Import CSV to HubSpot (Contacts & Companies)

HubSpot is powerful, but it's only as good as the data you put in it. Importing CSVs is the primary way to bulk-add contacts, companies, deals, and tickets.

HubSpot's import tool is user-friendly, but it has specific requirements for associations (linking a Contact to a Company) that trip people up.

Preparing Your CSV

1. Separate or Combined Files?

You can import:

• One file: Contains both Contact info (Name, Email) and Company info (Company Name, Domain). HubSpot will create/update both and link them.
• Multiple files: One CSV for Contacts, one for Companies. You link them during the import process.

Recommendation: For simple lists, use One File. It's easier.

2. Essential Columns

For Contacts:

• Email (Required for deduplication)
• First Name
• Last Name

For Companies:

• Company Domain Name (e.g., happycsv.com) - Crucial for deduplication!
• Name

For Deals:

• Deal Name
• Pipeline
• Deal Stage
• Amount

Step-by-Step Import Guide

1. Go to Contacts:

   • Navigate to CRM > Contacts.
   • Click Import (top right).

2. Start an Import:

   • Click Start an Import.
   • Select File from computer.
   • Select One file (if your CSV has mixed data) or Multiple files.
   • Select One object (just Contacts) or Multiple objects (Contacts + Companies).

3. Upload File:

   • Drag and drop your CSV.

4. Map Columns:

   • HubSpot tries to match CSV headers to Properties.
   • Green Check: Mapped successfully.
   • Exclamation Mark: Not mapped. Select the correct HubSpot property from the dropdown.
   • Tip: If a property doesn't exist (e.g., "Favorite Color"), you can create a new custom property right there.

5. Run Import:

   • Name your import (e.g., "Trade Show Nov 2024").
   • Click Finish import.

Handling Associations

If you are importing Contacts and Companies in one file:

• Ensure every row has Email (for the contact) and Company Domain Name (for the company).
• HubSpot will:
  1. Find/Create the Company based on Domain.
  2. Find/Create the Contact based on Email.
  3. Automatically associate them.

If you don't have Company Domain Name, HubSpot might create duplicate companies (e.g., "Acme" and "Acme Inc").

Common Errors

1. "Invalid Email Address"

HubSpot validates emails strictly. john@gmail (missing .com) or jane@ domain.com (space) will fail. Fix: Use an email cleaning tool before import.

2. "Enumeration Option Not Found"

You tried to import "Lead" into a Dropdown property that only has options "Subscriber", "Customer". Fix: Ensure CSV values match the internal values of the HubSpot property exactly (case-sensitive often).

3. Date Format Issues

HubSpot prefers DD/MM/YYYY or MM/DD/YYYY depending on your portal settings. Fix: Check your account defaults or use YYYY-MM-DD (safest).

Best Practices

• Deduplication: HubSpot automatically deduplicates Contacts by Email and Companies by Domain Name. Always include these.
• Lists: You can choose to add all imported contacts to a static list during the import. Do this! It makes it easy to find them later ("Import Date = Today").
• GDPR: Ensure you have a column for "Legal Basis for Processing" if you are in a GDPR zone.

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Clean your list first: Use HappyCSV to validate emails and format domains before uploading to HubSpot.