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Import Contacts Guide

Everything you need to know about importing contacts into bulk3

📁 Supported Import Formats

bulk3 supports importing contacts from CSV (Comma Separated Values) files. This is the most common format exported by other CRM systems, spreadsheet applications, and contact management tools.

✅ Supported Sources

  • Excel/Google Sheets (exported as CSV)
  • Other CRM systems (Salesforce, HubSpot, etc.)
  • Email clients (Outlook, Gmail contacts)
  • Custom CSV files with proper formatting

📋 Required CSV Format

Your CSV file should have headers in the first row and data in subsequent rows. Here's the recommended format:

Sample CSV Structure

Name Email Phone Company Title Status
John Smith john@example.com +1-555-123-4567 Tech Corp Sales Manager Lead
Sarah Johnson sarah@company.com 555-987-6543 Design Studio Creative Director Prospect

Supported Field Types

  • Name - Full name or separate First/Last name columns
  • Email - Primary email address
  • Phone - Phone number (any format)
  • Company - Company or organization name
  • Title - Job title or position
  • Status - Lead status (Lead, Prospect, Client, etc.)
  • Notes - Additional information
  • Tags - Comma-separated tags

📤 Step-by-Step Import Process

  1. Prepare Your CSV File
    • Ensure headers are in the first row
    • Remove any empty rows at the top
    • Check for special characters that might cause issues
  2. Open bulk3 and Navigate to Import
    • Launch the bulk3 app
    • Go to the CRM tab
    • Tap on "Import" in the top navigation
  3. Select Your CSV File
    • Tap "Select CSV File"
    • Choose your file from Files, iCloud, or other storage
    • Wait for the file to be analyzed
  4. Map Your Fields
    • Review the automatic field mapping
    • Adjust mappings if needed using the dropdown menus
    • Skip fields you don't want to import
  5. Review and Import
    • Preview the first few records
    • Tap "Import Contacts" to begin
    • Wait for the import to complete

⚠️ Common Issues and Solutions

🚫 Import Failed or Incomplete

  • Large files: Split files with 1000+ contacts into smaller batches
  • Encoding issues: Save your CSV with UTF-8 encoding
  • Special characters: Remove or replace characters like quotes, commas in data
  • Memory issues: Close other apps and restart bulk3 before importing

📧 Email Format Issues

  • Ensure emails follow standard format: user@domain.com
  • Remove spaces before/after email addresses
  • Check for duplicate email addresses

📞 Phone Number Problems

  • Phone numbers can be in any format, but consistency helps
  • Include country codes for international numbers
  • Remove special formatting if import fails

🎯 Best Practices

💡 Pro Tips for Successful Imports

  • Clean your data first: Remove duplicates and fix formatting in your spreadsheet
  • Test with small batches: Import 10-20 contacts first to verify mapping
  • Use consistent naming: Keep field names simple (Name, Email, Phone)
  • Backup before importing: Export existing contacts as backup
  • Plan your tags: Prepare tag categories before import
  • Set up lists first: Create target lists for immediate organization

🔄 After Import

Once your import is complete:

  1. Review imported contacts - Check for any missing or incorrect data
  2. Organize with lists - Add contacts to relevant lists for campaigns
  3. Apply tags - Categorize contacts with appropriate tags
  4. Set lead statuses - Update contact statuses based on your sales process
  5. Start engaging - Begin your outreach campaigns

🎉 Ready to Import?

Now you're equipped with everything you need to successfully import your contacts into bulk3.

Back to Support Center
Import Contacts Guide - bulk3 CRM
Back to Support

Import Contacts Guide

Everything you need to know about importing contacts into bulk3

📁 Supported Import Formats

bulk3 supports importing contacts from CSV (Comma Separated Values) files. This is the most common format exported by other CRM systems, spreadsheet applications, and contact management tools.

✅ Supported Sources

  • Excel/Google Sheets (exported as CSV)
  • Other CRM systems (Salesforce, HubSpot, etc.)
  • Email clients (Outlook, Gmail contacts)
  • Custom CSV files with proper formatting

📋 Required CSV Format

Your CSV file should have headers in the first row and data in subsequent rows. Here's the recommended format:

Sample CSV Structure

Name Email Phone Company Title Status
John Smith john@example.com +1-555-123-4567 Tech Corp Sales Manager Lead
Sarah Johnson sarah@company.com 555-987-6543 Design Studio Creative Director Prospect

Supported Field Types

  • Name - Full name or separate First/Last name columns
  • Email - Primary email address
  • Phone - Phone number (any format)
  • Company - Company or organization name
  • Title - Job title or position
  • Status - Lead status (Lead, Prospect, Client, etc.)
  • Notes - Additional information
  • Tags - Comma-separated tags

📤 Step-by-Step Import Process

  1. Prepare Your CSV File
    • Ensure headers are in the first row
    • Remove any empty rows at the top
    • Check for special characters that might cause issues
  2. Open bulk3 and Navigate to Import
    • Launch the bulk3 app
    • Go to the CRM tab
    • Tap on "Import" in the top navigation
  3. Select Your CSV File
    • Tap "Select CSV File"
    • Choose your file from Files, iCloud, or other storage
    • Wait for the file to be analyzed
  4. Map Your Fields
    • Review the automatic field mapping
    • Adjust mappings if needed using the dropdown menus
    • Skip fields you don't want to import
  5. Review and Import
    • Preview the first few records
    • Tap "Import Contacts" to begin
    • Wait for the import to complete

⚠️ Common Issues and Solutions

🚫 Import Failed or Incomplete

  • Large files: Split files with 1000+ contacts into smaller batches
  • Encoding issues: Save your CSV with UTF-8 encoding
  • Special characters: Remove or replace characters like quotes, commas in data
  • Memory issues: Close other apps and restart bulk3 before importing

📧 Email Format Issues

  • Ensure emails follow standard format: user@domain.com
  • Remove spaces before/after email addresses
  • Check for duplicate email addresses

📞 Phone Number Problems

  • Phone numbers can be in any format, but consistency helps
  • Include country codes for international numbers
  • Remove special formatting if import fails

🎯 Best Practices

💡 Pro Tips for Successful Imports

  • Clean your data first: Remove duplicates and fix formatting in your spreadsheet
  • Test with small batches: Import 10-20 contacts first to verify mapping
  • Use consistent naming: Keep field names simple (Name, Email, Phone)
  • Backup before importing: Export existing contacts as backup
  • Plan your tags: Prepare tag categories before import
  • Set up lists first: Create target lists for immediate organization

🔄 After Import

Once your import is complete:

  1. Review imported contacts - Check for any missing or incorrect data
  2. Organize with lists - Add contacts to relevant lists for campaigns
  3. Apply tags - Categorize contacts with appropriate tags
  4. Set lead statuses - Update contact statuses based on your sales process
  5. Start engaging - Begin your outreach campaigns

🎉 Ready to Import?

Now you're equipped with everything you need to successfully import your contacts into bulk3.

Back to Support Center