Operelio
Apollo.ioZoho

How to import Apollo.io into Zoho Leads or Contacts

20 of the 38 columns in an Apollo.io export, mapped into 12 Zoho Leads fields under Zoho's own names.

20 of the 38 columns in an Apollo.io export, mapped into 11 Zoho Contacts fields under Zoho's own names.

Import into Zoho as
Download the Excel templateUse this template free

Free · 19 KB · Excel 365 or Google Sheets

Download the Excel templateUse this template free

Free · 19 KB · Excel 365 or Google Sheets

Check your Apollo.io export first

Built on Apollo.io’s export columnsChecked against Zoho’s import rulesUpdated October 8, 2026

One Apollo.io row, through the templatecopied as it ischanged on the way1explained below
  • First Name to First NamePriya
  • Last Name to Last NamePatel
  • Title to TitleVP of Customer Success
  • Email to Emaillowercasedpriya.patel@fernway.example.com
  • Mobile Phone, Work Direct Phone, Corporate Phone, Other Phone to Phone1first with a value+1 503-555-0174
  • Company Name, Company to Company2first with a valueFernway
  • Not in the export to Lead Source3set to Apollo.ioApollo.io
  • Not in the export to Lead Status3set to Not ContactedNot Contacted
  • Person Linkedin Url, Seniority, Departments, Lists to Description4joined, with labelsLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/priya-patel-example | Seniority: VP | Departments: Customer Success, Support | Apollo lists: PNW Logistics Q4
  • City, Person City to City5first with a valueHillsboro
  • State, Person State to Statefirst with a valueOregon
  • Country, Person Country to Countryfirst with a valueUnited States
Not imported: Email Status, Home Phone, Website, Company Linkedin Url, Industry, # Employees and 12 more. The template leaves these out; map any to a custom field in Operelio.
One Apollo.io row, through the templatecopied as it ischanged on the way1explained below
  • First Name to First NamePriya
  • Last Name to Last NamePatel
  • Title to TitleVP of Customer Success
  • Email to Emaillowercasedpriya.patel@fernway.example.com
  • Mobile Phone to Mobile+1 503-555-0174
  • Work Direct Phone, Corporate Phone, Other Phone to Phone1first with a value+1 503-555-0133
  • Company Name, Company to Account Name2first with a valueFernway
  • City, Person City to Mailing City3first with a valueHillsboro
  • State, Person State to Mailing State4first with a valueOregon
  • Country, Person Country to Mailing Country5first with a valueUnited States
  • Person Linkedin Url, Seniority, Departments, Lists to Descriptionjoined, with labelsLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/priya-patel-example | Seniority: VP | Departments: Customer Success, Support | Apollo lists: PNW Logistics Q4
Not imported: Email Status, Home Phone, Website, Company Linkedin Url, Industry, # Employees and 12 more. The template leaves these out; map any to a custom field in Operelio.

Where Apollo.io and Zoho don’t line up

1

Four phone columns, one phone field

Apollo.io splits numbers across Mobile Phone, Work Direct Phone, Corporate Phone and Other Phone.

The template Phone takes the first of Mobile Phone, Work Direct Phone, Corporate Phone and Other Phone that has a value.

Apollo.ioMobile Phone +1 503-555-0174
Work Direct Phone empty
Corporate Phone +1 503-555-0133
Other Phone +1 503-555-0132
Zoho+1 503-555-0174
2

Two Apollo.io columns, one Company

Apollo.io can fill Company Name and Company, and Zoho has one Company.

The template takes the first of Company Name or Company that has a value.

Apollo.ioCompany Name Fernway
Company empty
ZohoFernway
3

No lead source or lead status in the export

Apollo.io's export has no lead source or lead status column.

The template sets Lead Source to Apollo.io and Lead Status to Not Contacted on every row. Change either, or drop them, before you import if your process differs.

Apollo.ioNo column
ZohoApollo.io · Not Contacted
4

Four columns kept in Description

This template gives Person Linkedin Url, Seniority, Departments and Lists no Zoho field of their own.

The template writes them into Description, each with its label, and leaves empty ones out.

