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CSV import & export

Import leads from spreadsheets and export your data as CSV. Move thousands of contacts into Asan in minutes, or back up your lead database anytime.

Importing leads

Go to Leads in the sidebar.
Click Import CSV in the toolbar.
Upload your .csv or .xlsx file.
Map your spreadsheet columns to Asan fields (name, email, phone, company, etc.).
Review the preview — Asan validates each row and flags errors.
Click Import. Your leads appear in the leads table.

Click Download Template before your first import to get a pre-formatted CSV file with all the right column headers. Fill it in and upload — no mapping step needed.

CSV template columns

The template includes these columns. Only Name is required — all others are optional:

Column	Required	Notes
First Name	Yes	The lead's first name.
Last Name	No	The lead's last name.
Email	No	Primary email address.
Phone	No	Primary phone number. Include country code for best results.
Company	No	Organization or business name.
Status	No	New, Cold, Warm, Hot, or Nurture. Defaults to New if blank.
Source	No	Where the lead came from (e.g., "Referral," "Website").
Tags	No	Comma-separated list of tags (e.g., "VIP, Spring Campaign").
Custom fields	No	Any custom fields you have created appear as additional columns.

Column mapping

After uploading your file, Asan shows each column from your spreadsheet alongside a dropdown of Asan fields. The system auto-detects common column names (e.g., "Email," "Phone") and pre-selects the right mapping.

For columns that are not auto-detected:

Select the matching Asan field from the dropdown.
Choose Skip for columns you do not want to import.
Map to a custom field if the data does not fit a standard field.

Custom fields must be created in Settings before importing. The mapper can only map to fields that already exist.

Validation and error handling

Before importing, Asan validates your data and highlights issues:

Issue	What happens
Invalid email format	Row is flagged — you can fix or skip it.
Duplicate phone/email	Row is flagged as a potential duplicate of an existing lead.
Missing required field	Row is blocked from import until fixed.
Unrecognized status value	Defaults to "New" if the value does not match a valid status.

Fix errors in the preview screen or skip problematic rows. You can also fix issues in your spreadsheet and re-upload.

After importing

After a successful import:

All imported leads appear in the leads table with the status and tags from your file.
Cori offers to run Database Intelligence to check for duplicates and data quality issues.
Imported leads start with a SMART score of 0 (Cold) — the score updates as you interact with them.
Routing rules do not apply to CSV imports. Assign agents manually or use bulk edit.

Exporting leads

Go to the Leads table.
Optionally apply filters to export a subset of leads.
Click Export in the toolbar.
A CSV file downloads to your computer.

The export includes:

All standard lead fields (name, email, phone, company, status, source)
Assigned agent
All tags (comma-separated)
All custom field values
Created date and last activity date

Use filtered exports for targeted analysis. For example, filter by "Hot" status and export to see only your highest-priority leads in a spreadsheet.

Frequently asked

What file formats can I import?+

Asan accepts .csv and .xlsx files.

Is there a limit on how many leads I can import at once?+

You can import thousands of leads in a single file. Very large files (50,000+ rows) may take a few minutes to process.

Will importing create duplicates?+

Asan flags rows that match existing leads by phone number or email. You can choose to skip duplicates or import them as new records. After import, use Database Intelligence to merge any duplicates.

Can I import tags?+

Yes. Include a "Tags" column with comma-separated tag names. If a tag does not exist yet, it is created automatically during import.

Does the export include call recordings and notes?+

The CSV export includes lead data fields only. Call recordings, notes, and activity history are not included in the CSV — they live on each lead's detail page.

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Last updated 16 Jun 2026 · Applies to: Asan CRM