Import a list
From + New or Add people, upload a CSV, match its columns, and tell Terry where the people came from so it knows who it may write to.
Importing brings a whole list into Prospects at once. Terry asks two questions every time: which country the people are in, and where the list came from. The answers are stamped on every person in the batch. They decide which law applies and whether Terry may write to each person, and they are your record if anyone ever asks.
Before you start
- Save your list as a CSV file. A LinkedIn export, a HubSpot export or a spreadsheet saved as CSV all work as they come.
- The first row should be the column names. Each row needs a name or an email. A row with a name and no email is still imported, but Terry cannot email that person until an address is added. A row with neither is skipped.
- Company, title, website, LinkedIn and phone help Terry write better. A state column is the US state or province, used only to route people to the right rep. It is not the country.
- One country per file. If your list mixes United States and Canada, split it and import each part separately.
Import
- Press + New at the top of the menu and choose Import a list. On Prospects you can also press Add people, then Import a file. A panel opens on the right.
- Drop your file on Drop a CSV here, or choose a file, or press Choose a file.
- Check how Terry matched your columns. For each Column in your file, pick what to Import it as, such as Full name, Email or Company. Choose Do not import for anything you do not need.
- Use any Quick fixes Terry offers, such as trimming spaces, fixing names in CAPITALS, lower casing emails or removing rows with no email, and look at Why N will not import if some rows are left out.
- Press Use these, followed by the number of people, such as Use these 40.
- Give the batch a List name, so you can compare lists later in Analytics.
- Choose Country these people are in: United States or Canada. A California list is United States; California goes in the state column.
- Under Where did these people come from?, pick an answer and fill in the detail it asks for. The line Stamped as shows what will be written on every person.
- Admins: check the Consent status. Terry sets it from your answer.
- Tick the confirmation that you have a lawful basis to contact these people.
- Press Import (it shows the count, such as Import 40). Terry tells you how many were imported and how many were skipped (a bad email address, or someone who asked to be deleted).
Import stays greyed out until there are people to import, a country is chosen, the question is answered with any detail it asks for, and the box is ticked. A large list goes in 500 at a time, and Terry shows its progress.
Where did these people come from?
Pick the answer that is true. Some answers ask for one more detail.
| Answer | Terry also asks |
|---|---|
| They signed up or ticked a box | Where they signed up |
| They are a customer of ours | |
| They contacted us and asked about something | |
| We met them at an event | Which event, and when |
| They accepted our connection request on LinkedIn | |
| Somebody referred them to us | Who referred them |
| Their business address is published publicly | Where it is published |
| We bought the list | Who you bought it from |
| A partner or affiliate shared it | Which partner |
| Something else | How you obtained these people |
Each answer shows a short note on what it means under the law. For example, a bought list carries no consent with it. In the United States you may still send with a working opt out; in Canada you may not.
Why Terry asks
Terry checks every message against the law before it sends: CASL for anyone in Canada and for any Canadian company, CAN-SPAM in the United States. Under CASL, Terry may only write to someone when there is a recorded basis such as express or implied consent. The answer you give here is that record, written on every person in the batch, so you can show it if anyone asks.
Members and admins
- Admins can also set the Consent status for the batch: Express, Implied or None. Terry suggests one from your answer. To record the date one person agreed, or when their implied consent expires, see Record when consent was obtained.
- Members can import, but always with no consent status. Your admin records the basis later, or runs the import for you.
Good to know
- Duplicates. Terry matches on email address, ignoring capitals, so a repeated email becomes one person. If someone is already in Terry, their details are updated and their consent, country and owner are kept.
- Phone numbers. A matched phone column is saved on the person. A number Terry cannot read is left off and counted; add the country code, like +1 416 555 0123. A phone number is not permission to text: texting still needs that person's consent recorded. If someone already has a number, the import does not replace it.
- Ownership. Whoever imports a list owns the new people in it.
- Deleted people. Someone who asked your workspace to delete their data is skipped and not added back.
- Scoring. Unless an admin switched it off, Terry reads each new person's public pages and scores their fit in the background. See About them.
Related
In Classic
- Open Prospects and choose the Import tab. The steps after that are the same: match the columns, name the list, choose the country, answer where they came from, tick and import.
- See The new dashboard to switch.