CRM Import CSV Format
The expected column layout when pushing a prospect list from a discovery tool into a CRM — varies by destination (GoHighLevel, HubSpot, Salesforce) and is the source of most failed imports.
Every CRM expects its own column layout on a CSV import. GoHighLevel wants firstName, lastName, phone, email, address1, city, state, postalCode, customField.* for any non-standard field. HubSpot wants Email, First Name, Last Name, Phone Number, Company, Lifecycle Stage, plus per-property column headers for custom properties. Salesforce wants flat field names with strict character limits.
Source-of-truth files in well-built prospecting tools include format-specific export buttons. The user picks GoHighLevel CSV instead of Generic CSV, the file is pre-mapped, the import works first try. Without these presets, every export starts with 30 minutes of column-renaming in a spreadsheet.
Custom fields are where things break. Each CRM has limits on custom-property creation; some require pre-creating the property before the import; others auto-create but with the wrong type. Practical fix: create the custom properties in the CRM ahead of the first import (vulnerability_score, line_type, dnc_status, vertical) so the columns map cleanly.
Related terms
- Outcome TrackingLogging the eventual disposition of each prospect (closed-won, closed-lost, ghosted) back against the prospect data — the prerequisite for any kind of statistical scoring or attribution analysis.
- Agency ProspectingThe full process by which a marketing agency finds, qualifies, and converts local businesses into paying clients — distinct from B2B SaaS sales prospecting in tooling, signals, and conversion expectations.
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