Best practices for importing and segmenting contact lists in Workwithpod

If you’re reading this, you probably need to wrangle a messy contact list (or three) into Workwithpod. Maybe you’re switching CRMs, or maybe your spreadsheet habit finally caught up with you. Either way, the goal is simple: get your contacts into the system, make sure they’re organized, and avoid a bunch of pain down the road.

This guide is for anyone who wants to import and segment contacts in Workwithpod without spending all day cleaning up mistakes. Whether you’re a first-timer or you’ve been burned by bad imports before, I’ll walk you through what works, what to skip, and how to keep things sane.

Step 1: Clean Up Your Source Data Before Importing

You can’t skip this step. Garbage in, garbage out. Workwithpod’s import tools are decent, but they won’t magically fix a list full of typos, duplicates, or missing info.

Here’s what matters most:

Consistent column names: Stick to simple, clear headers like First Name, Last Name, Email, and Phone. Avoid weird abbreviations or mixed languages.
No merged cells or fancy formatting: Imports choke on this stuff. Keep it basic—a plain CSV or XLSX with one contact per row.
Fix obvious errors: Blank emails, misspelled domains, and phone numbers in the wrong field will haunt you later.
Deduplicate: If you’ve got the same person three times, pick one and lose the rest.

Pro tip: Run a “find duplicates” in Excel or Google Sheets before you start. It’s not perfect, but it’ll catch most of the obvious stuff.

Step 2: Map Your Columns Properly

When you upload your file, Workwithpod will try to guess which columns match its fields. Sometimes it gets it right. Sometimes... not so much.

Do this manually:

Double-check every field mapping—especially for things like Company, Job Title, or custom fields.
If you’re not sure where something should go, leave it out for now. It’s easier to add missing info later than to fix a bunch of wrongly-placed data.
For tags, segments, or custom labels, make sure they exist in Workwithpod before you import—or be ready to create them during the process.

Watch out for: - Date fields (they’re notorious for importing in the wrong format). - Special characters (accents, emojis, etc.) can get mangled, especially in CSVs.

Step 3: Use Tags and Segments—But Don’t Overcomplicate

Workwithpod gives you tools to group contacts: tags, segments, maybe lists depending on your setup. Here’s how to use them without turning your database into a junk drawer.

Start simple:

Tags are for quick labels (“VIP”, “Newsletter”, “2024 Leads”).
Segments are smart groups—usually based on filters like “all contacts in California who opened last month’s email”.
Avoid making a tag for every tiny thing. “Met at April 2023 conference in Boise” is probably too specific unless you’re really going to use it.
Pick 3–5 broad tags or buckets to start. You can always add more later (and you probably will).

Pro tip: Use consistent naming. If you tag one group as “Prospects” and another as “prospect,” you’ll end up with confusion and missed opportunities.

Step 4: Run a Test Import

Here’s a step most people skip: do a test run with 10–20 contacts. You’ll catch most big issues before you mess up your whole list.

Import a small sample with all the fields and tags you plan to use.
Check how it looks in Workwithpod—are emails in the right place? Do tags show up?
Make sure nothing broke, and that everything imported as expected.
Delete the test batch if you need to start over.

Why bother? Because cleaning up 20 contacts is easy. Cleaning up 2,000 is a headache.

Step 5: Import the Full List

If your test went well, go ahead and import the whole list. Don’t try to get fancy—just stick to the basics.

During the import:

Keep an eye out for error messages. Most errors are about formatting or missing required fields.
If you see a lot of errors, stop and fix your spreadsheet. Don’t just click “ignore” and hope for the best.
Once the import finishes, spot-check a few random contacts to make sure everything is in the right place.

Step 6: Segment and Organize

Now that your contacts are in, it’s time to actually organize them so you can find what you need later.

How to segment effectively:

Use tags for the most important groups (active clients, leads, partners, etc.).
Create segments for things you’ll actually use—like “Contacts in New York” or “People who haven’t been emailed in 6 months.”
Don’t bother making a segment just because you can. Only create ones you know you’ll use for outreach, reporting, or follow-up.

What works: - Keep your segment list short and clear. - Review and prune your tags and segments every few months. Otherwise, it gets messy fast.

What doesn’t: - Over-segmenting. If you need a cheat sheet to remember what your tags mean, you’ve gone too far. - Using segments for stuff that should be a tag (and vice versa). Segments are for dynamic, changing groups. Tags are for static labels.

Step 7: Set Up Regular Maintenance

Data gets messy over time—there’s no way around it. Set a reminder to review your contacts every quarter.

Good habits:

Merge duplicates when you spot them.
Update or remove old tags and segments.
Archive contacts you haven’t interacted with in a year (or whatever makes sense for your business).

Ignore: - The urge to “perfect” your database. Good enough is usually good enough. Don’t let organizing get in the way of actually reaching out.

Honest Takes: What to Watch Out For

Imports can fail quietly. Always double-check after a big import.
Custom fields break easily. If you add new custom fields after importing, expect to do some manual cleanup.
Segmenting for the sake of segmenting is a waste of time. Only make groups you’ll actually use.
Don’t expect magic. Contact management is boring, but it’s the foundation for everything else. Do it right once, and you’ll save yourself a ton of hassle.

Keep It Simple—Seriously

Don’t overthink this. Start with a clean list, import it, organize with a few thoughtful tags and segments, and move on. You can always tweak later. The real trick is to keep things simple and revisit your setup once in a while. Skip the urge to build a “perfect” system on day one—you’ll just end up frustrated.

If you get stuck, walk away for a bit and come back fresh. Your future self will thank you.