Importing Leads from CSV

Bulk import leads from a spreadsheet or CSV file

10 minutes
Beginner

Importing Leads from CSV

Save time by importing multiple leads at once from a CSV file or spreadsheet.

Preparing Your CSV File

Before importing, prepare your CSV file with the following columns:

Required Columns

  • first_name or firstName
  • last_name or lastName
  • email

Optional Columns

  • phone
  • destination or desiredDestination
  • budget - Single budget amount (not min/max)
  • departureDate or departure_date - Trip departure date (YYYY-MM-DD)
  • returnDate or return_date - Trip return date (YYYY-MM-DD)
  • status - Trip status (NEW, QUALIFIED, PLANNING, QUOTED, FOLLOWING_UP, BOOKED, etc.)
  • source
  • notes - Will be imported as an Activity record (type "NOTE")
  • assignedTo or assigned_to (email address of team member)

CSV Format Example

Here's an example CSV file:

first_name,last_name,email,phone,destination,budget,departureDate,returnDate,status,source,notes
John,Smith,john@example.com,555-0100,Italy,6500,2025-06-01,2025-06-15,PLANNING,Website,Interested in Tuscany region
Jane,Doe,jane@example.com,555-0101,Greece,4000,2025-07-10,2025-07-24,QUALIFIED,Referral,Looking for island hopping
Bob,Johnson,bob@example.com,555-0102,Japan,12500,2025-09-01,2025-09-15,NEW,Email,First time visiting Asia

Note:

  • budget is a single number (the system will create a trip with this budget)
  • departureDate and returnDate should be in YYYY-MM-DD format
  • notes will be imported as an Activity record with type "NOTE"
  • status can be trip statuses like NEW, QUALIFIED, PLANNING, QUOTED, etc.

Importing Your CSV

Step 1: Navigate to Import Page

  1. Go to Leads page
  2. Click "Import Leads" button (usually near the "Add Lead" button)
  3. Or go directly to /dashboard/leads/import

Step 2: Upload Your CSV File

  1. Click "Choose File" or drag and drop your CSV file
  2. Select your CSV file
  3. Wait for the file to upload

Step 3: Map Columns

The system will try to automatically match your columns. Review and adjust:

  1. Match columns - Map your CSV columns to LeadsFollow fields
  2. Review preview - See a preview of how your data will be imported
  3. Check for errors - Fix any validation errors before importing

Step 4: Review and Import

  1. Review the import summary:
    • Total rows
    • Valid rows
    • Errors (if any)
  2. Click "Import Leads"
  3. Wait for the import to complete

Handling Import Errors

If you see errors during import:

Common Issues

Missing Required Fields

  • Ensure all leads have first name, last name, and email
  • Remove or fill in rows with missing required data

Invalid Email Format

  • Check email addresses are properly formatted
  • Remove invalid email addresses

Duplicate Emails

  • The system may skip duplicates
  • Review duplicate leads manually

Invalid Status Values

  • Status can be trip statuses: NEW, QUALIFIED, PLANNING, QUOTED, FOLLOWING_UP, BOOKED, IN_PROGRESS, COMPLETED, CANCELLED, DEAD
  • Fix invalid statuses before importing

Notes Import

  • Notes from the CSV are imported as Activity records (type "NOTE")
  • They appear in the Timeline and Notes sections of the lead detail page
  • Notes are stored per trip, not per lead

Tips for Successful Imports

  1. Clean your data first - Remove empty rows, fix formatting issues
  2. Use consistent formats - Dates in YYYY-MM-DD format, phone numbers, etc.
  3. Validate emails - Make sure email addresses are valid
  4. Check status values - Use exact status names (all caps)
  5. Single budget field - Use one budget number, not min/max
  6. Include dates - Add departure and return dates for accurate trip creation
  7. Test with a small file - Import 5-10 leads first to verify format
  8. Save your original file - Keep a backup of your CSV file

Exporting Leads

You can also export your existing leads to CSV:

  1. Go to Leads page
  2. Click "Export" button
  3. Choose export format (CSV)
  4. Download the file

This is useful for:

  • Creating backups
  • Making bulk edits in spreadsheet software
  • Migrating data

Related Guides

Next: Learn about lead statuses and what they mean →

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