Map each source column to the exact destination property in your CRM, or explicitly exclude it. Decide the object, required properties and unique identifier before importing. A header map can expose missing mappings; it cannot validate the contact values or prove that an import will update the intended records.

Map contact import headers

Enter header names only, one per line. Do not paste contact records, email addresses or other personal data. Use the exact property names from your CRM import screen.

    Nothing is uploaded, imported or saved by this worksheet. Reloading clears the entries. A passing result checks header mapping only and does not establish that a CRM import is safe.

    Worked contact mapping

    This example uses contact headers only, not real customer data. Suppose the source columns are Customer email, Given name, Family name, Company text and Old note. The intended contact properties are Email, First name, Last name and Company name.

    Source header Action Destination property Decision to verify
    Customer email Map Email Is this a suitable identifier for this contact import?
    Given name Map First name Keep separate from the surname
    Family name Map Last name Check the destination supports the data supplied
    Company text Map Company name A text property does not necessarily create or associate a company record
    Old note Explicitly ignore None Exclude only after the owner confirms the information is unnecessary or preserved elsewhere

    For this example, declare Email as the required property and identifier. The worksheet passes when every header is mapped or explicitly ignored, destination mappings are not duplicated, and the declared required and identifier properties are mapped. That is a structural check, not an import-readiness certificate.

    Choose the right record identifier

    An identifier tells the CRM whether a row belongs to an existing record. A name is usually a poor choice because different people can share it and one person’s spelling can change. Do not assume a phone number is a universal contact identifier.

    HubSpot documents Email, Record ID and supported custom unique-value properties for identifying contacts, with requirements depending on the import. Use Record ID when updating the intended existing records where appropriate. Check the current HubSpot import rules for the object and operation you are performing.

    Other CRMs have different matching and duplicate-handling options. For example, consult Zoho CRM’s import guidance before choosing add, update or duplicate-handling behavior. A worksheet cannot determine the correct setting from a column heading.

    Check values in an approved working copy

    Keep an export or backup appropriate to the system and work only with data you are authorized to process. Inspect required fields, identifier blanks, duplicate identifiers, dates, enumerated values, country formats and text encodings. Preserve leading zeros where meaningful; do not let a spreadsheet silently turn identifiers into numbers or dates.

    One contact per row is a simple single-object pattern, not a universal import rule. Multi-object imports may use repeated rows for associations, and some supported multi-value properties use delimiters within a cell. Follow the destination’s documented format rather than deleting repetition or splitting every delimiter automatically.

    Test the intended operation

    1. Confirm whether the import creates, updates or associates records, and which fields it may overwrite.
    2. Select a small authorized sample that includes a new contact, an existing contact and any association or multi-value case you need.
    3. Review the CRM’s own mapping and validation screen before committing the sample.
    4. Inspect the resulting records, associations, owners and history. Check for duplicate creation and unwanted workflow enrollment.
    5. Resolve errors before the larger import, and retain the actual import report and a recovery plan appropriate to the CRM.

    The local worksheet sends nothing to a CRM. Passing its checks does not test field values, permissions, consent, automation, identifier uniqueness or rollback behavior.

    After the import

    Give active contacts an owner and the appropriate next action. The CRM beginner guide explains record structure, and the follow-up checker helps review dates without inventing an outreach schedule.