To import People, Deals, or Companies into Pipeline, your file must be formatted correctly and saved in an approved filetype. You can import CSV, XLS, or XLSX filetypes into Pipeline. Your file must be formatted with the column titles in the first row.

If you want to see an example of what a properly formatted CSV file looks like, download our CSV template. You can also use this template to quickly add Companies, People or Deals using an application like Excel. Click here to download an example template for import into Pipeline.

• Download Companies Template
• Download People Template
• Download Deals Template

If you receive an error message during import that your file is malformed, below is a list of strategies you can use to troubleshoot the issue:

Common formatting issues

A properly-formatted spreadsheet has one row per record and one record per row. 

Here is an example of one record taking up more than one row. This would cause data to come into the system incorrectly:

Here is what that same data looks like properly formatted:

Is my file saved in an approved filetype?

You can import CSV, XLS, or XLSX filetypes into Pipeline. Below is a description of these filetypes:

• CSV  - this files is a plain-text file format that can be opened in Excel, Numbers, and other spreadsheet programs. If you are exporting data from a different CRM or contact management system, CSV is the most common filetype for exported files.
• XLS - this is the filetype for older Microsoft Excel files. If you are using Excel 2004 or older, the file is probably formatted as an XLS file.
• XLSX - this is the filetype for newer Excel files. This is the default filetype for Excel 2007 and newer versions.

If you are using a different filetype, you will need to convert your filetype to CSV, XLS, or XLSX. In Excel, you can convert your file using the following steps:

1 - Open your file in Excel.
2 - Click on File and Save as. (This will be the same steps on Mac and PC, just the drop down box will look different between Operating Systems and versions of Excel.)

3 - Select where you would like to save the file (like your desktop or a drive).
4 - In the File Name area, name your document.
5 - In the Save as Type area, select CSV (either MS-DOS Comma Separated or Windows Comma Separated will work) from the dropdown menu.
6 - Click Save.
7 - You may receive one or two warnings about the formatting of your CSV file, click yes.

Are you outside the United States?

If you are outside of the United States, you may need to change the CSV Column Separator setting in your My Profile > Currency from Comma to Decimal 

My file is still being rejected as malformed

If re-saving the file in Excel didn't work, you may have non-ASCII characters. If you are using a Windows computer, you can also try right clicking the file > Open with > NotePad. Then, File > Save As > UTF-8 encoding > File name.

If you are using an Apple computer, please open the file in Numbers, File > Export > CSV > Choose Unicode (UTF-8) for the Encoding > Next > Export.

Still not working

If you are still having trouble, please email the file to customercare@pipelinecrm.com. One of our customer care ambassadors will review the file and help identify the issue preventing the import.