How to format a CSV for HubSpot import
Get your contact list into a CSV HubSpot imports cleanly the first time: the right columns, dates and phone numbers HubSpot accepts, and no duplicate contacts.
By Operelio team · Updated October 23, 2026
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What HubSpot needs from your file
HubSpot imports a CSV by matching each column to a contact property. The import goes smoothly when your columns line up with HubSpot's properties, your email column is clean, and your dates and phone numbers are in a format HubSpot accepts. Most failed imports come down to one of those three.
HubSpot uses email as the unique key for contacts, so a clean, de-duplicated email column is the single most important thing to get right.
Map your columns to HubSpot properties
Rename your headers so HubSpot can auto-match them, or map them by hand during import. The common contact properties:
| Your column | HubSpot property |
|---|---|
| Email (the unique key for contacts) | |
| First name | First Name |
| Last name | Last Name |
| Phone | Phone Number |
| Company | Company Name |
| Job title | Job Title |
| Website | Website URL |
Any column HubSpot does not recognize can be mapped to a custom property during import, or left out. Decide before you import so you are not creating properties by accident.
Fix the formats HubSpot is fussy about
A few fields cause most import errors:
| Field | Get it right |
|---|---|
| Dates | Use one consistent format, either ISO (YYYY-MM-DD) or your account's date format. Mixed formats in one column are the most common cause of a rejected date. |
| Phone numbers | A plus sign, the country code, then the number: +14155550123 for a US number. Add an extension as ext and the number, so +14155550123 ext123. That is the format in HubSpot's own import guide. Use it in every row. The CRM Formatter drops extensions, so a number with ext comes out without it. |
| Multiple values | For a multi-select property, separate values with a semicolon. |
| Encoding | Save as UTF-8 so accented names and symbols do not arrive garbled. |
Remove duplicates before you import
How to find, merge and prevent duplicate contacts in HubSpot covers which rows HubSpot catches on import, which slip through, and how to clean them out of the file first.
From messy export to import-ready
Doing it manually means renaming headers to match HubSpot properties, writing formulas to standardize dates and phone numbers, sorting to catch duplicate emails, then saving as CSV UTF-8. It works, but every step is a chance to slip.
The CRM Formatter handles most of it when you pick HubSpot as your target. It maps your columns to HubSpot properties, removes repeat rows with the same email, and turns phone numbers into digits, keeping a leading +, turning a 00 prefix into + and dropping any extension. It leaves dates as they are and adds no country code, so set one date format and put +1 in front of US numbers first. On Starter and up it can push contacts, companies or deals to HubSpot for you.
See how to preview an import before anything is written.
Map your columns to HubSpot properties, tidy phones and repeats, and download a CSV for HubSpot's importer.
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- Why your HubSpot import is failing
- How to find, merge and prevent duplicate contacts in HubSpot
- How to clean up messy column headers
- How to fix Salesforce import errors
- How to format phone numbers in Excel
- Push a clean file to your CRM
- HubSpot import templates and a CSV template
- CRM import limits
- CRM Formatter
- The CRM import problem
Frequently asked questions
Does HubSpot need a specific date format?
Use one consistent format across the column, either ISO (YYYY-MM-DD) or your account's set format. The usual cause of a rejected date is mixed formats in the same column, not the format itself.
Will importing create duplicate contacts?
HubSpot uses email as the unique key and merges contacts that share one, so exact duplicates collapse. Near-duplicates with two different emails are the ones to clean in your file first.
What CSV encoding should I use?
UTF-8. It keeps accented names and symbols intact so they do not import as garbled characters.
What format do phone numbers need to be in for a HubSpot import?
A plus sign, the country code, then the number, for example +14155550123, with any extension added as ext123. The usual problem is a column that mixes (415) 555-0123, 415.555.0123 and +1 415 555 0123, so convert the whole column to that one format before you import.
Can Operelio push to HubSpot directly?
Yes, on Starter and up. CRM Formatter can format your file and push contacts, companies or deals straight to HubSpot, with a preview of what will import first.
Ready to get started?
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