Import your existing contacts, companies, deals and custom object records from a CSV file to start working with your data in Clarify right away. This is the fastest way to migrate from another CRM or bring in a list of prospects, accounts, or open deals.
Working with a short list? Hand it to Rep. Attach the CSV or paste the rows into a Rep chat and ask Rep to add them, for example: "Create a person for each row in this file and link them to their companies." Rep reads small files. For larger files, use the CSV importer below.
Connected Clarify to an AI assistant? The Clarify MCP write tools handle 25 records per call, so they are a slow way to move a whole CRM. Import the bulk from CSV first, then use the connector for meetings, transcripts and anything a CSV does not carry.
Prepare your files
Create separate CSV files for each record type:
companies.csv
people.csv
deals.csv
one file per custom object, if you use them
Each file needs column headers in the first row and must be under 30MB.
Import order matters:
Import companies first if you want to set their names and details yourself. If you skip this step, Clarify still creates a company for each person from their work email domain.
Import people second. Leave the Company column unmapped to let Clarify create and link companies from email domains, or map a Company name or Company domain column to link people to companies that already exist.
Import deals last - map a Company name or Company domain column to link each deal to its company (the company must already exist, like people→company). Deal→people links aren't set from CSV columns. See About relationships during import below.
Import process
Step 1: Upload your file
Navigate to Companies, People, Deals, or a custom object. Click the ⋯ menu next to the list name, beside the star, and select Import CSV.
Start the import from the object that matches your file: import a list of companies from Companies, people from People, and deals from Deals. The page you start from determines the record type that gets created. For example, a company list imported from the People page won't create companies - it tries to link each row to a company that already exists, and fails with "Couldn't find Company record" if none is found.
Upload your CSV file and confirm the basic info looks correct.
Step 2: Map your columns
Clarify automatically maps columns to existing fields when possible. Manually map any columns that weren't matched automatically.
If this is your first import:
Leave unmapped columns unselected to skip them
Create new fields during import if needed (most field types; relationship fields can't be created during import)
If you're adding to existing data:
Check Unique next to one or more fields (like Name or Email) to update existing records instead of creating duplicates. With more than one Unique field checked, a record matches only when all of them match.
Example: check Unique next to Email for people, or Name for companies
Step 3: Review and fix validation errors
Review your data. The validation screen shows two sections:
Needs review - data with issues that need fixing
Automatically mapped - data ready to import (still editable if needed)
The import won't start while any value is invalid. Fix each invalid value by editing it, or skip it.
Create new options for select fields directly during this step.
Step 4: Complete the import
Click Import data to start. Progress shows in the sidebar.
When complete, you'll see a summary showing:
Successfully imported records
Failed rows (download CSV to fix and re-import)
Imported companies, people and deals get an import label named after the date and file (for example "Import 1/7/2026: leads.csv") and appear in a new list with the same name.
What happens during import
Automatic company-person linking:
Leave the Company column unmapped and Clarify links each person to a company from the domain of their first email address, creating the company if it doesn't exist yet. Company details such as name and size are filled in by enrichment afterward. This runs in the background, so companies appear shortly after the import finishes.
Personal email domains such as Gmail and Outlook.com are skipped, so those people are not linked to a company.
Map a Company name or Company domain column instead and Clarify links each person to a company that already exists. It does not create missing companies in this case, and rows whose company is not found are flagged to fix and re-import.
Updating existing records:
When unique-field matching finds an existing record, only non-empty fields from your import are updated
Example: importing a deal called "Microsoft" with only an amount field updates only the amount - other fields stay unchanged
Fields that hold several values, such as email addresses or labels, are added to rather than replaced
If no match is found, a new record is created
Background processing:
Large imports run in the background
Close your browser if you need to - progress shows in the sidebar when you return
About relationships during import
The CSV importer creates records, but it doesn't fill in every relationship between them.
What links automatically:
People to Companies - automatic. Clarify creates a company from each person's work email domain and links them to it. Map a Company name or Company domain column instead and it links only to companies that already exist, flagging unmatched rows to fix and re-import.
Deals → Companies - same as People to Companies: map a Company name or Company domain column and the deal links to that company (the company must already exist).
Other single-record relationships, including custom relationship fields that point to one record - in the mapping list, pick a field on the related record (such as its name) and Clarify links each row to the record that matches. As with companies, the related record must already exist.
What doesn't link automatically:
Deals → People - people aren't linked to a deal during import (a many-to-many relationship); link them on the deal record afterward.
Any other relationship that holds several records.
Linking records after import: ask Rep to do it. Describe which records go together, for example: "Link each deal in my import list to the people at that deal's company." Rep works through records in batches, so for very large volumes contact support at [email protected]. For a handful of records, edit them directly in Clarify.
Troubleshooting
"Couldn't find Company record" error:
A mapped Company column is trying to link to a company that doesn't exist in Clarify yet.
Most common cause: a list of companies was imported from the People page. Import it from Companies instead.
If you're importing people, either leave the Company column unmapped so Clarify links them by email domain, or import your companies first and then re-run the people import.
Rows failed to import:
Download the failed rows CSV from the summary page
Fix the errors listed
Re-import the corrected file
A row that failed with This record could not be updated matched an existing record you don't have permission to edit. Ask the record's owner or an admin to share it with you as an editor, or to run that part of the import
Duplicate records created:
Use the Unique checkbox during field mapping to update existing records instead of creating new ones
Already have duplicates? Ask Rep to merge them - name the records or describe the duplicates, for example: "Merge the duplicate Acme companies." Or see Merging records in Clarify
Find past imports:
Go to Settings → Workspace → Import history
Where to go next
→ Understanding your data in Clarify - How records, fields, lists, and enrichment work once your data is in.