In this guide, you’ll learn the different ways to import leads from various sources, which file formats are compatible, possible error scenarios and finally understanding the import history.

You can Import Leads using either of these common spreadsheet formats:

• .xls, .xlsx (Excel documents)
  
• .csv (Comma separated values )
  

• Text files are not supported for lead imports.
  
• Email address is a mandatory field.
  

What is an Excel file?

Excel (.xls and .xlsx), is a spreadsheet that arranges data in rows and columns. Each record should be stored in a single row with its fields in different columns. An ideal excel sheet for import should look like this:

What is a CSV file?

CSV files, as the name suggests, are files where data is listed as one record per line and each field is separated by a comma. A simple lead.csv file would look like this:

Header

The first line is the header, which defines the field names. In this case, the headers are Lead Email, First Name, etc. Each line is a single person in your leads list with a corresponding name and email address.

Line breaks

It is important that a CSV file must have one record per line, otherwise the system will not accept your file.

Commas

Make sure the fields are separated by commas. When 2 fields are not separated by a comma, the file will not be imported.

What problems can arise while importing Leads?

If you see an error message when importing files to your Zoho Campaigns account, it means there is an issue with your file, preventing its import. In this case, you should review your files and fix any errors.

Below are some different scenarios that can cause errors which prevent import:

• Missing “@” symbol – For example, "jane.doegmail.com" is missing the “@” symbol.
  
• Missing "." – For example, "Patrick@yahoocom" is missing the period.
  
• Spacing in File – This could be due to the extra space present in the beginning of your list. The best way to prevent this error is to make use of the TRIM function to remove all spaces from the text.
  
• Email address with more than 6 characters after the last dot — For example, jane.doe@zylker.incostica
  
• Non-English characters
  

Tips to remember when importing leads (Excel)

• First row in a given file will be treated as field names.
  
• Column headers should not exceed 255 characters.
  
• File size should not exceed 30 MB.
  
• Avoid using hyperlinks in email addresses.
  
• Add email addresses under the appropriate column headers only.
  
• When saving an Excel file, the format should be saved as MS Excel 95 or later.
  
• When importing an Excel file, make sure to keep leads on one sheet.
  
• Unexpected errors may occur if an XLS file contains any special controls, combo filters, or images embedded within it.
  
• Checkbox field value should be true or false.
  
• Date values must be in mm/dd/yyyy format. Dates in any other format will be ignored.
  
• DateTime values must be in mm/dd/yyyy hh:mm:ss format. Date Time values in any other format will be ignored.
  
• By default, character encoding is UTF-8 (Unicode). Make sure you provide the correct character encoding if your import file requires a different character code.
  
• We recommend that you test your import with a sample file before you import the actual data.
  
• Though we support Excel files, there is a possibility that it may not work due to other unknown errors. If this happens, we suggest converting your Excel file to a .CSV file and trying the import again.
  

How do I import leads from a file?

Before you import leads, make sure to create a mailing list so that you can save the imported leads to a recognizable file.

Importing leads from file

1. From the Navigation toolbar, choose Leads and then All Leads.
   

         

                  

      

How do I map fields?

Before you import leads, make sure you map all the necessary fields in your file with the respective Campaign fields.

1. Once you upload your file, you will be taken to Map your fields page.
   
2. Many of the fields like lead email, first name, last name are pre mapped.
   

         

      

      

How can I view Import Overview?

The Import Overview page contains all of your imported leads' details. You can view a generated report on your leads after the import is complete. Zoho Campaigns makes it easy to view the entire history of imported leads in a single step.

• From the Import Overview page, you can view the number of newly added leads, duplicate leads, and ignored leads. Just click one of the numbers to view the related lead details.
  

Why are some of my leads ignored?

There are a few reasons why you may see some leads excluded from your list:

1. Bounced - Mail was undeliverable to the lead or the email address doesn't exist.
   
2. Blocked - Leads blocked by Zoho Campaigns.
   
3. Do-Not-Mail - Lead has been moved to do-not-mail registry.
   
4. Group Email(s) - Lead address is generic. E.g., info@, administrator@, careers@, service@, support@, etc.
   
5. File Duplicate(s) - Lead is present more than once in the file.
   
6. Invalid Pattern - Lead has an with invalid address. E.g., "johngmail.com", "jane@aol", "ted@zylkercom"
   
7. Empty Email - Lead's email address field is empty.
   
8. Other Errors - Leads categorized as miscellaneous and don’t fall into the above-mentioned categories.
   

Why aren't group email addresses accepted while importing?

Zoho campaigns restrict the import of group email addresses such as info@zylker.com, support@zylker.com, admin@zylker.com, and help@zylker.com. These email addresses have a high probability of email getting landed in the spam folder.