Importing and cleaning lead data is never glamorous, but if you get it wrong, the rest of your sales or marketing process is basically doomed from the start. This guide is for anyone who wants to get their leads into Leadmagic with minimal headaches—and keep their database clean enough to actually use. If you’re tired of fighting messy spreadsheets and half-baked imports, you’re in the right place.
Why Clean Data Actually Matters
Let’s get this out of the way: it’s not just about “data hygiene.” Bad data wastes your time, makes your sales team look clueless, and screws up reporting. Duplicate records, missing emails, weird formatting—they all add up to lost deals and embarrassing moments.
So yes, it’s worth spending a bit more time upfront.
Step 1: Know What Leadmagic Actually Needs
Before you hit import, get clear on what Leadmagic expects. Importing junk just moves your mess from one place to another.
- Required fields: Usually, Leadmagic needs at least an email or phone number. Check their help docs if you’re unsure.
- Supported formats: CSV is safest. Excel files can work, but CSV keeps things simple.
- Field limits: Some columns (like “Notes”) may have character limits. Watch for this, especially if you’re exporting from another CRM.
- Date formats: Pick one (ideally YYYY-MM-DD) and stick to it. If your file has a mix, Leadmagic will get confused.
Pro tip: Open a sample import template from Leadmagic and match your headers to theirs. Don’t trust your memory—copy and paste those header names.
Step 2: Clean Your Spreadsheet Before You Import
Don’t count on Leadmagic to fix your mistakes. Garbage in, garbage out.
Here’s what’s worth checking:
- Remove duplicates: Filter or use Excel’s “Remove Duplicates” tool. Focus on email addresses—they’re usually unique.
- Standardize fields: Is it “First Name” or “Firstname”? “Company” or “Organization”? Keep it consistent.
- Fix obvious errors: Empty emails, names in all caps, phone numbers missing digits. Fix the stuff you’d be embarrassed to send to a prospect.
- Delete junk columns: If you don’t need it in Leadmagic, don’t import it. Fewer columns = fewer chances for a mess.
- Check for merged cells: These break imports and are easy to miss. Unmerge everything.
What to ignore: Overthinking address formats, tagging every single lead, or filling in every optional field. Good enough is good enough—don’t let “perfect” slow you down.
Step 3: Map Your Columns—Don’t Let the Software Guess
When you upload your file, Leadmagic will try to match your columns to its fields. Sometimes it gets it right, but often it doesn’t. Take the extra minute to double-check:
- Manually map fields: Make sure “Mobile Phone” doesn’t end up in the “Fax” column (yes, that happens).
- Watch for hidden columns: Some spreadsheets have “helper” columns you forgot about. Unhide everything before uploading.
- Ignore irrelevant fields: If Leadmagic asks what to do with a column you don’t want, just skip it.
Step 4: Do a Small Test Import First
Don’t upload your whole list and pray. Import 5–10 rows first and check:
- Did all the data land in the right place?
- Are there weird characters, missing info, or broken fields?
- Does Leadmagic recognize your tags or custom fields?
If things look off, fix your file and try again. A 5-minute test now saves you hours of cleanup later.
Step 5: Handle Duplicates and Merge Conflicts
Leadmagic has some built-in duplicate detection, but it’s not magic (pun intended). Here’s what works:
- Set your deduplication rules: Usually, you’ll want to match on email. If you have multiple emails per contact, pick one as primary.
- Decide what wins in a conflict: If the same contact is in your file and already in Leadmagic, do you want to update the existing record or skip it? There’s no “right” answer—just be consistent.
- Merge carefully: If you’re merging records, double-check the results. Automated merges can wipe out good info.
What not to do: Don’t just “import everything and deal with it later.” Cleanup is 10x harder once your data’s already live.
Step 6: Use Tags and Custom Fields—But Don’t Go Overboard
Tags and custom fields are useful for sorting and segmenting, but it’s easy to go nuts.
- Start with a few, meaningful tags: For example, “Webinar 2024,” “VIP,” or “Cold Lead.” If you need a cheat sheet to remember your tags, you have too many.
- Custom fields: Only create what you’ll actually use for filtering or reporting. “Favorite Ice Cream” isn’t helping your sales team.
Pro tip: Decide on your tagging rules before you import. Retroactively fixing tags for thousands of leads is painful.
Step 7: After Import, Audit Your Data
Don’t assume it all worked. Spot-check 10–20 records:
- Are names, companies, and emails in the right fields?
- Did your tags and custom fields come through?
- Any gibberish or missing info?
If you see small issues, fix them now—before you forget or before bad data gets used.
Step 8: Set Up Ongoing Data Hygiene
Imports aren’t a one-time event. As your team adds or updates leads, things get messy again. Here’s what actually helps:
- Regular dedupe sweeps: Run Leadmagic’s duplicate check monthly.
- Export and audit: Every quarter, export your leads and scan for weirdness (missing emails, formatting issues, etc.).
- Train your team: Most bad data comes from manual entry. Make sure everyone knows what “good enough” looks like.
- Document your process: Keep a short Google Doc with your import steps, field definitions, and tagging rules. Future-you will thank you.
What to Ignore (or Not Stress About)
- Chasing absolute perfection: You’ll never have 100% clean data. Aim for “usable.”
- Filling every possible field: Only enter what you’ll actually use. Less is more.
- Custom scripts or fancy data tools: Unless you’re dealing with tens of thousands of leads, you don’t need a data engineer. Excel and a bit of patience work fine.
Final Thoughts: Keep It Simple, Keep Iterating
Clean imports aren’t rocket science, but they do take a bit of discipline. The trick is to keep your process simple, fix obvious problems upfront, and don’t let perfect be the enemy of good. If you mess up, no shame—just fix it and move on. Your future self (and your sales team) will appreciate it.