How to Import Contacts into Sparkforge with a CSV File

This guide walks through importing contacts into Sparkforge with a CSV file, including how to upload, map, confirm, and optionally bring opportunities along in the same flow.

Important: Imports are CSV-only. Excel and Google Sheets files aren’t accepted—export them to .csv first.

Prerequisites

• User permissions: Admin access required.
• File format: .csv only.
• File size: Under 30 MB. Split larger files.
• Single sheet: The CSV must contain only one sheet/tab.
• Header row: Row 1 must not be blank and must include at least one header that maps to a Sparkforge field.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Mismatched headers—make sure CSV column names map to system fields.
• Blank required fields—every row needs at least one of name, email, or phone.
• Special characters in phone numbers—strip spaces, dashes, letters before import.
• Duplicate rows inside the CSV—clean the list before uploading.

Step 1: Open the Contacts Tab

From the left navigation, open Contacts and click Import Contacts.

Step 2: Choose What to Import

Pick Contacts only or Contacts and Opportunities.

Step 3: Upload the CSV

Click Next, upload your file, then choose the import type—adding new records or updating existing ones.

When updating, Sparkforge matches existing records in this order:

1. Contact ID
2. Email
3. Phone

This avoids duplicates. You can also adjust de-duplication preferences under Allow Duplicate Contacts.

Step 4: Map Columns to Fields

• Map every column you want to import to the matching Sparkforge field.
• Check Don’t update empty values to skip blank cells when updating existing records.
• Leave a column unmapped if you don’t want it imported, then check the box at the bottom to proceed.
• If contacts and opportunities share a row, they’re mapped to each other automatically.

Note: If the CSV has data for fields that don’t exist yet, create them as custom fields first. Mapping works against both standard and custom fields.

Step 5: Verify, Confirm, and Finalize

Before kicking off the import, set optional preferences and review your mapping:

• Create a SmartList for the new contacts.
• Add imported contacts to a workflow.
• Tag imported contacts for easy segmentation.

Confirm field mapping, especially mandatory and custom fields. Unmapped columns are ignored.

Importing Contacts and Opportunities Together

If your CSV includes both contact and deal data, run them through the same flow. After clicking Import, check both Contacts and Opportunities and follow the steps above.

Tip: Include opportunity columns (Pipeline, Stage, Status, Opportunity Name) for the deal data to flow correctly. Leave fields unmapped if they’re not needed.

Monitor Import Status

Track progress under Bulk Actions on the Contacts and Opportunities pages. Both contact and opportunity imports show up there. Click Show Stats for run results, and download the error log from the Error tab to see what failed and how to fix it.