How to Import Contacts into VanillaSoft

There are multiple ways to import contacts into your VanillaSoft project. In this article, we will go over the process of how to import contacts from a spreadsheet. If you would like to import contacts from a web lead source, the article How to Set Up Incoming Web Leads will overview that process.

Note: Your spreadsheet must be saved in the CSV file format. If you're unsure how to save your spreadsheet as a CSV file, refer to our Save your Spreadsheet as a .CSV File article.

 

Importing Contacts from Spreadsheet

  1. Log in to VanillaSoft as an Admin.
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  2. Select the desired Project.
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  3. Open the Contacts & Reports menu and select the Import Contacts section.
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  4. Select Choose File and browse to your CSV spreadsheet
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  5. Once found, select the file and click Open.
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  6. If you have saved mapping, select the desired mapping within the Import Mapping drop-down; otherwise, you can skip this step.
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  7. Open the Import Method drop-down and select the desired method.
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    • Add Contacts - This option will add all contacts from your spreadsheet into VanillaSoft regardless if there are any duplicates or not.
    • Add Contacts / Skip Duplicates - This option will add any new contacts but will skip any duplicates based on the desired field.
    • Add / Update Contacts - This option will add any new contacts but will update any duplicates based on the desired field.
  8. Once your selections have been made, click Next.
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  9. Map all desired fields from your spreadsheet to the corresponding VanillaSoft field.
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    • VanillaSoft will attempt to determine which fields should be mapped together, but it's always recommended to verify all mapping is correct before proceeding.
  10. Once your mapping is complete, select Start Import.
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Once the import starts, you will be brought to a screen showing your import status and all previous imports. At this time, you are free to navigate away from this page, as this will not affect your import.

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