Import Contacts from Excel

Import Contacts from Excel

This guide walks you through importing contacts into HARi CRM from a CSV file (the format every spreadsheet app — Excel, Numbers, Google Sheets — can export).

Heads up: HARi’s import wizard accepts CSV files only. If your data is in .xlsx, save a CSV copy first using File > Save As > CSV (UTF-8).

Preparing Your Spreadsheet

Before importing, organize your spreadsheet for a clean import:

1. One contact per row — each row represents a single person
2. Headers in the first row — column headers help HARi auto-map fields (e.g. “First Name”, “Email”, “Phone”)
3. Consistent formatting — use the same date format throughout (YYYY-MM-DD recommended)
4. No merged cells — unmerge before exporting
5. Save as CSV (UTF-8) — ensures special characters (accents, Chinese, etc.) survive the import

Importing Step by Step

1. Navigate to Contacts in the sidebar (in Table view)
2. Click the Import CSV button in the toolbar
3. Drag-and-drop your CSV onto the upload area, or click to browse
4. HARi uploads the file and shows a preview of the first rows

Mapping Columns

The mapping screen shows each CSV column with a dropdown to pick the corresponding HARi field:

1. HARi auto-suggests mappings based on header names — review each one
2. Correct any mismatches by picking the right field from the dropdown
3. Leave columns unmapped if their data isn’t needed
4. Required fields are highlighted — every required HARi field needs a mapped column before you can proceed
5. Click Next

Linked-record fields (e.g. linking a contact to a Company) accept names — HARi resolves them to existing records automatically. If a referenced company doesn’t exist yet, the row is reported in the results step.

Running the Import

1. Review the mapping summary
2. Click Import to begin
3. HARi processes the file and shows a progress indicator
4. When complete, the Results screen shows: records created, records skipped, and errors with descriptions

Handling Errors

If some rows fail to import:

1. The Results screen lists each failed row with the reason (missing required field, invalid email, unresolved Linked record, etc.)
2. Fix the issues in your spreadsheet and re-import only the corrected rows

Next Steps

• Link Contacts to Companies to connect imported contacts with their organizations
• Merge Duplicates to clean up any duplicates that slipped through
• Importing Contacts for an overview of the import system