The Data Importer lets you add Companies and Contacts to Prospect CRM in bulk using an Excel spreadsheet, so you can get all of your data into one place quickly.
Prerequisites
You'll need CRM Admin rights to follow the steps in this article.
Bulk import new companies and contacts
This process covers how to bulk-create new Company and Contact records. To find out more about updating existing records, see Bulk update via Excel.
Step 1: Access the Data Importer
In Prospect CRM, click People & Places from the navigation menu.
Select Data Importer.
Click create new records.
Step 2: Download the import template
The Data Importer uses an Excel spreadsheet template to import your new Companies and Contacts.
Select the data fields you want to include in your spreadsheet. Click Show More to make sure you don't miss any fields.
Click Download template.
📌 Note: Some fields are mandatory and will already be selected for you. There are also fields we strongly recommend including; see our Data Import Checklist for details. You can also include any custom fields you've set up in your CRM by selecting them here.
Step 3: Populate and upload your spreadsheet
Once you've downloaded the template, you can fill it in with your data.
Open your downloaded spreadsheet and enter your data. Any mandatory fields are marked with an asterisk (*) in the column header; you must include data in all of these cells.
Make sure the columns in your spreadsheet are an exact match to the template. Do not remove or rename any columns.
Click Next when you're ready to continue.
🤓 Tip: If you see errors related to mandatory fields, check that all fields marked with an asterisk (*) are filled in with valid data in the correct format.
📌 Note: Some fields require the data in your spreadsheet to exactly match the data already in your CRM, including spaces and capitalisation. This is particularly important for Products and Customers. If a field contains data that isn't relevant or available, consider removing that column from your import file to avoid errors. If you see errors with custom fields, check that the data matches one of the configured options in the CRM.
Step 4: Set your import rules
Import rules control how the Data Importer identifies and handles duplicate records against your existing CRM data.
Click Next.
Contacts
Duplicate Contacts are identified by matching email addresses against existing records. When a duplicate is found, you can choose what happens:
Skip: The duplicate Contact is not imported. This is the default setting.
Duplicate: The new Contact is still created. To keep all primary email addresses unique, the duplicate email address is stored in the Additional Emails field instead.
Companies
Duplicate Companies are identified by either their Sales Ledger code, or a combination of their Company Name and Postal or Zip Code. When a duplicate is detected, the existing record is used to assign any new Contacts.
Important: To avoid creating duplicate Company records, make sure you include the Company Name, Company Group, and Postal or Zip Code for every record you import.
Step 5: Upload your spreadsheet for validation
The Data Importer validates your data before completing the import.
Drag and drop your completed spreadsheet into the upload area, or click Select your spreadsheet to browse for the file on your computer.
If any data issues are found, review the errors shown and correct your spreadsheet before uploading again.
Click Next once the validation passes.
🤓 Tip: Testing your import with a small dataset first can help you spot and fix any issues before importing all of your data.
📌 Note: You can click Create New Records to add any missing options for fields that have the configure option available. This applies to all drop-down fields with the configure option.
If you're unable to resolve any errors, contact our Support team for help.
Step 6: Complete the import
Once you click Next, the import begins, and a progress bar shows you how much data has been processed.
Once the import is complete, you'll see a confirmation showing how many rows were successfully imported. Your new Companies and Contacts will now appear in Prospect CRM.
📌 Note: If you have a large amount of data, this step may take some time. You can close the Data Importer and it will continue running in the background.
Download previously imported data
To download the source data from a previous import:
In Prospect CRM, click People & Places from the navigation menu.
Select Data Importer.
Click the download icon next to the relevant import.