You can add multiple leads, contacts, and deals by importing a CSV (comma separated values) file that contains the customer data, rather than adding contacts or leads individually.
The following article explains how to upload your prepared CSV file. See Creating a CSV file to upload your contacts, leads, and deals if you need to create a CSV file.
This article covers the following topics:
- Uploading your CSV file
- Importing your settings and mapping
- Review your import selections
- Undo an import
You'll import leads, contacts, and deals separately to Sell.
For information on how Sell defines leads and contacts, see Leads, contacts, and deals In Zendesk Sell.
Uploading your CSV file
When you've prepared your CSV file, you are ready to import your contacts, leads, and deals.
To import data into Sell
-
Click the Settings icon (
), then select Data > Import.
Click Import new data. - Click CSV as the file type you want to import.
- Select Import Leads, Import Contacts, or Import Deals & Contacts.
- Drag and drop your file, or click Select file to navigate and upload your file.
- Click Next.
Note: Depending on the size of your file, Sell can take a few minutes to process the file.
Importing your settings and mapping
On the Import your Data page, provide additional details on how you want to handle your data.
If you’re only updating fields on existing leads and contacts by overriding existing fields with new data (empty or not) select:
- During the import, I want to: Add new leads or contacts and make updates to existing leads or contacts
- If data currently in Zendesk Sell does not match data in the import: Update all existing Zendesk Sell data with new data from the import file
Explanation of Import your Data options
-
Add new leads or contacts and make updates to existing leads or contacts. Use this option if you are adding new leads or contacts while also making changes to leads or contacts that already exist in Sell.
- Add only new leads or contacts currently not in Sell. Use this option if you are importing all new data, such as adding leads or contacts that have never been imported into Sell before.
- Only update existing Sell lead or contact with new data from the import file. Use this option when you already have leads or contacts in Sell that you’re working with, but you have some additional data that you would like to add to their records. To avoid duplicates and be sure the new data is added to the appropriate lead or contact, you will need to select fields that are present on existing leads or contacts in Sell, so we know to match the new data to the corresponding record.
When you select an option that includes updating existing leads or contacts, there is a choice for If data currently in Zendesk Sell does not match data in the import. This indicates that you are making changes to your leads or contacts that already exist in Sell. The fields that appear on your leads or contacts can either have an existing value or be empty, and this indicates that you have the option for the new data from your file to override these existing field values or to fill an empty field.
You'll be prompted to choose:
- Update only empty Sell fields with data from the import file. Use this option to put data from your import file into existing empty fields, and will not overwrite any fields that currently have a value.
- Update all existing Sell data with new data from the import file. Use this option to overwrite all field values whether empty or not with the data from your import file.
- Automatically create a custom field to retain both values. Use this option to create a new custom fields (usually called Address) or you'll see an additional option if you are importing leads, which you will not see when importing contacts or deals:
If a lead in the import file already exists as a contact in Zendesk Sell:
- Do not import it
- Import it and create duplicate leads
Mapping
On the mapping screen, choose the fields that you would like to map each column of data to. If you use the default fields as outlined above, the importer will automatically make suggestions based on the column header.
Select the correct field to map each column. Here you can also map to custom fields that are already created, or, if necessary, add as a new field.
You might find that sometimes (most commonly with a contact import) that you have choices to make. A contact can be imported as a person or a company, so if your header doesn't specify this, you'll be asked to clarify whether you want this data applied to the person or company contact.
If the importer doesn't have a suggestion, such as a tag field, you can click the dropdown box to find the relevant default or custom field in your list. You can type the name of the field and the importer automatically filters the list.
When you have mapped a field, you have options to edit and ignore:
Click edit to change your import settings. If you select Ignore, the entire column is ignored and the data is not imported. If you accidentally select Ignore, just click Import this column to bring you back to the mapping settings.
Reviewing your import selections
When all your fields are mapped, you can review both your import settings and field mapping parameters. This shows you all the fields that you are mapping and example values from your CSV file. If something is incorrect, return to Mapping settings to make a change or click Import to finish the process.
Undo an import
You can reverse an import from Data > Import. At the bottom of the page you'll see a list of your completed imports by date.
Select Revert Import to remove the data that was included in this file from your account.
When an import is reversed, your custom fields and tags created during the import are left intact in your account. Also, as noted above in Explanation of Import your Data options, reverting an import does not remove the data that was merged into existing leads and contacts. Only newly created leads and contacts are removed.
5 Comments
How do I import Deals with different currencies?
Hi Zak Wilkowski,
When importing a CSV file with a column of Deal Names and Deal Values, the currency of all those Deals will default to the account currency.
Your account currency is set in your Settings > Manage > Account > Account Currency. Once you import/add Deals to your account, you can always change the currency for that specific Deal or use Sell's API to update the currencies.
Additionally, you can separate your CSV file into separate files of Deals with different currencies. Then, complete separate imports (and change the account currency between imports) so that you can import different currencies in bulk! Changing your account currency does not impact existing Deals, only future Deals added to the account.
I will be sure to pass this feedback to our Product Team that you are looking to import Deals with different currencies! If any other accounts share this functionality, please upvote Zak's post above :)
Hi, how do we ensure the imported data is mapped to the existing Contact email address in Sell and the Import does not create a Duplicate entry? I have the Duplication rules set to ONLY Email and to not allow Duplicates. Every time in the past and just today when I import 13,000 Contacts Sell creates new Contacts for these records.... even though I know the vast majority of them are already in Sell with the same Address. Because I exported the data from Sell and amended new fields to it. When we re-import the records New Contacts are created - have never gotten this to work successfully - hoping you can point out the issue.
Thank you
Hi Dustin Glasscoe,
I would recommend using the Batch updating using a CSV file option if you are updating existing Contacts in your account with new information.
Navigate to your Settings > Data > Import > Update existing data option. From there you can clarify what type of data you are importing and you can ensure a new Contact is not created by strictly matching based on Contact ID. Additionally, you will only need to import the fields you need to update.
That being said, the duplicate management settings in your screenshot above should catch any duplicates you accidentally import along with new Contacts and merge them together. Keep in mind:
Lastly, feel free to reach out to our team with any questions or if you catch duplicates in your account, you can always merge them together!
I was attempting to import to Sell Contacts today and I run up against a number of things I was not expecting, some feel like they could be bugs.
That is a mixed bag of questions but I'm curious to see if others have experienced these issues and what they did to overcome them. If I find solutions myself I'll share back here on the community.
UPDATE: this article appears to answer most of my questions above: https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360041516553-Creating-a-CSV-file-to-import-leads-contacts-or-deals
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