Introduction
Moving to a new CRM doesn't mean starting from scratch. ellocharlie's Data Import system makes it easy to migrate your complete dataset — companies, contacts, deals, conversations, Q&A pairs, and documents — all in one place.
Whether you're switching from another CRM or consolidating data from multiple sources, the import wizard guides you through every step:
Select what you want to import (companies, contacts, deals, etc.)
Upload your CSV file
Map your columns to ellocharlie fields (auto-detected for you)
Preview your data and fix any issues
Import with a single click
The system handles duplicate detection, validates your data before importing, and gives you a complete audit trail of every import.
Best Practices
Before You Upload
Use the template. Click "Download Template" in the wizard to get a CSV with the correct column headers for your entity type. This ensures your data is formatted correctly and makes mapping automatic.
Clean your source data. Remove duplicate records, fix obvious errors, and ensure required fields (like company name or contact email) are populated. The cleaner your source data, the fewer issues you'll encounter during import.
Test with a small batch first. If you're importing thousands of records, try importing 50–100 first to verify the mapping and duplicate strategy work as expected.
Choose your duplicate strategy carefully. Decide upfront whether you want to skip duplicates, merge with existing records, or allow duplicates. This choice affects how the import handles records that already exist in your system.
During Import
Review the preview carefully. The preview shows the first 100 rows and highlights any warnings or errors. Take time to fix issues before committing — you can toggle rows on and off to exclude problem records.
Check the confidence indicators. Green checkmarks mean ellocharlie auto-detected your columns with high confidence. Yellow warnings mean fuzzy matching was used. If you see unmapped columns, map them manually or skip them.
Don't close your browser. For large imports (over 500 rows), the system streams progress updates in real time. Keep the page open until the import completes.
After Import
Review the results. The completion screen shows how many records were created, skipped, and failed. If there are errors, the system lists the first 5 — fix those records and re-import them if needed.
Check your import history. Every import is recorded with a timestamp, file name, entity type, and result counts. You can review this history anytime from the Import Data page.
How to Use the Data Import Feature
Step 1: Access the Import Tool
Go to Customize → Import Data (
/admin/import)Click the "New Import" button in the top right
You'll see the import wizard with a 3-step stepper: Upload → Map Columns → Preview
Step 2: Select Entity Type & Upload Your File
Choose the entity type you want to import from the six cards:
Companies
Contacts
Deals
Conversations
Q&A Pairs
Documents
Click "Download Template" to get a CSV with the correct headers for that entity type (optional but recommended).
Upload your CSV file by either:
Dragging and dropping it onto the upload zone, or
Clicking the zone to open a file picker
The system parses your file instantly and auto-detects column mappings. You'll automatically advance to Step 2.
Step 3: Map Columns & Configure Settings
The mapping table shows each CSV column and which ellocharlie field it maps to:
CSV Column | → | ellocharlie Field | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
Company Name | → | Name | ✅ High |
Web Address | → | Website | ⚠️ Medium |
Biz Type | → | -- Skip this column -- | (unmapped) |
What to do here:
Review auto-detected mappings. Green checkmarks mean high confidence. Yellow warnings mean fuzzy matching. Empty circles mean unmapped.
Fix any incorrect mappings. Click the field dropdown to manually select the correct ellocharlie field or choose "Skip this column."
Map required fields. Required fields are marked with a red asterisk. You must map all required fields before proceeding.
Skip unnecessary columns. If a CSV column isn't useful, leave it unmapped or select "Skip this column."
Configure duplicate handling (below the mapping table):
Skip duplicates — If a matching record exists (company by name, contact by email), skip the row. Use this to avoid creating duplicates.
Merge / fill blanks — Update only empty fields on existing records. Won't overwrite data that's already there. Use this to fill in missing information.
Allow duplicates — Import all rows regardless of whether they already exist. Use this only if you intentionally want duplicate records.
Configure entity-specific options (if applicable):
Deals: Select a Pipeline and Default Stage (both required).
Documents: Select a Default Category (optional).
Once all required fields are mapped, click "Next" to proceed to Step 3.
