This article will help you format your CSV file correctly before importing it into HighLevel. By following this guide, you’ll avoid common import errors, save time, and ensure your data flows seamlessly into your CRM.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Key Benefits of Preparing Your CSV File
- What is a CSV File Format?
- Structuring Your File
- Supported Countries List in CSV Imports
- Supported Timezones
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Related Articles
Key Benefits of Preparing Your CSV File
Taking the time to format your CSV file correctly before importing ensures your contact data is clean, complete, and mapped accurately.
- Reduces the chance of import errors or upload failures
- Helps HighLevel automatically map fields during import
- Enables contact deduplication and accurate updates
- Supports custom fields and advanced segmentation
- Saves time by avoiding post-import cleanup
- Increases success with bulk contact/opportunity uploads
What is a CSV File Format?
CSV stands for ‘Comma-Separated Values’. It’s a simple file format used to store tabular data like spreadsheets or databases. Each line in a CSV file represents a single record, and fields within the record are separated by commas. It’s one of the most widely used formats for importing and exporting data between different systems.
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CSV files typically have a
.csvextension. -
You can create or edit them in tools like Excel, Google Sheets, or Notepad.
-
Ensure only one sheet is present in the file to prevent import issues.
Example:
| First Name | Last Name | Phone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jane | Doe | [email protected] | +11234567890 |
| John | Smith | [email protected] | +10987654321 |
Structuring Your File
To ensure accurate data mapping, structure your CSV file with column headers corresponding to standard or custom fields in HighLevel.
1. Sample CSV Format
| First Name | Last Name | Phone | Company | Tags | Status | Created Date | Additional Phone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John | Doe | [email protected] | +11234567890 | ABC Corp | VIP, Lead | New | 01/01/2024 | +17877123462 |
| Jane | Smith | [email protected] | +15556667777 | XYZ Ltd | Customer | Active | 02/02/2024 | +17877123464 |
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Each row represents a single contact or opportunity.
-
Each column represents a distinct property.
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The header row is required to map fields correctly.
2. Mandatory Fields
At least one of the following is required to create or update a contact:
-
First Name
-
Email Address
-
Phone Number
Note: For updating contacts, a Unique Identifier (Contact ID, Email, or Phone) is required based on your deduplication settings. For opportunities, include the Opportunity ID if updating. Without it, a new one will be created.
3. Field Formatting
Follow these specific formatting rules to avoid import failures:
| Field Type | Accepted Formats / Notes |
| Date Picker (Date Fields) | MM/DD/YYYY, YYYY/MM/DD, MM-DD-YYYY, YYYY-MM-DD |
| Multi-Select / Checkbox | Commas: VIP, Lead, Semicolons: Gold; Silver, Periods: Yes. No❌ Slashes = Invalid |
| Single Option (Dropdown) | One value only. Example: Blue |
| Contact Owner | FirstName LastName — e.g., Logan Paul |
| Tags | Commas, semicolons, or periods. e.g., Blue, Yellow, Blue; Yellow |
| Phone Number | E.164: +11234567890 (recommended); also 123-456-7890, (123) 456-7890 (US only) |
| Invalid Phone Formats | 1234567, abc1234567 |
| Numerical Fields | 1.23, 1234, .123 |
| Monetary Fields | 1234, 1,234,234.33 |
| Contact Followers | FirstName LastName, FirstName2 LastName2 — e.g., Adam Smith, David Lee |
| Additional Emails | [email protected], [email protected] |
| Additional Phone Numbers | +1 7877123460, +1 7877123461 |
4. Supported File Type and File Size
Your file must meet certain basic requirements for a successful upload.
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| File Format | .csv only |
| Sheets Allowed | One sheet per file |
| Max File Size | 30 MB |
5. Required and Optional Fields for Import
Including the right fields helps HighLevel identify and process your records accurately.
| Import Action | Required/Optional Fields | Notes |
| New Contact | Name or Email, or Phone | At least one is required |
| Update Existing Contact | Contact ID or Name/Email/Phone | Depends on duplicate settings |
| Header Row | Required | Headers must match existing or custom fields in HighLevel |
6. Formatting Guidelines by Field Type
To prevent import errors, follow these formatting rules for each data type in your CSV.
| Field Type | Format | Example | Notes |
| Phone Number | E.164 or standard US formats | +1 1234567890123-456-7890 |
Clean and consistent formatting |
| Email Address | Standard format | [email protected] |
Must include @ and domain |
| Date | Multiple accepted formats | 04/16/2025, 2025-04-16 |
Choose one format and stick to it |
| Multi-Select Fields | Separate with ,, ;, or . |
Blue, Yellow, Green |
Must match field options in CRM |
| Additional Emails | Comma-separated | [email protected], [email protected] |
Add in a separate column |
| Additional Phones | Comma-separated | 1234567890, 9876543210 |
Add in a separate column |
Tip: Before importing your CSV, ensure custom fields are already created in your HighLevel account using the same labels and data types.For help with creating custom fields, refer to Overview of Merge Fields & Custom Variables
Supported Countries List in CSV Imports
This section contains a table of country names accepted during CSV imports into HighLevel. These are the official country values that should be used in your CSV file when mapping a country field, whether standard or custom. Use the exact country names or short codes listed below in your CSV file.
