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CRMCSV Lead Import

Move Your Excel Leads Into AliveCRM With a CSV Import

Years of enquiries sitting in Excel sheets come across in minutes. Save the sheet as CSV, upload it, and see what was created, flagged or failed.

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The short answer

Can I import my Excel leads into a CRM?

Yes, by saving the Excel sheet as a CSV file first. AliveCRM imports CSV files only. Download the template from the Leads page, paste your rows into it in the same column order, use Save As and pick CSV, then upload. Each file can hold up to 2,000 leads, and the results screen lists what was created, which rows look like duplicates and which failed, with the reason.

For most small businesses in India, the first CRM decision is really "what happens to my old sheet?". Import means you start with your history instead of typing it in, so your lead management software is useful from day one.

Where Indian teams usually import from

  • The owner's master Excel sheet of past enquiries.
  • A shared Google Sheet the sales team has been filling in.
  • A lead export downloaded from a listing portal.
  • A CSV export from a previous CRM.
How It Works

Excel Sheet to Working Lead List

Five steps, usually finished in one sitting.

  1. 01Download Template
  2. 02Paste Your Rows
  3. 03Save as CSV
  4. 04Upload
  5. 05Review Results
Template

A Simple Ten-Column Template

The template has ten columns in a fixed order: Name, Email, Phone, Project Name, Location, Lead Value, Assigned To, Status, Source and Last Contact. Name, Email and Phone are required on every row. Copy your existing Excel columns into the matching template columns, leave the rest blank if you do not have them, and save. There is no column-mapping step, so the header names must stay exactly as they are in the template.

See lead management in India
  • Downloadable template
  • Fixed column order and headers
  • Name, Email and Phone required
Owners and Stages

Set Owners, Statuses and Sources in the File

Type a team member's email or full name under Assigned To and the lead belongs to them from the moment it is imported. If you leave it blank, the person importing becomes the owner. Status sets the stage, and Source must match a source you have already created in AliveCRM. Rows with an unknown user or source are listed as failed, so you can correct them and upload again.

See lead assignment
  • Owner set per row
  • Status and source per row
  • Failed rows listed with a reason
Duplicates

Repeated Customers Flagged, Not Merged

Old sheets often have the same customer several times, entered by different executives. AliveCRM checks each row against your existing leads by email, ignoring capital letters, and by the last ten digits of the phone number, so +91 98200 00000 and 9820000000 count as one number. Matches are still imported but marked as possible duplicates and listed on the results screen, so you decide what to keep.

See custom statuses and sources
  • Email and phone matching
  • Country code does not split matches
  • Nothing merged or deleted for you
Projects

Attach Imported Leads to Projects

For real estate builders and brokers, the Project Name column matters most. If it matches a project in your inventory, the lead is attached to that project, ready for project-wise follow-up and reports. If it does not match, AliveCRM saves the name as a note on the lead so the information is not lost. Location is saved on the lead too.

See project management
  • Matched by project name
  • Unmatched names kept as notes
  • Location stored on the lead
Export

Take Your Data Out When You Need It

Your leads stay yours. Users whose role allows it can export the lead list as CSV, as an Excel-ready .xls file or as an A4 PDF, for a review meeting, your CA or a backup. The Android app can export CSV and PDF too. Export is limited by role, so a new executive cannot quietly download the whole customer list.

See user management
  • CSV, Excel-ready .xls or PDF
  • Export only for permitted roles
  • Same fields your team sees
Who It Is For

Who Imports Leads on Day One

Real estate brokers

Bring in years of buyer and tenant enquiries, matched to the projects they asked about.

CA and consulting firms

Move the client enquiry sheet into the CRM so every partner sees who was contacted and when.

Dealers and distributors

Import retailer and dealer contacts collected at trade fairs, with the executive who met them as owner.

Teams switching CRMs

Export from your old system as CSV, rearrange the columns to the template and upload.

Honest limits

What CSV Import Does Not Do

Import is for getting started, not for ongoing sync. It accepts CSV files only, not .xlsx, and has no column-mapping step. There is no automatic or scheduled import from portals or other CRMs. Imported leads can be attached to projects but not to products or services, and auto-assignment rules do not run on imported rows. Notes and call history from an old system do not come across.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I import leads directly from an Excel .xlsx file?

Not directly. AliveCRM accepts CSV files only. Open your sheet in Excel, use Save As and choose CSV, or in Google Sheets use File, Download, CSV. Keep the template's column order and header names as they are, then upload the saved file from the Leads page.

How many leads can I import at once?

Up to 2,000 rows per CSV file. A larger file is rejected, so split a big sheet into several files and import them one after another. After each file the results screen shows how many rows were created, how many were flagged as possible duplicates and which failed, so you can track progress.

Can I import leads from IndiaMART, JustDial or 99acres?

There is no direct connector to these portals. If the portal lets you download your leads, copy them into the AliveCRM template, save it as CSV and import it. New enquiries from those portals can also be added by hand from the Leads page so they get an owner and a follow-up.

What happens to phone numbers with and without +91?

Duplicate checks compare the last ten digits of the phone number, so a number saved with +91 and the same number without it are treated as a match. Still, keep one format across the file so your list looks tidy and your team can read numbers consistently.

Will imported leads be assigned automatically?

No. Auto-assignment rules apply to new web-form leads, not imported rows. The file decides ownership: fill Assigned To with a team member's email or full name, or leave it blank and the person importing becomes the owner. You can reassign individual leads afterwards from the lead record.

Can I export my leads back to Excel?

Yes. Users whose role allows it can export the lead list as CSV, as an .xls file that opens in Excel, or as a PDF. It is useful for a monthly review, your accountant or a backup copy, while the CRM remains where your team works day to day.

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Bring Your Excel Leads Across Today

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