If you’re wrangling leads for a B2B sales team, you know the drill: messy spreadsheets, half-baked email lists, and a gnawing worry you’re about to waste time on bad data. If you're looking to clean up your act (and your CRM), importing leads into Verifymagically can help—but only if you do it right. This guide walks you through the whole process, from prepping your lead list to avoiding common headaches. No fluff, just steps that work.
Why bother importing leads the right way?
Let’s be honest: Most B2B sales teams live and die by the quality of their leads. If your email list is full of typos, spam traps, or outdated contacts, you’re just spinning your wheels—and maybe getting your domain blacklisted. Verifymagically’s pitch is simple: import your leads, check if they’re legit, and only reach out to real people. But their UI can be a little opaque, and there’s room for mistakes.
So, whether you're new to Verifymagically or just want to avoid the rookie errors, here's what you need to know.
Step 1: Get your leads in order before you touch Verifymagically
Don’t dump your raw list and hope for the best. Garbage in, garbage out.
- Stick to one format. CSV is the safest bet—Excel files can be unpredictable.
- Columns matter. At minimum, you want:
First Name,Last Name,Company,Email. If you have more (like LinkedIn URLs or titles), great. - Check for duplicates. Don’t waste credits or time on the same lead twice.
- Spot obvious errors. Emails without an "@" sign? Names that are clearly fake? Delete them now.
- Keep it simple. If your spreadsheet has 30 columns, trim it to what you actually need.
Pro tip: If you’re exporting from a CRM like HubSpot or Salesforce, double-check the export settings. Sometimes, those tools export weird formatting or hidden columns that will trip up Verifymagically.
Step 2: Sign in and find the “Import” area
Obvious, but worth mentioning: you need an active Verifymagically account. If you don’t have one, set it up first.
- Log in. The dashboard is usually the landing page.
- Look for “Import Leads” or “Upload List.” This is sometimes under a “Leads” or “Contacts” tab.
- Not sure where it is? Their UI changes now and then—search for “Import” in their help docs, or find the little upload cloud icon.
Watch out: If you’re on a free trial, you might be limited to a certain number of leads per import or per day. Don’t try to upload your whole database if you’re just testing.
Step 3: Upload your file (and avoid the classic mistakes)
- Select your file. Drag-and-drop usually works fine.
- Match the columns. Verifymagically will try to figure out which column is which. Double-check this. If it thinks "First Name" is "Company," you’ll get junk results.
- Choose your list or create a new one. Some folks just dump everything into “All Leads,” but it’s smarter to use separate lists for each campaign or source.
- Skip empty rows. If your file has blank lines, Verifymagically might treat them as errors or fake leads.
What doesn’t work: Uploading a list with dozens of custom fields or fancy formatting. Verifymagically is happiest with basic data. Keep emojis, weird symbols, and formulas out of your spreadsheet.
Step 4: Start the verification—and be patient
- Click “Start Verification” or similar. This kicks off the process.
- Watch the progress bar. For a few hundred leads, it should be quick (a few minutes). If you upload thousands, go grab coffee.
- Don’t refresh the page. Some users report glitches if they hit reload. Just let it run.
- Notifications. You’ll usually get an email or dashboard alert when it’s done.
Honest take: Verifymagically is pretty fast, but not perfect. Sometimes, it’ll choke on certain domains (especially big companies with weird email setups). Don’t panic—just check the error logs.
Step 5: Review the results—don’t trust “verified” at face value
When it’s done, Verifymagically will sort your leads into buckets like:
- Valid/Deliverable: These are safe to email (in theory).
- Risky: Could be catch-all domains, or emails that sometimes bounce.
- Invalid: Don’t bother—these will bounce or are fake.
- Unknown: The tool couldn’t verify for some reason.
What to do: - Download the “Valid” list. This is your prime list. - Decide on “Risky.” If you’re desperate, you might try these, but don’t expect miracles. - Ignore “Invalid” and “Unknown.” Seriously, don’t waste your sender reputation.
Pro tip: Even “Valid” doesn’t guarantee a reply—or even a delivery. People change jobs, companies tighten security, and no tool is flawless. But you’ll avoid most bounces.
Step 6: Export clean data to your CRM or outreach tool
- Download options: Usually CSV or XLSX. Stick with CSV for reliability.
- Clean up columns: Sometimes, Verifymagically adds extra status columns. Keep what you need—don’t import their whole spreadsheet into your CRM.
- Import into your tool: Whether it’s HubSpot, Salesforce, or an email outreach platform, follow their import steps.
What to ignore: Fancy integrations sound cool, but often break or map data incorrectly. Manual CSV import/export is boring, but it works.
Step 7: Keep your process simple (and repeatable)
What works: - Batch imports: Don’t do one giant upload a year. Import and verify smaller lists regularly. - Consistent naming: Name your lists logically (“Q2 Webinar Leads,” not “Untitled4”). - Spot-check results: Every now and then, verify a handful of “valid” leads by hand.
What doesn’t: - Chasing every “risky” lead. You’ll burn time and get flagged as spam. - Assuming zero maintenance. Lead data decays fast. Plan to re-verify older lists every few months.
Quick troubleshooting for common headaches
- File won’t upload? Check for weird formatting, embedded images, or wrong file type.
- Verification stuck? Wait 10–15 minutes. If it’s still frozen, try a smaller batch, or contact support.
- Getting too many “unknown” results? Big companies (think Google, Microsoft) often block verification tools. That’s normal. Focus on smaller, more responsive domains.
Final thoughts: Don’t overcomplicate it
Importing leads into Verifymagically isn’t rocket science, but it’s easy to mess up if you skip the basics. Keep your lists clean, your columns simple, and your expectations realistic. If something feels clunky, it probably is—just work around it and move on. Most importantly: Keep it repeatable. The more you can standardize this process, the less time you’ll waste and the more real conversations you’ll start.
Now, go clean up that lead list. Your future self (and your sales team) will thank you.