Step 4: Validate & Preview Your Data
The preview screen shows the first 100 rows of your import with validation status:
Status badges:
Valid (green) — All required fields are present.
Warning (amber) — Valid but fewer than 3 mapped fields.
Error (red) — Missing a required field. These rows will be excluded from the import.
What to do here:
Review the summary bar at the top. It shows how many rows are ready, how many have warnings, and how many have errors.
Scan the preview table. Look for any rows with errors (shown dimmed). Required fields with missing values are highlighted in red.
Toggle rows on and off. Use the check/X button on each row to include or exclude it from the import. This is useful for excluding problem records.
Check the error details. If there are errors, the system lists the first 5 below the table. Fix these issues in your CSV and re-upload if needed, or toggle them off to exclude them.
Once you're satisfied, click "Import N [Entity Type]" to start the import. (The button is disabled if there are 0 valid rows.)
Step 5: Monitor Import Progress
For imports with more than 500 rows, the system streams real-time progress updates. You'll see:
A centered loading state with a spinner
A message like "Importing 1,250 records..."
Live progress as the system processes records in batches of 100
Keep the page open until the import completes.
Step 6: Review Results
Once the import finishes, you'll see a completion screen with:
A green checkmark and "Import Complete" title
Three stat boxes:
Created (green) — Number of new records created
Skipped (amber) — Number of rows skipped (due to duplicates or errors)
Failed (red) — Number of rows that failed to import
Error details (if any) — The first 5 errors are listed. If there are more, you'll see "and N more."
Next steps:
Click "Done" to return to the Import Data page and see your import in the history table.
Click "Import More" to start another import immediately.
FAQ
What file format do you support?
CSV (comma-separated values) only for v1. Excel (.xlsx) and JSON are not yet supported.
Can I import relationships between entities?
Yes. The system automatically resolves relationships between entities. For example:
Contacts are linked to their companies
Deals are linked to their companies and contacts
The system matches these based on company name or contact email
What happens if my import fails?
If individual rows fail, they're excluded from the import and listed in the error details. The rest of your valid rows will still be imported. You can fix the failed rows in your CSV and re-import them.
Can I undo an import?
Not yet. The system records every import in your history with full details (who imported it, when, how many records, etc.), but bulk rollback isn't currently available. If you need to remove imported records, you'll need to delete them manually or contact support.
How long does an import take?
It depends on the size of your file. The system processes records in batches of 100. For a 1,000-record import, you can expect it to complete in a few minutes. For very large imports (10,000+ records), you'll see real-time progress updates.
What if I have custom properties?
The import system maps to existing custom properties on your account. You can't create new custom properties during an import — only map to ones that already exist. If you need to import data into a custom property that doesn't exist yet, create the property first, then run the import.
Can I schedule recurring imports?
Not in v1. Scheduled or recurring imports are not yet supported. Each import is a one-time operation that you trigger manually.
What permissions do I need?
You need admin access to use the Data Import feature. It's located in Customize → Import Data.
How do I know if a column was auto-detected correctly?
Look at the confidence indicator next to each field mapping:
Green checkmark — Exact match. ellocharlie recognized your column name perfectly.
Yellow warning — Fuzzy match. ellocharlie made an educated guess based on similarity.
Empty circle — Unmapped. ellocharlie didn't recognize the column. You can map it manually or skip it.
What's the difference between "Skip duplicates" and "Merge / fill blanks"?
Skip duplicates — If a record with the same name (company) or email (contact) already exists, the row is skipped entirely. No update happens.
Merge / fill blanks — If a record with the same name or email already exists, the system updates only the empty fields on that record. Existing data is never overwritten.
Can I import into multiple pipelines at once?
No. When importing deals, you select a single pipeline and default stage for all imported deals. If you need to import deals into different pipelines, run separate imports for each pipeline.
What data is stored about my imports?
Every import is recorded in your import history with:
Date and time of the import
Entity type (companies, contacts, etc.)
File name
Result counts (created, skipped, failed)
Import status
Full list of created entity IDs (for future rollback capability)
This history is tenant-scoped and only visible to admins.