CSV Import Guide - SalesBob

Overview

SalesBob's CSV import wizard lets you bring in your existing data in three simple steps. The wizard supports auto-detection of file encoding and delimiters, preset column mappings, and smart duplicate handling.

Customers (companies and organizations)
Customer Contacts (people linked to customers)
Deals (sales opportunities)

Estimated time: 5-15 minutes depending on your data volume.

Before You Begin

You need Admin access in SalesBob to use the import feature.
Prepare your CSV file with a header row containing column names.
Import customers first, then contacts, then deals — this preserves the relationships between records.
You can undo any import within 24 hours if something goes wrong.

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Step 1: Prepare Your CSV File

Make sure your CSV file is ready for import:

1 Ensure your file has a header row with descriptive column names (e.g., "Company Name", "Email", "Phone").
2 SalesBob automatically detects the file encoding (UTF-8, Latin-1, etc.) and delimiter (comma, semicolon, tab).
3 Remove any summary rows or totals at the bottom of your file — only data rows should be included.
4 There is no strict row limit, but for best performance keep files under 10,000 rows.

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Step 2: Upload and Select Import Type

Start the import wizard in SalesBob:

1 Go to Settings → Import in the main navigation.
2 Select the import type: Customers, Customer Contacts, or Deals.
3 Upload your CSV file by dragging it into the upload area or clicking to browse.
4 The wizard will show a preview of detected columns and sample data.

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Step 3: Map Columns

Tell SalesBob which CSV columns correspond to which fields:

1 Choose a preset mapping (Auto-detect, HubSpot, or Pipedrive) or map columns manually.
2 Each CSV column can be mapped to a SalesBob field using the dropdown menus.
3 Required fields are marked with an asterisk — the import cannot proceed without them.
4 Columns you don't need can be left unmapped and will be skipped.

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Step 4: Configure Duplicate Handling

Choose how to handle records that already exist in SalesBob:

1 Skip duplicates — existing records are left unchanged. Recommended for first-time imports.
2 Update duplicates — existing records are updated with the new data from the CSV.
3 Create new — all rows are imported as new records, even if duplicates exist.
4 Duplicates are detected by matching on key fields like company name or email address.

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Step 5: Preview and Execute

Review your import before committing:

1 The wizard shows a preview of the first rows with the applied column mapping.
2 Any validation errors (missing required fields, invalid formats) are highlighted in red.
3 Review the summary showing total rows, valid rows, and rows with errors.
4 Click Import to execute. The import runs in the background for large files.

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Step 6: Review and Rollback

After the import completes, verify your data:

1 Go to Settings → Import → History to see all past imports with details.
2 Each import shows the number of created, updated, and skipped records.
3 Browse the imported records in the Customers, Contacts, or Deals list to verify the data.
4 If something went wrong, click Rollback on the import to undo it. Rollback is available for 24 hours after the import.
5 Imported records are automatically tagged with an "Import" lead source so you can filter and identify them later.

Tips & Best Practices

Import order matters — always import customers first, then contacts, then deals. This ensures contacts and deals can be linked to their parent companies.
Start with a small test — try importing a file with 5-10 rows first to verify your column mapping before importing the full dataset.
Check the preview carefully — the import wizard shows you exactly how your data will be mapped before you commit.
Use the rollback — every import can be undone within 24 hours from the import history page. Don't hesitate to use it.
Clean your data first — remove empty rows, fix obvious typos, and ensure consistent formatting before importing.

Import Your Data from CSV Files