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Companies

How to import or update companies from a CSV file

Turn on "Company and Custom Object Import" in Settings › Labs. Then, in Contacts › Companies, click Import, choose Companies, upload the CSV, pick create, update or both (with Company ID to avoid duplicates), map the columns and start. Track it under Bulk Actions.

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Before you start

  • You need to be an account admin.
  • Prepare a .csv file with a header row, UTF-8 encoding and only the columns you want to import (name, phone, email, website, address, company custom fields…).
  • If you will update existing companies, include the Company ID column. You get the IDs by exporting your current companies.
  • Test with 10 to 20 rows first.
Where to find it

Contacts › Companies › Import

Step by step

Enable company import

  1. In the left menu, open Settings and click Labs.
  2. Turn on Company and Custom Object Import.
  3. Go to Contacts › Companies and confirm the Import button is visible.

Import the file

  1. In Contacts › Companies, click Import.
  2. Choose Companies as the record type.
  3. Upload the .csv file (or drag it into the upload area).
  4. Choose the behavior: Create companies, Update companies or Create & update companies.
  5. For duplicate detection, choose Company ID so existing companies are updated instead of duplicated.
  6. Map each column of the file to the right company field. The preview shows each column's data so you can confirm.
  7. On the verification screen, review everything. If you are updating, enable Don't update to empty value so blank cells don't wipe data the company already has.
  8. Click Start Bulk Import.

Track the result

  1. Open the companies bulk actions page (in Contacts › Bulk Actions, on the companies tab).
  2. Watch the progress and, at the end, the success, error and warning counts.
  3. Download the import report: it contains the error message for every row that failed, so you can fix the CSV and re-import.

Tips

  • Export your current companies to get a file with the Company ID; use it as a template for updates.
  • Check each column's data type: digits only in numeric fields, dates in one consistent format, text within the field's length.
  • For very large lists, import in batches of 1,000 to 5,000 rows: processing is faster and errors are easier to find.

Common problems

  • The Import button isn't there → The Labs option isn't on. Enable Company and Custom Object Import and refresh the page.
  • The import created duplicate companies → You didn't pick Company ID as the duplicate criterion, or the file had no such column. Export the companies, add the IDs and re-import in Update mode.
  • Existing data was wiped → The file had empty cells and Don't update to empty value was off. Re-import with the correct values.
  • Accented characters look wrong → Save the CSV with UTF-8 encoding and upload it again.

Frequently asked questions

Can I undo an import?

There is no automatic rollback. If you need to remove imported companies, delete them one by one or with bulk delete. That's why you should always test with a small file first.

Do contacts get linked to the imported companies?

This import creates and updates companies; linking contacts is done on the contact page or with automatic company creation from the contact's business name.

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