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Purpose: HighLevel validates country names during import. If your CSV includes a
Countryfield, each row must match one of the exact names in this list. -
Format: Must match exactly—case-sensitive and spelling-sensitive. For example,
United Statesis accepted, butUSAorU.S.will cause an error. -
Custom Field Use: If you’re using a custom country field, you can still benefit from sticking to this list to maintain compatibility.
| Country Name (Code) | Country Name (Code) | Country Name (Code) |
| Afghanistan (AF) | Albania (AL) | Algeria (DZ) |
| Andorra (AD) | Angola (AO) | Antigua and Barbuda (AG) |
| Argentina (AR) | Armenia (AM) | Australia (AU) |
| Austria (AT) | Azerbaijan (AZ) | Bahamas (BS) |
| Bahrain (BH) | Bangladesh (BD) | Barbados (BB) |
| Belarus (BY) | Belgium (BE) | Belize (BZ) |
| Benin (BJ) | Bhutan (BT) | Bolivia (BO) |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina (BA) | Botswana (BW) | Brazil (BR) |
| Brunei (BN) | Bulgaria (BG) | Burkina Faso (BF) |
| Burundi (BI) | Cabo Verde (CV) | Cambodia (KH) |
| Cameroon (CM) | Canada (CA) | Central African Republic (CF) |
| Chad (TD) | Chile (CL) | China (CN) |
| Colombia (CO) | Comoros (KM) | Congo (CG) |
| Congo (Kinshasa) (CD) | Costa Rica (CR) | Croatia (HR) |
| Cuba (CU) | Cyprus (CY) | Czech Republic (CZ) |
| Denmark (DK) | Djibouti (DJ) | Dominica (DM) |
| Dominican Republic (DO) | East Timor (TL) | Ecuador (EC) |
| Egypt (EG) | El Salvador (SV) | Equatorial Guinea (GQ) |
| Eritrea (ER) | Estonia (EE) | Eswatini (SZ) |
| Ethiopia (ET) | Fiji (FJ) | Finland (FI) |
| France (FR) | Gabon (GA) | Gambia (GM) |
| Georgia (GE) | Germany (DE) | Ghana (GH) |
| Greece (GR) | Grenada (GD) | Guatemala (GT) |
| Guinea (GN) | Guinea-Bissau (GW) | Guyana (GY) |
| Haiti (HT) | Honduras (HN) | Hungary (HU) |
| Iceland (IS) | India (IN) | Indonesia (ID) |
| Iran (IR) | Iraq (IQ) | Ireland (IE) |
| Israel (IL) | Italy (IT) | Jamaica (JM) |
| Japan (JP) | Jordan (JO) | Kazakhstan (KZ) |
| Kenya (KE) | Kiribati (KI) | Korea, North (KP) |
| Korea, South (KR) | Kosovo (XK) | Kuwait (KW) |
| Kyrgyzstan (KG) | Laos (LA) | Latvia (LV) |
| Lebanon (LB) | Lesotho (LS) | Liberia (LR) |
| Libya (LY) | Liechtenstein (LI) | Lithuania (LT) |
| Luxembourg (LU) | Madagascar (MG) | Malawi (MW) |
| Malaysia (MY) | Maldives (MV) | Mali (ML) |
| Malta (MT) | Marshall Islands (MH) | Mauritania (MR) |
| Mauritius (MU) | Mexico (MX) | Micronesia (FM) |
| Moldova (MD) | Monaco (MC) | Mongolia (MN) |
| Montenegro (ME) | Morocco (MA) | Mozambique (MZ) |
| Myanmar (MM) | Namibia (NA) | Nauru (NR) |
| Nepal (NP) | Netherlands (NL) | New Zealand (NZ) |
| Nicaragua (NI) | Niger (NE) | Nigeria (NG) |
| North Macedonia (MK) | Norway (NO) | Oman (OM) |
| Pakistan (PK) | Palau (PW) | Panama (PA) |
| Papua New Guinea (PG) | Paraguay (PY) | Peru (PE) |
| Philippines (PH) | Poland (PL) | Portugal (PT) |
| Qatar (QA) | Romania (RO) | Russia (RU) |
| Rwanda (RW) | Saint Kitts and Nevis (KN) | Saint Lucia (LC) |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (VC) | Samoa (WS) | San Marino (SM) |
| Sao Tome and Principe (ST) | Saudi Arabia (SA) | Senegal (SN) |
| Serbia (RS) | Seychelles (SC) | Sierra Leone (SL) |
| Singapore (SG) | Slovakia (SK) | Slovenia (SI) |
| Solomon Islands (SB) | Somalia (SO) | South Africa (ZA) |
| South Sudan (SS) | Spain (ES) | Sri Lanka (LK) |
| Sudan (SD) | Suriname (SR) | Sweden (SE) |
| Switzerland (CH) | Syria (SY) | Taiwan (TW) |
| Tajikistan (TJ) | Tanzania (TZ) | Thailand (TH) |
| Togo (TG) | Tonga (TO) | Trinidad and Tobago (TT) |
| Tunisia (TN) | Turkey (TR) | Turkmenistan (TM) |
| Tuvalu (TV) | Uganda (UG) | Ukraine (UA) |
| United Arab Emirates (AE) | United Kingdom (GB) | United States (US) |
| Uruguay (UY) | Uzbekistan (UZ) | Vanuatu (VU) |
| Vatican City (VA) | Venezuela (VE) | Vietnam (VN) |
| Yemen (YE) | Zambia (ZM) | Zimbabwe (ZW) |
Supported Timezones
Use one of the following timezone formats in your CSV. These are case-sensitive and must match exactly.
