Section 09 · Running the System

09Importing Your Data

If you're coming from another CRM or a pile of spreadsheets, the importer brings your history in by CSV — companies, historical activities and notes, and tasks. This section walks the flow and the choices that keep your data clean on the way in.

Three kinds of import

Go to Admin → Import. Pick what you're importing:

• Companies — one row per company, with optional contact columns. Existing companies are matched by domain, then name.
• Activities & Notes — historical calls, emails, meetings, and notes, each matched to a company and, optionally, a contact and the organizer. Rows with no type import as notes.
• Tasks — historical to-dos, matched to a company and owner.

The flow

1. Choose a CSV. The first row must be column headers. Up to 5,000 rows at a time.
2. Map the columns. The importer auto-matches common names (Domain, Company name, Phone, and so on); adjust any it didn't catch.
3. Preview. You'll see how many rows are importable and how many will be skipped (for example, rows with no company name).
4. Set options. For companies you can apply labels to every imported row and assign an account owner.
5. Choose how to handle duplicates (see below), then import.

Figure 9.1The importer, mid-flow. Map columns, preview, then import — with a summary at the end.

Handling duplicates

When a company in your file already exists, you choose what happens:

After import

You'll get a summary — created, updated, skipped, and any per-row errors, each with the row number and the reason. Imported companies are run through the funnel gates automatically, so a company that arrives with enough facts lands at the right stage. They are not auto-enrolled in a play; use the bulk Enroll in play action on the Companies list to start them.