Import your existing contacts, companies, and deals from a CSV file so you can 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.
Prepare your files
Create separate CSV files for each record type:
companies.csv
people.csv
deals.csv
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, or Deals. Click the three dots in the top right corner 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
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)
Invalid values will prevent those rows from importing. Fix errors by editing values or choose to skip them.
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)
All imported records get an import label and appear in a new auto-generated list.
What happens during import
Automatic company-person linking:
Leave the Company column unmapped and Clarify creates a company from each person's work email domain, links the person to it, and fills in the company name, size, and other details. 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 so you can 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 just the amount - other fields stay unchanged
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).
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.
Other custom relationship fields.
If you have many existing records that need linking after import: reach out to support and we'll let you know what's possible for your account. For small numbers, edit records 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
Duplicate records created:
Use the Unique checkbox during field mapping to update existing records instead of creating new ones
Already have duplicates? See Merging records in Clarify
Find past imports:
View import history in Settings
Where to go next
→ Understanding your data in Clarify - How records, fields, lists, and enrichment work once your data is in.