Preparing Data for Your First CRM Import: A HubSpot Starter Guide

One of the fastest ways to get value out of a CRM like HubSpot is to load it with your existing contacts. But if you rush that step without preparation, you’ll end up with a messy database that makes it harder to work, not easier. Clean data in equals valuable CRM out. Dirty data in equals frustration later.

This Lab will walk you through best practices for preparing your data before importing into HubSpot’s free CRM tier. We’ll cover:

• Why preparation matters more than speed
• How to structure your spreadsheet for import
• Fields that matter (and fields you can skip at first)
• Common mistakes to avoid
• Testing and validating your import
• Building data habits that stick

The goal here isn’t to overthink it. It’s to give you a practical, repeatable process for clean imports that set your CRM up for long-term success.

Why Data Prep Matters

HubSpot makes it easy to upload contacts in bulk—just drop in a CSV and you’re off. But CRMs live and die by the quality of their data. If you import inconsistent phone numbers, misspelled company names, or duplicate contacts, you’ll spend weeks cleaning up. Worse, your sales flow gets confusing because you can’t trust what you see.

Think of your CRM like a kitchen. It doesn’t matter how nice the appliances are—if the ingredients are spoiled, you can’t cook a good meal. Data prep ensures your “ingredients” are fresh, clean, and ready to go.

Step One: Audit Where Your Data Lives

Before you even open HubSpot, ask: where do my contacts exist right now?

Common sources include:

• Google Contacts or Outlook
• Spreadsheets you’ve used manually
• Email lists from newsletters or signups
• Old CRMs or databases
• Your phone’s contact list

Gather them all in one place. Don’t worry yet about duplicates—you’ll fix that soon.

Step Two: Create a Master Spreadsheet

HubSpot imports best from a CSV file with column headers that match its field names. Start with a clean master sheet.

Recommended columns:

• First Name
• Last Name
• Email
• Phone Number
• Company
• Job Title (if applicable)
• Lifecycle Stage (optional: lead, opportunity, customer)
• Notes (free text)

Keep it simple. Don’t overload with fields you don’t plan to use. Extra fields mean extra clutter.

Step Three: Standardize Formats

Here’s where many imports go wrong. Consistency is everything.

• Emails: make sure they’re lowercase. Example: jon@example.com, not Jon@Example.Com.
• Phone Numbers: choose one format (+1-XXX-XXX-XXXX is common) and apply it everywhere.
• Company Names: use full, consistent names. Not “IBM” in one row and “International Business Machines” in another.
• Names: capitalize first and last names properly.
• Lifecycle Stages: pick simple labels and use them consistently.

Pro tip: use Excel/Google Sheets functions like =LOWER(), =PROPER(), and =TRIM() to clean data in bulk.

Step Four: Deduplicate

Nothing kills a CRM faster than duplicates. Imagine calling the same prospect twice because they appear in two rows.

Most spreadsheets have deduplication tools. Run them on email addresses first (they’re the most unique identifier). If two rows exist for the same email, merge the info into one record.

In HubSpot, you can also merge duplicates later—but it’s much easier to start clean.

Step Five: Decide What to Skip

Here’s a mistake beginners make: they import every possible detail. Resist.

You don’t need mailing addresses, social media handles, or secondary emails at the start. Focus on essentials: name, email, phone, company. You can always enrich later.

Think of this as a “minimum viable dataset.” Enough to track your sales flow without overwhelming yourself.

Step Six: Test Import a Small Batch

Before uploading all your contacts, run a test with 10–20 records. Check:

• Do the fields map correctly into HubSpot?
• Do phone numbers look consistent?
• Are company records linking properly?
• Is anything ending up in the wrong place?

Catching errors in a small batch saves hours of rework later.

Step Seven: Import and Validate

Once your test looks good, import the full sheet. HubSpot’s import wizard lets you map columns to fields. Double-check each mapping before you hit submit.

After the import, spot-check 20–30 random records. Verify names, emails, and deal associations. This ensures your data landed cleanly.

Step Eight: Build Data Habits

A clean import is only the beginning. The real key is maintaining data quality over time.

• Always enter new contacts with consistent formatting.
• Schedule a monthly deduplication check.
• Encourage your team (or yourself) to log notes in the CRM instead of personal docs.
• Treat your CRM as the “single source of truth” for contact data.

Think of it like brushing your teeth—you don’t clean once and stop. You maintain.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

1. Mixing personal and business contacts – Don’t import your entire phone without filtering. Keep your CRM business-focused.
2. Over-customizing fields too soon – Stick to basics before building custom properties.
3. Forgetting to back up – Keep a copy of your master spreadsheet in case you need to re-import.
4. Skipping the test import – This is where most people regret moving too fast. Always test.
5. Saying yes to upsells – HubSpot will offer free trials during import. Decline. Stay focused on clean data first.

The Bigger Picture: APIs and Ecosystem

While you’re starting with manual imports, know that HubSpot also connects with APIs and integration platforms like Zapier. That means in the future, you can automate imports from forms, payment systems, or other tools. But don’t worry about that now. Focus on building your foundation.

Final Thoughts

Importing contacts into HubSpot is one of the most powerful ways to get started with CRM. But the difference between a CRM that helps you grow and one that becomes a mess comes down to preparation.

By taking the time to:

• Audit your sources
• Create a clean master spreadsheet
• Standardize formats
• Deduplicate
• Skip non-essentials
• Test before importing

…you give yourself a CRM that works for you instead of against you.

Clean data is empowering. It means you can trust your CRM, focus on sales flow, and build the habits that grow your business.

So before you upload that file, pause. Prep your data. And start your CRM journey on the right foot.