How to Import Contacts and Opportunities via CSV in Sparkforge

CSV import is the fastest way to load contacts and opportunities into Sparkforge in bulk. You can map columns to system fields, decide whether to create new records, update existing ones, or both, and track every import from a single page.

Before you upload

• Permissions: Admin access is required.
• Format: CSV (.csv) only.
• Size: Under 30MB. Split larger files into smaller chunks.
• One sheet: A single sheet/tab per file.
• Header row: Row 1 must contain headers, and at least one column must map to a Sparkforge field.

Common mistakes that break imports

• Headers that don't line up with system fields.
• Rows missing the required Name, Email, or Phone field.
• Phone numbers with spaces, dashes, parentheses, or letters.
• Duplicate rows inside the CSV itself.

If you exported from Keap, strip the parentheses and dashes from the phone column before importing — Sparkforge expects clean digits.

Start the import

Two entry points lead to the same flow:

• Contacts tab: Contacts > Smart Lists > Import Contacts.
• Opportunities tab: click Import in the top-right of the Opportunities page.

You can import contacts only, opportunities only, or both at once.

Upload and configure

1. Pick what you're importing (contacts, opportunities, or both) and click Next.
2. Click Upload File and choose your CSV.
3. Open Choose how to import contacts/opportunities and pick Create, Update, or Create & Update.

By default, Sparkforge matches existing contacts on email first, then phone. If neither matches, the row creates a new record.

Map columns to fields

Match each CSV column to a Sparkforge field. A few rules:

• Check Don't update Empty Values if you don't want blanks in the CSV to overwrite existing data.
• Leave a column unmapped if you don't need it — just confirm with the checkbox at the bottom.
• Multiple email addresses or phone numbers in one row import as secondary entries.
• Contacts and opportunities on the same line auto-link to each other.

Review and finalize

Confirm the mappings. You can also:

• Create a Smart List from the imported records.
• Add the contacts to a workflow.
• Apply a tag to everything in the import.

Tick the confirmation checkbox and start the import.

Monitor and fix errors

Every import lands on the Bulk Actions page (under Contacts or Opportunities — they share the view). Click Show Stats to see counts. The Error tab gives you a downloadable error log with the row number and reason for each failure. Fix the rows in the original CSV and re-import the corrected file.

Duplicate handling

Sparkforge merges contacts when phone or email matches an existing record. Matching rows update the existing contact instead of creating a duplicate.