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Our CSV and Excel file guide - importing prospects
Our CSV and Excel file guide - importing prospects

If you wish to upload the database from a file, you can do it using a .csv, .xls or .xlsx extension.

Weronika Wróblewska avatar
Written by Weronika Wróblewska
Updated over a week ago

IN THIS ARTICLE

CSV stands for Comma-separated value. CSV file format uses a comma as a field separator and a new line as a new data record. Woodpecker uses CSV files to import and export the data. You can export your sheet to a CSV file from any web or desktop sheet editor.


Please make sure your Sheet program is configured to use UTF-8 coding. Some programs such as Microsoft Excel make it difficult to export a properly coded CSV file. For that reason, we advise using Google Sheets in the process.


How to create CSV or Excel (XLSX, XLS) files?

1. Prepare your spreadsheet

You can use Google Sheets, Excel, or Libre Office, for example. Woodpecker considers an email address as a unique contact ID, please include a single email address per row and one data entry per cell. Here are some of Woodpecker fields that you can find in the App: First Name, Country, City, Phone, Company, Email (required), Title, Last Name, Website, and snippets.

To make it easier for you, we have prepared a Google Sheets template that you can download and edit according to your needs.

2. Download your sheet as CSV, XLSX, or XLS file

In Google Sheets, click File Download as Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) or Comma-separated values.

Downloading file in Google sheets with options to choose .xlsx or .csv file

An example of the exported CSV file:

An example of CSV file in Windows Notepad

Opening and saving the downloaded file through notepad may clear the text from diacritic signs such as ć, ż, ó. You might want to check if your program is configured to use UTF-8 coding.


How to import a file to Woodpecker

Limitations: please mind adding an Excel file that is bigger than 5 MB is not possible.

1. Open your campaign, click "Add prospects" → "Import".

When your CSV, XLS, or XLSX file is ready, you can import it to Woodpecker. You can add your contacts to the Prospects database or straight to your campaign. When adding prospects to the campaign, don't switch to the Prospects database!

Picture with arrows pointing to Adding prospects by importing them to a running campaign

If you're editing a campaign, scroll down to the PROSPECTS.

  • Click to expand the section

  • Click 'From file'

Options for adding prospects in a campaign editor

2. Next, click "BROWSE", select your file, and hit the button "UPLOAD AND IMPORT".

Importing from file and uploading screen

3. Map Woodpecker fields to those in your spreadsheet.

  • Any unmapped fields won't be imported.

  • If the first row contains column headers, check “Ignore the first row when importing”, right below.

  • When this is done, don't forget to click “IMPORT”.

Gif of matching the fields between your data and Woodpecker

4. Click 'ADD' to finish importing your file.

Imported prospects with error information to download

To learn more, check our help on Adding prospects to Woodpecker »


Troubleshooting

You're receiving an error while trying to import your prospects to Woodpecker.

Download the error file and check it. There, you will see the fields which couldn't be mapped correctly. Make sure you don't include the column "Status" with values like "Verified" or "Non-verified", and all the status names are written in capital letters.

As a status, you can use only statuses available in Woodpecker. Learn more about our statuses »

You'd like to add the same prospects to another campaign. It doesn't work and shows duplicates.

Sometimes you may want to add already existing prospects to a new campaign. Here's the detailed instruction on how to add duplicates.

Prospect list takes a long time to load.

Clean your browser history and cache. You can also switch to Mozilla Firefox, as it proved to work better with Woodpecker.


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