Importing Records and Activities into HubSpot's CRM

HubSpot enables users to bulk import files for updating or adding various records and activities, with specific functionalities based on the type of import.

Types of Imports Supported:

Single Object or Activity Import:

• Create/update contacts, companies, deals, tickets, products, and custom object records.
• Create (but not update) calls and tasks.

Multiple Object and Activity Import:

• Create/update contacts, companies, deals, tickets, and custom object records in a single file.
• Create (but not update) line items, calls, emails, meetings, notes, and tasks. These must be associated with other records.
• For more detailed requirements, check the import file guidelines.

Pre-Import Checklist:

• Ensure you have the necessary permissions to import.
• Familiarize yourself with HubSpot's CRM structure, including objects and records.
• Properly set up your import files with required fields to avoid errors. HubSpot offers sample files to guide you.
• Consider automatic creation and association settings for contacts and companies based on email domains. However, for distinct cases or other objects, follow the import instructions.
  • If migrating from another system, consider setting up HubSpot’s data sync.

Import records and activities

Once you've set up your files, to import into HubSpot:

• Click Import in the top right of any object index page, or access your import settings:
  • In your HubSpot account, click the settings settings icon in the main navigation bar.
  • In the left sidebar menu, navigate to Import & Export.
  • Click Go to import.
• On the Imports page, click Start an import.
• Select File from computer, then click Next. You can also select Repeat a past import to complete an import with the same properties as a previous import.
• Depending on the type of import, select the number of files and objects/activities:
• Single object or activity import: 
  • Select One file, then click Next.
  • Select One object, then click Next.
  • Select the object or activity in your import file. Calls and tasks are the only activities that can be imported on their own.
• Multiple object or activity import in one file:
  • Select One file, then click Next.
  • Select Multiple objects, then click Next.
  • Select the objects and activities in your import file, then click Next.
• Multiple object or activity import in two files:
  • Select Multiple files with associations, then click Next.
  • Select the two objects or object and activity, then click Next.

• For each object or activity, upload the required file.

  • Create and update: Introduce new records/activities and update existing ones.
  • Create new only: Only add new records/activities.

    Decide how you want to handle the data:

  • Update existing only: Only refresh existing records/activities.

    
    
• If you're importing data in a language other than your default language, click the Select the language of the column headers in your file dropdown menu and select the language. Selecting the correct language enables HubSpot to better match your column headers to existing default properties. If there is no match in your selected language, HubSpot will search for an English property to match.
• Click Next.
• If you’re importing and associating multiple objects in two files, indicate which column is included in both files:
  • Click the Common column headers found in your files dropdown menu and select the name of the common column.
  • Click the Which object is [common column] the unique key for? dropdown menu, then select the object that the property should be imported to. For example, if you're importing contacts and companies and are using Company name as the common column, select Company to upload this data to company records.
• Click Next.
• On the Map columns in your file to [object/activity] properties screen, HubSpot will map the columns in your file to the selected object or activity's properties based on the header, the header language, and the property name. If you’ve imported two files, there will be a mapping page for each object or activity.
• The Mapping Guide displays the properties required to create and/or update the objects or activities. If your file is missing any of the properties needed to complete the goal of your import (e.g., you chose to update existing deals but didn’t include a Record ID column), you should fix your import file and restart the import to avoid errors.
• In the Preview Information column, there’s a preview of the first three rows from your spreadsheet.
  • If there are no errors detected in the first 100 rows of a column, there will be a success checkmark in the Mapped column.
  • If certain errors are detected in the first 100 rows of a column, there will be an exclamation alert icon in the Mapped column. Hover over the icon to view the error, and click Fix import errors to learn how you can resolve the error.
    
    
  • If any columns were mapped to the wrong object or activity's properties, click the dropdown menu in the Import as column then select the correct [Object/Activity] properties.
    
    

• If any columns don't map to an existing property, or mapped to the wrong property, click the dropdown menu in the HubSpot Property column. In the dropdown menu, you can do one of the following:
  
  • To map the column to an existing property, search for and select an existing property. You can hover over a property to view its details and ensure you're mapping to the correct property before selecting.
  • To set up a new custom property (objects only), click Create a new property, then set up your property in the right panel. The data in the column will be mapped to this new custom property.

• To skip importing data from an individual row, click the dropdown menu in the Import as column, then select Don't import column. To skip importing data from all unmapped columns, select the Don't import data in unmapped columns checkbox in the bottom right.
• If you’re updating existing records, or want to avoid duplicates while associating records, ensure you’ve mapped the correct unique identifier (e.g., Record ID, email, company domain name, or custom unique value properties):
  
  • Record ID: click the dropdown menu in the Import as column, then select Record ID, or if you’re importing multiple objects, select Record ID - [Objects] for the correct object. If a row in your file doesn't contain a value for Record ID, a new record will be created.
    
  • Email (contacts only) or Company domain name (companies only): map the column to the corresponding property in the HubSpot property column.
  • Custom property that requires unique values (companies, deals, tickets, and custom objects only): if you’ve created a property that requires unique values, map the column to that property in the HubSpot property column. If you’re importing multiple unique value properties, you’ll select which property to use as the identifier on the Details page before finishing your import.

• If you're updating records, select the checkboxes in the Manage existing values column to prevent the import from overwriting records’ existing property values. When this is selected for a property, the import won't update the property for records that already have a value, but will update the property for new records or existing records with no current value for the property.
  • To prevent the import from overwriting existing values for individual properties, select the Don’t overwrite checkbox in the row of the property.
  • To prevent the import from overwriting existing values for all properties included in the import, select the checkbox at the top of the table.

• If you’re importing and associating multiple objects, to import association labels (Professional and Enterprise only):

• • Click the dropdown menu in the Import as column, then select Association label. Importing a new association label will not overwrite an existing association label. The imported label will be added to the record as an additional association label. Learn how to manually remove an association label from a record.
  • When importing two objects, the HubSpot property column will automatically populate the object relationship for the objects you're importing (e.g., Contact and Company). If you're importing more than two objects, select the two objects whose relationship the association labels describe.
    

• Once all columns are mapped or set to Don't import column, click Next. If you've imported two files, map the second object or activity's properties, then click Next.
• Enter your import details:
  
  • Enter an Import name.
  • If your files include multiple unique value properties (deals, tickets, custom objects only), click the Property to use to find existing [objects] dropdown menu and select the property you want to use to update or deduplicate records.
  • If you're importing contacts:
    
    • To automatically create a list of the imported contacts, select the Create a list of contacts from this import checkbox. Even if you've imported only to add existing contacts to a list (i.e., a file with Email or Record ID values but no new property values), the records will still be included as Updated records on the import history table and the individual import's summary.
    • To agree that contacts expect to hear from you and that your import file does not include a purchased list, select the checkbox. Learn more about HubSpot's acceptable use policy.
    • If you've turned on General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) functionality in your account, click the Set the legal basis for processing a contact's data dropdown menu and select a lawful basis of processing.

• • If you're importing a file with a date property, click the Date format dropdown menu and confirm how the date values in your spreadsheet are formatted.
  • If you're importing a file with a number property, click the Number format dropdown menu and confirm which country's number format to use for your data.
• Once you've set the options for your import, click Finish import.