Import leads from a CSV file in Leadnote

You import leads into Leadnote from a spreadsheet saved as a CSV file: choose the list that should receive the leads, upload the file, match your columns to Leadnote fields, check it with a dry run and start the import. This page is the full reference. For a first import, the short walk-through is easier, and import errors explains every message.

Before you start

1. Put unique, non-blank column headers in the first row. Each following row is one lead.
2. Give every lead a First Name and either an Email or a Mobile number, written with the country code, such as +91 98765 43210.
3. In Excel choose File > Save As > CSV (a UTF-8 CSV keeps accented characters intact).
4. Optionally download the CSV Template from the import page to see the recommended columns.

The file can be up to 20 MB (about 200,000 rows). Comma, semicolon and tab separators are detected automatically, and .tsv and .txt files load too.

Open the importer

Any of these opens the same three-step wizard: Select File, Map Fields and Import Results.

• Add Leads in the sidebar, then the Import from Excel card.
• Data Management, then Import leads, or Settings, Data Management, Import.
• The Import leads button on Leads & Customers when you have no leads yet.

Step 1: select a list and upload

1. Under Select List, pick the list that receives the leads. Rows without an owner follow that list's allocation rule, which the page shows.
2. Under File Upload, browse for or drag in your CSV. Leadnote shows Records found and the detected headers.
3. Under Duplicate Record Handling, choose what happens when a row matches an existing lead by email ID or mobile number:

4. Click Next: Map Fields.

Mobile numbers are compared by their last 10 digits, so the same number written with or without the country code counts as one. A row repeated inside your own file is a duplicate of the earlier row. Updated leads stay in the list they are already in.

Step 2: map your columns

Each column of your file is listed with sample data and a suggested field. Change a suggestion in the menu, or choose -- Do Not Import -- to skip a column.

• Auto Map matches the remaining columns by name and keeps your manual choices. Clear All removes the mapping.
• Required fields carry a star, and a notice names any that is still unmapped.
• A field takes one column. If you pick one already in use, Leadnote asks whether to move it.
• For date columns choose the Date format in your file, or leave -- Auto Detect --. With Auto Detect, a date such as 01/02/2024 is read day first.

Fields you can map: First Name, Last Name, Designation, Organization Name, Website, Email, Mobile, Direct Phone, Office Phone, Address Line 1 and 2, City, State, Country, Zip, Lead Stage, Lead Source, Assigned To, Potential, Product Group, Customer Group, Tags, Deal Size, Next Follow-up Date, Date of Birth, Special Event Date and Notes. Notes on specific fields:

• A single Name column is used as the First Name.
• Lead Stage is matched by stage name. An unknown or empty name gives the lead your first pipeline stage. See lead stages.
• Lead Source left empty becomes "Import".
• Assigned To is a user's email address. It always wins over the list rule, and an address that matches nobody makes that row fail.
• Tags can be separated by commas or semicolons.
• Potential accepts High, Medium, Low or Not Relevant. Rows without it get Low.
• Next Follow-up Date sets the follow-up for 09:00 that day in your organisation time zone.
• Deal Size must be a plain number.

Check before you import

Click Check without importing. The Dry run result shows how many rows would be created, updated or skipped, how many have errors, a preview of the first 10 records and the rows that need attention. Nothing is saved. Above 2,000 rows only the first 1,000 are previewed, and the rest is checked while importing. Fix the file or mapping until the numbers look right, then click Start Import.

Step 3: watch the results

A file of up to 2,000 rows finishes at once. A larger file shows a progress panel with a percentage, an estimate and live counts. You can leave the page: the import continues on the server.

Cancel import stops after the batch in progress, at most 500 rows. Rows already imported stay, and a cancelled import cannot be resumed: upload the file again and the leads that exist are skipped as duplicates. If an import shows Failed, use Resume import to continue from the last saved batch.

When it finishes you see Successfully Imported, Duplicates Skipped, Failed Records and Total Processed. Download the Error Report or Duplicate Report: each lists the original columns plus the row number and the reason. Correct the failed rows and import only those rows again.

The first step also shows your Recent imports. Use the menu on a row to open it, cancel it, download its error report or remove it from the list (the imported leads stay). View Import Logs lists the imports of the last 90 days.

Who can import

By default the account owner and managers can run the whole wizard. L1 and L2 users see a notice with a link back to the dashboard, although L1 users can still export from the lead list. The account owner can change these permissions.

After importing

Assign the leads or let the list rule do it, merge repeats and schedule follow-ups.