Use the new guided import experience to upload contacts, companies, or key activities from a CSV or Excel file. This updated experience is faster, more reliable, available in all regions, and provides more ways to manage your data using import.
Both New Import and Legacy Import is available in the June 2026 release, New Import flow will be selected by default when you import.
This feature is part of our June 2026 release. Read more about what's coming soon here.
Before you begin
Supported file types: CSV and Excel
Supported object types: Contacts, Companies, and Key Activities
For multi-value fields, use semicolons to separate values in a single cell
Follow the below instructions to setup the file correctly for a smooth import
Start an import
You can open the same import experience from several places in the product:
Import → Start Import
Contacts list → Import
Companies list → Import
Workspaces and Apps → Import
Marketing Lists → Actions → Import Contacts
How to import your file
Upload your file.
Choose your CSV or Excel file to begin.
Map your columns.
Match each column in your file to the correct field in the system. If you do not want to import a column, select Do Not Import.
Choose how multi-value fields should be handled.
For supported multi-value fields, choose whether to add new values, replace existing values, or remove values.
Review validation results.
Fix any flagged issues before continuing.
Confirm the import.
Review the summary, acknowledge the confirmation checkbox, and start the background job.
Field mapping and validation
During mapping, the importer checks your data before the import runs. This helps you catch issues early and reduce cleanup later.
Address validation
If you map address-related fields such as City or State but do not map Country, the importer will warn you. Country is required for address validation.
If your file includes city, state, or other address details, map Country as well to avoid validation issues.
Duplicate rows
Duplicate rows in your file should be removed before you confirm the import. If there are duplicate rows of data, these will be flagged during import so you can remove the duplicate rows
Option values
If your file contains values that do not match the available options for a field, those values will be flagged so you can correct or remap them
How multi-value fields work
For multi-value fields such as tags, multi-select custom fields, or similar fields, you can choose one of three update modes.
Mode | What it does |
Add | Adds the imported values to the existing values without removing anything already there |
Replace | Replaces the existing values with the values from your file |
Remove | Removes the specified values from the existing set |
Replace is destructive. Use it only when you want the imported values to fully overwrite what is already stored.
This behavior applies to both native fields and supported custom fields.
Format multi-value cells correctly
Use semicolons to separate multiple values inside one cell.
Tag1;Tag2;Tag3
Comma-separated values may work in some cases, but semicolons are the recommended format.
Review and confirm
Before the import starts, the review screen shows a summary of what will be imported, including:
The number of records to be imported
After reviewing the summary, select the confirmation checkbox and choose Confirm to start the import.
Track import progress
Imports run as a background job. You can monitor progress after confirmation.
The progress percentage may update more slowly at times while records are actively being processed.
Supported custom fields
The new import flow supports custom fields, including multi-value custom fields where applicable.
Best practices
Start with a small test file if you are importing a new field type or trying a new update mode
Remove duplicate rows before you confirm the import
Use Add when you want to keep existing values and append new ones
Use Replace only when you are sure existing values should be overwritten
Use semicolons for multi-value field formatting
Troubleshooting
You likely mapped city, state, or other address fields without mapping country. Add a country column to your mapping and try again.
The values may not match the allowed options for that field. Review the flagged values and update or remap them before confirming the import.
Imports run in the background, and progress updates may briefly appear slower while records are being processed.
Need the older flow?
If your team still relies on the previous workflow, Legacy Import is still available from the import options. For most customers, the recommended choice is New Import.