How to import and organize b2b prospect lists in Sales Ape efficiently

If you're in B2B sales, you already know: prospect lists are a pain. They're messy, full of duplicates, and everyone's got their own spreadsheet “system.” If you're moving your lists into Sales Ape, you want them clean, organized, and ready to use—not just another mess in a new tool. This guide walks you through importing and organizing lists in Sales Ape, minus the fluff. Whether you're a rep, a founder, or the lone ops person, here's how to do it without losing your mind.

Step 1: Clean Your Prospect List Before You Import

Look, no CRM—Sales Ape included—can magically fix a garbage list. The time you spend cleaning your CSV now will save hours later.

What to Check Before Importing

  • Remove duplicates. Sales Ape can catch some, but don't count on it to catch everything. Use your spreadsheet app’s “Remove Duplicates” feature.
  • Standardize columns. Make sure you have clear headers: First Name, Last Name, Email, Company, Phone, etc. If your columns are called “FName” or “Biz Email,” rename them.
  • Fix broken data. Watch out for weird characters, missing emails, or phone numbers in the wrong format.
  • Tag your sources. Add a column like Source (e.g., “LinkedIn,” “Conference 2023,” “Purchased List”). You'll thank yourself later.
  • Decide on custom fields. If you want to track info that’s not standard (like “Industry vertical” or “Lead Score”), add those columns now.

Pro tip: Sales Ape works best with CSVs. Don’t bother with XLSX or Google Sheets exports—just download as CSV.

What You Can Ignore

  • Don’t waste time formatting phone numbers the “right” way—just make them consistent.
  • Don’t try to backfill missing data you never had. If you don’t know someone’s LinkedIn, skip it.

Step 2: Set Up Your Sales Ape Workspace for Success

Before you hit “Import,” get your Sales Ape workspace ready. This keeps you organized and prevents everything from dumping into one giant bucket.

Organizing Your Workspace

  • Decide on Lists vs. Tags. Sales Ape lets you organize prospects into Lists (think: big buckets) and Tags (quick labels). Plan which you’ll use for what.
    • Lists: Great for “Q2 Outreach List” or “Webinar Attendees.”
    • Tags: Use for things like “Hot Lead,” “SaaS,” or “NYC.”
  • Set up custom fields in advance. If you want to track custom info, go to Settings > Custom Fields. Add fields that match your CSV columns.
  • Review user permissions. If you work with a team, make sure only the right people can import or edit lists.

What to Ignore

  • Don’t overthink your taxonomy. You can tweak lists and tags later.
  • Avoid creating a million tags for everything—start simple.

Step 3: Import Your List (Without Breaking Anything)

Time to actually get your prospects into Sales Ape. Here’s how to do it right:

The Import Process

  1. Go to the Import Tool. In Sales Ape, find the “Import” option—usually under “Contacts” or “Prospects.”
  2. Upload your CSV. Select your file. If you have multiple sources, import them one at a time (so you can tag them correctly).
  3. Map your columns. Sales Ape will ask you to match CSV columns to fields. Double-check these—wrong mapping = chaos.
    • If you added custom fields, make sure they show up here.
  4. Assign to a List. Choose which List these prospects will go into. If you need a new list, create it now.
  5. Add Tags (optional). You can bulk-tag everyone in the import with “April2024Import” or “Industry: Fintech” etc.
  6. Preview & Import. Sales Ape usually gives you a preview—check for anything weird (like “John Smith” as a company name).
  7. Run the import. The system will load your contacts. For big lists, it may take a few minutes.

What Works Well

  • Sales Ape’s column mapping is straightforward if your CSV is clean.
  • You can undo an import if you catch a huge mistake—just do it quickly.

What Doesn’t

  • If your file has 20,000+ rows, expect some lag or even errors. Break up monster lists.
  • Sales Ape isn’t great at merging duplicates across different imports. Clean before you upload.

Step 4: Organize and Segment Your Prospects

Now you have a clean list in Sales Ape. Don’t just let it sit—segment it so you can actually work it.

How to Organize

  • Use Lists for campaigns or big groupings. E.g., “2024 Dream 100” or “Leads from May Webinar.”
  • Use Tags for quick filters. E.g., “VP Level,” “Renewal Opportunity,” “High Intent.”
  • Filter and sort. Use Sales Ape’s filters to drill down by industry, company size, region, or any custom field you added.
  • Set up saved views. If you constantly check “SaaS prospects in California,” save that view for one-click access.

What Works

  • Tags are flexible—don’t be afraid to add/remove as you go.
  • Lists keep the big picture organized, especially for reporting.

What to Skip

  • Don’t tag every micro-detail (“Sent Email Tuesday AM”)—it gets unwieldy.
  • Don’t try to use Lists as “stages” in your pipeline; that’s for your pipeline or deal view, not static lists.

Step 5: Keep Your Data Clean (Without Losing Your Sanity)

You’ve imported your lists. Now, keep things tidy so you’re not back at square one next quarter.

Simple Habits

  • Regularly dedupe. Run Sales Ape’s deduplication tool (if it has one) every month or so.
  • Delete or archive old lists. If a list is stale, archive or delete it. Less clutter = less confusion.
  • Standardize tags with your team. If you’re not the only user, agree on a few standard tags. “CFO” vs. “Chief Financial Officer” leads to chaos.
  • Document your process. A quick Google Doc or Notion page with “How we import and tag” is worth its weight in gold.

What Works

  • Less is more. Fewer lists and tags = easier to manage.
  • Regular cleanup beats a giant overhaul every year.

What to Ignore

  • Don’t stress about perfect data. Good enough is good enough. Focus on what helps you sell.

Step 6: Integrate and Iterate

Chances are, you’re not just living in Sales Ape. You might want to connect it to your email, outreach tools, or CRM.

How to Integrate

  • Check built-in integrations. Sales Ape has native connectors for popular email tools, CRMs, and enrichment platforms.
  • Use Zapier or similar. For more niche connections, try Zapier (but be ready for occasional sync hiccups).
  • Export lists as needed. Sometimes, a good old CSV export is the fastest way to move data into another system.

What Works

  • Integrations can save you time, but only if they’re actually reliable. Test before you rely on them.
  • Keep your workflows simple—don’t automate what you’re not ready to manage.

What to Skip

  • Don’t try to sync every field, everywhere. Focus on what you need to do your job.

Final Thoughts: Keep It Simple, Keep It Moving

Importing and organizing B2B prospect lists in Sales Ape isn’t rocket science, but it’s easy to overcomplicate. Clean your data before you import, use simple lists and tags, and build habits for keeping things tidy. Don’t get lost trying to make it perfect—your goal is to reach out, not build the world’s most beautiful CRM. Start simple, see what works, and adjust as you go. That’s how you actually get value from your tools.