| Timezone | Timezone | Timezone |
| Etc/GMT+12 | Pacific/Midway | Pacific/Honolulu |
| America/Juneau | US/Alaska | America/Dawson |
| America/Los_Angeles | America/Phoenix | America/Tijuana |
| US/Arizona | America/Belize | America/Boise |
| America/Chihuahua | America/Denver | America/Edmonton |
| America/Guatemala | America/Managua | America/Regina |
| Canada/Saskatchewan | US/Mountain | America/Bahia_Banderas |
| America/Bogota | America/Cancun | America/Chicago |
| America/Mexico City | US/Central | America/Caracas |
| America/Detroit | America/Indiana/Indianapolis | America/Louisville |
| America/Manaus | America/New_York | America/Santiago |
| America/Santo_Domingo | America/Toronto | US/East-Indiana |
| US/Eastern | America/Argentina/Buenos_Aires | America/Glace_Bay |
| America/Montevideo | America/Sao_Paulo | Canada/Atlantic |
| America/St_Johns | Canada/Newfoundland | America/Godthab |
| America/Noronha | Etc/GMT+2 | Atlantic/Cape_Verde |
| Atlantic/Azores | UTC | Africa/Algiers |
| Africa/Casablanca | Africa/Lagos | Atlantic/Canary |
| Europe/London | Africa/Cairo | Africa/Harare |
| Europe/Amsterdam | Europe/Belgrade | Europe/Brussels |
| Europe/Madrid | Europe/Oslo | Europe/Sarajevo |
| Africa/Nairobi | Asia/Amman | Asia/Baghdad |
| Asia/Jerusalem | Asia/Kuwait | Asia/Qatar |
| Europe/Athens | Europe/Bucharest | Europe/Helsinki |
| Europe/Moscow | Asia/Baku | Asia/Dubai |
| Asia/Kabul | Asia/Tehran | Asia/Karachi |
| Asia/Yekaterinburg | Asia/Colombo | Asia/Kolkata |
| Asia/Calcutta | Asia/Kathmandu | Asia/Almaty |
| Asia/Dhaka | Asia/Rangoon | Asia/Bangkok |
| Asia/Krasnoyarsk | Asia/Irkutsk | Asia/Kuala_Lumpur |
| Asia/Shanghai | Asia/Taipei | Australia/Perth |
| Asia/Seoul | Asia/Tokyo | Asia/Yakutsk |
| Australia/Adelaide | Australia/Darwin | Asia/Vladivostok |
| Australia/Brisbane | Australia/Canberra | Australia/Hobart |
| Australia/Sydney | Pacific/Guam | Asia/Magadan |
| Pacific/Auckland | Pacific/Fiji | Pacific/Tongatapu |
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I import contacts with more than one phone number or email?
Yes! Use separate columns like Additional phone numbers and Additional email addresses, and separate entries with commas.
Q: What happens if I include a field in the CSV that doesn’t exist in HighLevel?
That field will be ignored unless you map it to an existing standard or custom field during the import process.
Q: Will HighLevel detect duplicates automatically?
Yes, based on your Duplicate Detection Settings, it can match by Contact ID, phone, or email and either merge or skip duplicates.
Q: Can I update contacts with a CSV import?
Absolutely. Just make sure you’re including a field used in your duplicate matching (like Contact ID, email, or phone).
Q: Do I need to clean blank rows and columns?
Yes. It’s best to remove all unnecessary data to avoid unexpected import behavior.
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