Want to get started with Indy fast, but have a ton of contacts? Adding them all manually can be a pain. That’s why we have a simple import feature to help you get up to 250 contacts into the system in one go. If your list is more than that, you'll want to split it into multiple files.
Contacts include your clients, leads, and others. They’re a key part of your Indy workspace, allowing you to stay organized and send files and documents like invoices, contracts, and proposals to the people you work with.
The basics
How do I import contacts?
On the People page, click on the 'import' button to get started.
What file types can I use to import contacts?
Currently, the contact importer supports comma-separated values (CSV) files only. If you have a particular need for another file type, please let us know.
How do I create a CSV file?
You can create a CSV file by exporting a spreadsheet document (such as Google Sheets, Excel, or Numbers) to a CSV.
You should also be able to export your contact list to a CSV from whatever system you’re using to store them. Here’s a list of helpful articles for four common contact apps:
The technical bits
How should I format my spreadsheet?
The first thing to keep in mind is that the import feature supports column headings, not row headings, so you’ll want all the headings to be at the top of the spreadsheet.
The second thing to keep in mind is that while headings are helpful, they aren’t required.
The import function is pretty flexible, so it should support virtually any CSV file you’d be uploading. The importer allows you to match each column to a contact field inside of Indy. Indy will even automatically match fields it can easily identify, like emails or phone numbers.
If you want an example of an ideally formatted spreadsheet, we’ve created templates for you to view and use if you wish:
Note:
Names: We’ve provided options for First name, Last name, and Full name. First name and Last name can be used together, but not at the same time as Full name. The system will notify you if you’re making a conflicting change and allow you to cancel it.
Addresses: Similar to names, Full address can’t be used at the same time as the individual address options. Again, the system will notify you if you’re making such a change.
What if there’s a problem with the data in my CSV file?
Not to worry! The system will import all the rows that it can. If there are errors and it can’t import certain rows, it will automatically provide you with a downloadable CSV that you can open in your spreadsheet software of choice. We do our best to describe what the issues are inside of the spreadsheet. Just make the fixes, export back to CSV, run a new import, and you should be good to go!
