The Import page brings an existing list of contacts into VipeCloud from a CSV file. You can import contacts into the CRM only, or into a contact list at the same time.
Best practice: import a small sample (a few rows) before running your full import. This lets you verify field mapping and formatting with low stakes - especially important for large files, new data structures, or imports that associate contacts with accounts.
Preparing Your File
Export your contacts from your previous system - a CRM, email platform, spreadsheet, or other source.
Save the file as a .CSV. In most spreadsheet tools, go to File > Save As and choose CSV (Comma Separated Values).
Review the file before uploading:
Split First Name and Last Name into separate columns. Do not use a combined full name field.
If importing address data, separate it into Street, Suite/Apt, City, State, and Zip.
Make sure all data is in a single clean block with no blank rows or orphaned cells.
Confirm every column has a header.
Column headers do not need to match system field names exactly. You will map them during the import process.
You don't necessarily need to delete columns you aren't importing - you can set them to Drop Column during mapping. However, if there are many unused columns, cleaning them out beforehand makes mapping faster.
To start from a sample file with the expected column headers, click Download CSV Template in the Need a Template? box at the top of the Import page.
Identifying When Custom Fields Are Needed
Imports rely on existing data structure. They don't create it.
Standard system fields cover common data like name, email, phone number, and company. A good rule of thumb: if the data would appear on a typical business card, there's probably a standard field for it already.
Any data specific to your business that isn't covered by a standard field requires a custom field. Custom fields must be created before you run the import.
For help setting up custom fields, refer to the Custom Fields help article.
Key Notes:
Tags do not need to be created in advance. Any tags included in your file will be created automatically during import.
For picklist fields that allow multiple values, separate values with a comma and a space in the CSV (example:
value 1, value 2).
How Duplicate Contacts Are Handled
VipeCloud uses unique identifiers to determine whether an incoming record should create a new contact or update an existing one.
Default unique identifiers:
Email address
Mobile phone number
What happens during import:
If no match is found, a new contact is created.
If a matching email or mobile phone already exists, the existing contact is updated with any new information.
A duplicate contact is not created.
In field settings you can also mark fields as unique, which makes them function as additional identifiers beyond email and mobile phone.
This behavior can be used intentionally to mass update existing contacts - import only the unique identifier and the fields you want to update.
How to Start a Contact Import
The Import page has five steps: Upload Your CSV File, Review & Map Your Columns, Choose a Contact List, Test Import (25 Rows), and Process Import. Each step unlocks when the one before it is done.
Click Contacts in the left sidebar.
Scroll down and click Import.
Click Contact Lists to import into a list, or Contacts to import into the CRM only.
We recommend importing as a Contact List. Your contacts go into the CRM and into a list, which makes the import easier to check and gives you a clean way to find or remove those contacts if something needs to be corrected. A Contacts import skips the Choose a Contact List step, so its page has four steps.
You can also start from a contact list. Click Add Contacts on the list, then Import Contacts, and the Import page opens with that list already chosen.
Step 1: Upload Your CSV File
If you're an Admin importing for another user, select that user under Import on behalf of.
Drag your CSV onto the upload area, or click browse files and select it.
The upload area accepts CSV files up to 20 MB, saved as comma-separated UTF-8. On a Mac, save the file as Windows Comma Separated (.csv). The importer checks the file type and encoding as soon as the file is uploaded.
Step 2: Review & Map Your Columns
Each column in your CSV must be mapped to a field in VipeCloud. This step lists the fields you must map under Map at least these fields to continue. The list includes system-required fields such as First Name and Email or Mobile Phone, any standard fields you've marked as required in your account, and any required custom fields. Required custom fields show (Custom) after the field name.
Review the auto-mapping suggestions in the VipeCloud Field column. The system makes an initial pass, but always verify before proceeding.
Use the search bar in the field dropdown to find the right field instead of scrolling.
Set any column you don't want imported to Drop Column.
Map every field listed under Map at least these fields to continue.
Phone numbers must be mapped to Mobile Phone to be eligible for text messaging. Other phone number fields exist in the system - make sure you're selecting the correct one.
How to Add a Missing Required Field to Your Import
If the validation step flags a required field that isn't in your CSV - such as Location or Lead Source - you can add it manually before re-uploading. This is common when a required field applies to every contact in the import with the same value.
Open your CSV file in a spreadsheet editor.
Add a new column with a header matching the missing field, for example Location.
Enter the value for that field in every row. If the entire import is for contacts in New York, enter New York in that column for every contact.
Save the file as a .CSV.
Restart the import process and upload the updated file.
Map the new column to the correct field when prompted.
Key Notes:
An in-progress import cannot be edited directly. You must restart the import with the corrected CSV.
This approach works for any required field, not just Location or Lead Source. It's most useful when the value is the same across the entire batch.
If the required field varies by contact, fill in the correct value per row instead of using one value for the whole column.
Handling Dropdown and Picklist Values
When a column maps to a dropdown or picklist custom field, a Dropdown/Picklist Field Options box appears in the Review & Map Your Columns step. Choose how to handle values that aren't already options in that field.
Options:
Drop unknown values - Values that aren't existing options are not imported. This is the default.
Add new values as options - Values that aren't existing options are added to the custom field automatically, system-wide.
When in doubt, adding new values is usually the right choice. If your data is large or inconsistent, review and clean the source file first.
Step 3: Choose a Contact List
This step appears only when you import from Contact Lists.
Select Create a new list or Add to an existing list.
For a new list, enter a name in the List name box. For an existing list, search for it in the Search your contact lists dropdown and select it.
Only your own contact lists appear in the search. To correct a previous import, add the corrected file to the same list instead of deleting the list. Contacts that match are updated, and new contacts are created.
Step 4: Test Import (25 Rows)
The test brings in the first 25 rows as a preview. Nothing is saved.
Click Test Import (25 Rows).
Review the counts of contacts that would be created, updated, or fail, and any Import Errors or Import Warnings.
Scroll through the preview table to confirm the mappings and formatting look correct.
The Process Import step stays locked until the test has run and every required field is mapped. This is your last chance to catch issues before data is written.
Step 5: Process Import
To check the new email addresses for problems once the import is done, check Verify these emails when the import finishes.
Click Process Import.
Imports are queued and usually finish within 15 minutes. You'll get a notification when the import is done. To check on it, click View Import History.
Verify on import:
Available for contact list imports on Enterprise plans. On other plans, the step shows an Upgrade link to Admins instead of the checkbox.
Each user has 10,000 verifications per month. The step shows how many you have left, and the checkbox is turned off once they're used.
If the list has more new emails than you have verifications left, it isn't verified. You can verify it later from the list's Verify Emails option.
For what verification checks, see How To Verify A Contact List Before Sending Emails.
Verifying Your Import
Verify your import before sending any mass email or SMS communications.
Navigate to Contact Lists.
Open the list created during the import.
Click Quick View to scroll through individual contacts quickly.
Spot-check multiple records against the original CSV.
Important: do not send any communications until you've confirmed the data looks correct.
If something doesn't look right:
Review the source CSV first.
If the issue is unclear, contact support and include:
The import file
Which fields did not import correctly
What you expected to see
Re-import the contact list without deleting it to correct mapping or data issues. The system will update existing contacts if their emails match and create new contacts for unmatched emails.