How to Import Contacts from a Spreadsheet

If you are moving to SalesKey from a spreadsheet or another CRM, you can import your existing contacts in bulk using a CSV file. This guide walks you through the full process.

Before You Start: Prepare Your File

SalesKey imports contacts from CSV files (comma-separated values). If your data is in Excel or Google Sheets, export it as a .csv file first.

Required Columns

Your CSV must include at least one of the following:

• First Name and/or Last Name
• Email Address

Recommended Columns to Include

Column	Description
First Name	Contact's first name
Last Name	Contact's last name
Email	Primary email address
Phone	Phone number (any format)
Company	Organisation name
Job Title	Contact's role
Country	Country of the contact
Tags	Comma-separated tags (e.g. "lead, warm, referral")
Notes	Any existing notes about the contact

Tips for a Clean Import

• Remove duplicate rows before importing — SalesKey will flag duplicates based on email address
• Use consistent formats for phone numbers and dates
• Leave blank cells empty rather than filling them with "N/A" or "-"
• One contact per row — do not merge cells or use sub-headers

Step 1: Go to the Import Tool

1. In the left sidebar, click Contacts
2. Click the Import button in the top-right corner
3. Select Import from CSV

Step 2: Upload Your File

1. Click Choose File or drag and drop your CSV into the upload area
2. SalesKey will read your file and display a preview of the first few rows
3. Confirm the file looks correct, then click Continue

Step 3: Map Your Columns

SalesKey will attempt to automatically match your column headers to the correct fields. Review each mapping and correct any that are wrong.

For each column in your file, select the corresponding SalesKey field from the dropdown. If a column does not have a matching field, select Do Not Import to skip it.

Example mapping:

Your Column	Maps To
Full Name	First Name + Last Name
Email Address	Email
Mobile	Phone
Company Name	Organisation
Role	Job Title

Tip: If you have a "Full Name" column instead of separate first/last name columns, select Full Name and SalesKey will split it automatically.

Step 4: Set Import Options

Before finalising, configure how SalesKey handles duplicates and ownership:

Duplicate handling:

• Skip duplicates — If a contact with the same email already exists, skip the new row (recommended for first-time imports)
• Update existing — Overwrite existing contact data with the imported values
• Create duplicates — Import all rows regardless of duplicates (not recommended)

Assign to:

• Choose a team member to assign all imported contacts to, or leave unassigned

Step 5: Run the Import

1. Click Start Import
2. SalesKey will process the file — this usually takes a few seconds for small files and up to a couple of minutes for large ones (10,000+ contacts)
3. You will see a progress bar and a summary when the import is complete

Reviewing Import Results

Once complete, SalesKey shows a summary:

• ✅ Imported successfully — number of new contacts created
• ⚠️ Skipped — duplicates that were skipped based on your settings
• ❌ Errors — rows that could not be imported (usually due to missing required fields)

Click Download Error Report to get a CSV of any rows that failed, with the reason for each failure. Fix the errors and re-import just those rows.

After Importing

Once your contacts are in SalesKey, you can:

• Add them to deals — create a new deal and link the contact
• Tag and segment — use tags to group contacts for filtering and automation
• Assign follow-up tasks — set activities against contacts so nothing falls through the cracks

Frequently Asked Questions

How many contacts can I import at once?
There is no hard limit, but we recommend splitting very large files (50,000+ rows) into batches for faster processing and easier error review.

Can I import company/organisation records separately?
Yes. In the Import tool, switch the import type from Contacts to Organisations to bulk-import companies.

Will importing contacts count towards any limit?
No. SalesKey does not cap the number of contacts you can store regardless of your plan.

Can I undo an import?
Not automatically. If you need to remove imported contacts, use the Bulk Select feature in the Contacts list to select and delete them. This is why we recommend keeping a backup of your CSV before importing.

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Need help with your import? Send your CSV and a description of the issue to support@saleskey.com and our team will assist you.