSV
To export your contacts to a CSV file:
Go to the Contacts tab
Click the Export CSV button
Your contact list will be instantly downloaded as a CSV file containing all current contacts.
Best Practices for CSV Operations
Always back up your data before performing bulk updates
Test with a small batch first to ensure your CSV format is correct
Review the template carefully to understand required fields and formats
Use the update option cautiously - it will overwrite existing data
Keep your CSV files organized with clear naming conventions
Troubleshooting Common Issues
Upload fails: Check file format (must be .csv), verify internet connection
All records show errors: Review template format, ensure proper column headers
ID errors: Ensure IDs contain only numbers, no letters or special characters
Status errors: Use only accepted values (e.g., "ACTIVE" or "INACTIVE")
Missing data errors: Fill in all required fields before importing
Updated on: 17/06/2025
Thank you!