If your contact list is a mess, your prospecting will be too. Whether you’re in sales, marketing, or just trying to keep your network straight, you know the pain: spreadsheets full of half-baked info, bounced emails, LinkedIn profiles that may or may not be the right person. This guide is for anyone who wants to get their contact data into shape—without spending all day cleaning it or buying into pie-in-the-sky promises.
Here’s how to actually import and enrich contact data in Databar so you can prospect smarter, not harder.
Step 1: Get Your Data Ready (Don’t Skip This)
Databar isn’t magic—it can’t fix garbage data. Before you import anything, spend a few minutes getting your list in order. This will save you hours (and headaches) later.
What works: - Clean up your spreadsheet. Get rid of duplicate rows. Standardize column headers (like "First Name," "Last Name," "Email," etc.). - Use a CSV file. Databar eats CSVs for breakfast. Excel files work sometimes, but CSV is less likely to blow up. - Minimum viable info: You need at least one unique identifier (usually email) per contact. If you don’t have emails, phone numbers or LinkedIn URLs can work, but you’ll get better results with emails.
What doesn’t:
- Uploading a list of just names. Databar can’t guess who “John Smith” is out of the millions out there.
- Mixing company and contact data in the same sheet. Keep them separate.
Pro tip:
If your data came from a sketchy source or scraped list, expect lower enrichment rates. Databar works best with real, accurate info.
Step 2: Import Contacts into Databar
Alright, your spreadsheet looks halfway decent. Time to get it into Databar.
How to Import:
- Log in to Databar.
- Go to the “Contacts” tab (or wherever your workspace calls it).
- Look for the “Import” or “Upload” button—usually right at the top.
- Select your CSV file and map your columns. Databar will try to match them automatically, but double-check:
- Emails match “Email”
- Names match “First Name” and “Last Name”
- Company, Title, Phone, etc. match up correctly
- Confirm and start the import.
What works: - Reviewing a preview of your data before the final import. Databar shows you a few rows—use this to catch anything weird. - Small test imports, especially if your list is big or you’re not sure about your data.
What doesn’t: - Importing thousands of contacts at once if you’ve never done this before. If something’s wrong, you’ll have a mess to clean up.
Heads up:
If you hit errors, it’s usually because your file has blank rows, weird characters, or columns that aren’t mapped right. Don’t panic. Go back, clean it up, and try again.
Step 3: Enrich Your Contacts
Now for the good stuff—enrichment. This is where Databar tries to fill in the blanks: adding job titles, company info, social profiles, even phone numbers if it can find them.
How Enrichment Works in Databar
Databar uses a mix of data providers, public records, and web scraping (the legal kind) to find extra info about your contacts. But it’s not pulling rabbits out of hats; the results depend on what you start with.
What works: - Email addresses as your main identifier. The more unique your data, the better the enrichment. - Letting Databar run its enrichment in batches. For large lists, it may take a while—just let it run.
What doesn’t: - Expecting 100% fill rates. If your contact hasn’t left a digital trail, Databar isn’t going to invent a phone number. - Relying on enrichment to “find” contacts who aren’t real or whose info is outdated.
How to Enrich:
- After import, select the contacts or segment you want to enrich.
- Click on the “Enrich” button (sometimes called “Update” or “Find More Info”).
- Choose which fields you want to fill in—job title, company data, LinkedIn URL, etc.
- Start the enrichment process. Databar will show progress and let you know when it’s done.
Pro tip:
If you’re on a paid plan, you usually get more enrichment credits and deeper data. On the free version, you might get basic info only.
Step 4: Review and Triage the Results
Don’t just take Databar’s word for it. Automation is great, but it’s not perfect. After enrichment finishes:
- Spot-check your data. Look for obvious mismatches—wrong company, outdated titles, or generic info.
- Filter for missing data. Use Databar’s filters to see which contacts couldn’t be enriched. Decide if you want to research them manually or just move on.
- Export a copy. Keep a backup of your enriched list. If something goes sideways later, you’ll be glad you did.
What works: - Updating only the fields you need. No sense overwriting good data with blanks. - Creating segments for “fully enriched,” “partially enriched,” and “couldn’t enrich” to prioritize your outreach.
What doesn’t: - Blindly trusting that every LinkedIn URL or phone number is correct. The web changes fast; data ages even faster. - Using enrichment as a substitute for real relationship-building. This gets you in the door, not across the finish line.
Step 5: Use Your Enriched Data for Actual Prospecting
Now you’ve got a cleaner, more complete list. Don’t let it rot in Databar—put it to work.
How to Make the Most of It:
- Personalize your outreach. Use job titles, company names, and recent news to make your cold emails less cold.
- Segment by role, industry, or company size. Don’t batch-blast everyone the same message.
- Sync with your CRM or sales tools. Databar usually integrates with common platforms, or you can export your list as a CSV.
- Set reminders or tasks. If Databar supports task management, schedule follow-ups right away.
What works: - Starting with a small segment and testing your approach before blasting the whole list. - Keeping your data fresh—run periodic enrichments on older contacts.
What doesn’t: - Assuming the data will stay accurate forever. People switch jobs, companies rebrand, emails go stale. - Using enrichment as a shortcut for spam. Your reputation is worth more than a few extra sends.
What to Ignore (Mostly)
- “AI-powered” enrichment promises: Databar’s enrichment is pretty solid, but remember, no tool can make up data that doesn’t exist.
- Super granular fields: If you don’t use “number of Twitter followers” or “company founding year” in your outreach, don’t clutter your view with them.
- Manual editing every single record: Fix obvious errors, but don’t get bogged down trying to make your list perfect.
Keep It Simple, Iterate Often
Importing and enriching contact data in Databar isn’t rocket science, but it’s not plug-and-play, either. Clean your list, import it carefully, enrich what you can, and actually use the results. Don’t waste time chasing perfect data or believing every automation promise. Keep things simple, review what works, and keep iterating—your best results will come from improving as you go.
Ready to prospect smarter? Get your data in, enrich it, and start meaningful conversations—one real contact at a time.