If your data’s a mess, your CRM will be too.
Clean data isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s the difference between a smooth CRM rollout and a painful, expensive redo.
Here’s how to prep your HubSpot data before import, step by step.
Don’t guess. Export everything from your current CRM or spreadsheets:
Contacts
Companies
Deals
Custom objects
Back it up. Keep a raw version untouched. It’s your safety net.
Use Excel tools or HubSpot’s free deduplication tool. Look at:
Same emails
Similar company names
Matching phone numbers
If in doubt, merge. But double-check before deleting.
Make sure columns match what HubSpot expects:
Date format (YYYY-MM-DD)
Phone numbers with country codes
Proper capitalisation for names
Small cleanup = big time savings later.
Empty fields are missed opportunities. Before importing:
Fill key missing values (like lifecycle stage, deal owner)
Use bulk editing or scripts to speed this up
Only import what’s useful. Garbage in = garbage out.
Don’t rely on auto-mapping. Do it manually:
Match each column to a HubSpot property
Create custom properties for unique fields
Build a field mapping doc. Your future self will thank you.
Start with 10–20 records. Check:
Fields populate correctly
Owners are assigned
Workflows aren’t triggered accidentally
If it’s clean, scale it.
The best CRM is only as good as its data. Clean it now, or clean up later—the choice is yours.
Start smart. Import clean.