Import Contacts from CSV
CSV import creates contacts and places them into a list from an uploaded file. Prepare the file before upload so headers, values, and contact identifiers are consistent.
Prepare the CSV file
Use the first row for column headers and place one contact on each following row.
A simple file might contain:
first_name,last_name,email,phone,company
Ada,Lovelace,ada@example.com,+442079460000,Example Ltd
Grace,Hopper,grace@example.com,+12125550100,Example Inc
Before uploading:
- Remove title rows, merged cells, and totals.
- Give every column a unique header.
- Keep one type of value in each column.
- Normalize email addresses and phone numbers.
- Remove rows that contain no usable contact information.
- Save the file as CSV rather than an Excel workbook.
Cleo accepts files with a .csv extension or the text/csv media type. The upload page currently accepts files up to 5 MB and up to 50 columns.
Start the import
- Go to CRM > Lists.
- Select New list.
- Choose Import CSV.
- Enter a name for the resulting list.
- Select the CSV file.
- Review the preview.
- Submit the import.
The preview reads the header and sample rows in your browser. It helps catch an incorrect delimiter, missing header row, or unexpected column layout before upload.
Choose reliable identifiers
Email and phone values are the strongest common identifiers for contact imports. Use one person per row and avoid putting several email addresses into one cell.
Names are not reliable duplicate keys. Two people can share a name, and the same person may appear with a shortened or changed name.
If an external system provides a stable customer identifier, store it in a custom field so future reconciliation does not depend only on names.
Monitor the import
After submission, Cleo returns to the lists page while the import is processed. Open the list to review:
- Current list status
- Imported contact count
- Latest error, if the run failed
- Import history and timestamps
- Contacts added to the list
A failed run displays its error on the list page. Correct the source data before starting another import.
Re-import an existing file
Open a CSV-backed list and select Re-import CSV to process its stored file again. This is useful when a previous run failed for a temporary reason.
Re-importing is not a substitute for uploading a revised file. When rows or columns have changed, create a new list from the corrected CSV so the source is explicit.
Troubleshoot common CSV errors
The file is rejected
Confirm that the file ends in .csv, is no larger than 5 MB, has no more than 50 columns, and contains both a header row and at least one data row.
The preview shows one large column
The file may use a delimiter that the parser does not recognize. Export it as a standard comma-separated CSV and try again.
Characters look incorrect
Export the file using UTF-8 encoding. This preserves accented names and characters from different writing systems.
Phone numbers lost their leading plus sign
Spreadsheet software may treat phone numbers as numeric values. Format the source column as text before exporting.
The import created unexpected categories
Standardize categorical values before upload. For example, choose one country or lead-source spelling rather than several variations.
Use the CRM Data Cleanup guide before a large migration, and read Contact Lists to choose between imported and rule-based audiences.