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Step-by-Step Guide to Importing a Spreadsheet
Step-by-Step Guide to Importing a Spreadsheet

Quickly add contacts and companies from a spreadsheet using our import wizard.

Support Team avatar
Written by Support Team
Updated over a week ago

Organize Ahead of Time

  • File types accepted are .CSV, .XLS and .XLSX

  • Ensure there are less than 10,000 lines on each file before importing

  • Separate each value into its own column. This includes first name, last name, street address, city, state, zip code, etc.  

  • Label your columns in the first row of your file *note: if importing both contact and company information be sure and label those appropriately 

  • Each value you would like created as a custom field (for both contacts and companies) should be placed in its own column

  • Tags should be separated by commas in the same cell or into separate columns

  • If you are importing Sales Reps for each contact or company, that should be in it's own column and assigned using the BenchmarkONE's user's email address

Import Wizard

1) Upload Your File

From the Contact List View, click the +Import button. Browse for your file. Remember to choose a .CSV, .XLS or .XLSX.

2) Choose Merging Fields
Your columns will auto-map based on the column headers in your file. The more you import, the smarter the wizard becomes and remembers different variations of your header titles. We call this Smart-Mapping.

The column titles in your spreadsheet will be displayed at the top above each dropdown. Use the dropdowns to map your data to a BenchmarkONE field. 

  • If there is a column you tie to a BenchmarkONE field but no longer wish to import, simply change the dropdown selection to "Do Not Import." 

  • Any columns that you do not wish to import can be left on "Choose a Field."

A few notes:

Contact and Company statuses will be mapped to existing ones in your account and new ones will be created upon import. You may also apply a status to your entire file or to contacts and companies without a specific status on your file by selecting a default status at the end of the import.

Tags will be mapped to existing ones in your account and new ones will be created upon import.

Sales Rep should be mapped using the user's email address. You can also assign a Sales Rep to the entire file of contacts and/or companies by selecting a default sales rep at the end of the import.

If a Custom Field does not already exist in your account, you can easily add it on the fly here:

  • Select "New Custom Field" from the bottom of the list for either contacts or companies

  • The Custom Field Name is what will appear on the contact or company record

  • Choose a Custom Field Type (Single Line Text, Paragraph Text, Dropdown, Numeric, Date, Date and Time)

    ** For the Dropdown option, BenchmarkONE will automatically identify values that are included in your spreadsheet. If you would like to include additional options, add them into the Dropdown Values area on separate lines.

3) Set Defaults

Default choices for both contacts and companies will be applied to the entire spreadsheet unless a different value was mapped on the previous screen.

Tag Your Contacts 

  • Choose a Tag or create new one that will apply to the entire file. This is in addition to what you may have mapped on your file. 

Contact Defaults

  • If you matched the Contact Status and/or Sales Rep fields while mapping, the defaults chosen here will only be added to contacts whose columns were blank.

  • If you did not have a Contact Status and/or Sales Rep columns in your file, the defaults chosen here will be added to all contacts for the current import.

Start a Campaign (optional)

  • If you would like to automatically start new contacts being imported on a campaign, you may select a campaign that will begin as soon as the contacts are imported.

  • Additionally, if you are importing updates to contacts that already exist in your account and would like to start them on a campaign as well, check the box labeled "Also start on existing contacts."

Company Defaults

  • If you matched the Company Status and/or Sales Rep fields while mapping, the defaults chosen here will only be added to companies whose columns were blank.

  • If you did not have a Company Status and/or Sales Rep columns in your file, the defaults chosen here will be added to all companies for the current import.

4) Security Issue (if applicable)

You may see a screen like the one below if you are importing contacts who already exist in BenchmarkONE but you are restricted from editing/updating them. Talk to your account admins about changing your security settings if needed. 

5) Matching Results

This page shows you an analysis of your file.

Contacts in your file: 

  • New Contacts: These contacts do not currently exist in your account.

  • Contacts Matched by Email Address: These contacts will be updated. Learn more here.

  • Contacts Matched by Full Name: This is turned off by default, but you may toggle this to "on" to see your results. These contacts will also be updated. Learn more here

  • Contacts with Invalid Emails: You can click on "download" to receive a list of contacts that will not be imported because:
          ** The contact email address was previously failed in your account, or
          ** The contact email address previously reported spam in your account
    ** The contact email address with accents (similar to á, é, í, ó, ú, ü, ñ, ç)

Note: Contacts with email addresses that are not properly formatted in your spreadsheet will be imported without an email address (i.e. info@benchmarkemail is missing the ".com")

Companies in your file: 

  • New Companies: These Companies do not currently exist in your account.

  • Companies Matched by Name: Any matched companies will be updated. Company data will either be appended or overwritten. Learn more here

Click FINISH to complete your import!

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