Apollo.ioPerson Linkedin Url linkedin.com/in/priya-patel-example
Seniority VP
Departments Customer Success, Support
ZohoLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/priya-patel-example | Seniority: VP | Departments: Customer Success, Support | Apollo lists: PNW Logistics Q4
5

Two Apollo.io columns, one City

Apollo.io can fill City and Person City, and Zoho has one City.

The template takes the first of City or Person City that has a value.

Apollo.ioCity Hillsboro
Person City empty
ZohoHillsboro
1

Four phone columns, two phone fields

Apollo.io splits numbers across Mobile Phone, Work Direct Phone, Corporate Phone and Other Phone.

The template sends Mobile Phone to Mobile. Phone takes the first of Work Direct Phone, Corporate Phone and Other Phone that has a value.

Apollo.ioWork Direct Phone empty
Corporate Phone +1 503-555-0133
Other Phone +1 503-555-0132
Zoho+1 503-555-0133
2

Two Apollo.io columns, one Account Name

Apollo.io can fill Company Name and Company, and Zoho has one Account Name.

The template takes the first of Company Name or Company that has a value.

Apollo.ioCompany Name Fernway
Company empty
ZohoFernway
3

Two Apollo.io columns, one Mailing City

Apollo.io can fill City and Person City, and Zoho has one Mailing City.

The template takes the first of City or Person City that has a value.

Apollo.ioCity Hillsboro
Person City empty
ZohoHillsboro
4

Two Apollo.io columns, one Mailing State

Apollo.io can fill State and Person State, and Zoho has one Mailing State.

The template takes the first of State or Person State that has a value.

Apollo.ioState Oregon
Person State empty
ZohoOregon
5

Two Apollo.io columns, one Mailing Country

Apollo.io can fill Country and Person Country, and Zoho has one Mailing Country.

The template takes the first of Country or Person Country that has a value.

Apollo.ioCountry United States
Person Country empty
ZohoUnited States

Check your Apollo.io export before you import it

Looks for the 20 columns this template reads, and what Zoho would skip.

Drop your Apollo.io CSV here

Runs in your browser. Nothing is uploaded, and results are counts only.

Looks for the 20 columns this template reads, and what Zoho would skip.

Drop your Apollo.io CSV here

Runs in your browser. Nothing is uploaded, and results are counts only.

Apollo.io to Zoho in three steps

Step 1Export from Apollo.io
  1. In Apollo, go to Search, then People, and apply your filters or open a saved list.
  2. Check the contacts you want, or use bulk selection at the top, then click Export.
  3. Choose whether to include all contacts or only those with verified emails.
  4. Optionally click Edit export CSV settings to change the fields.
  5. Click Export records, then Download when the file is ready.

Exporting saved contacts may use export credits, depending on your Apollo plan.

Contacts you have already exported, and contacts without verified emails, do not use credits.

Apollo: Export contacts to a CSV
Step 2Paste into the template
  1. Paste the export at A1 of Paste Apollo.io export here.
  2. Start here checks all 20 columns were found.
  3. Save Zoho Leads import as a CSV.

Works in Excel for Microsoft 365 and Google Sheets. Excel 2019 and older, Apple Numbers and LibreOffice can't run the formulas this file uses.

Just the 12 headers as a CSV

Step 3Import into Zoho
  1. Open the Leads tab, click the down arrow next to the Create button and choose Import.
  2. Drop in or browse to your CSV, XLS or XLSX file, set the character encoding if needed and click Next.
  3. Choose Add as new, Update existing only or Both, and the field that identifies an existing record.
  4. Map each column to a Zoho CRM field; for a lookup, choose the field that identifies the linked record.
  5. Set the assignment, approval and automation options, accept the anti-spam policy and submit.
Zoho CRM's importer, screen by screen

Operelio, with the same template

Fixes the capitals in names, formats phone numbers, removes duplicate and blank rows, which the Excel file leaves to you. On every plan. Email verification from Starter.

Use this template in Operelio
Step 1Export from Apollo.io
  1. In Apollo, go to Search, then People, and apply your filters or open a saved list.
  2. Check the contacts you want, or use bulk selection at the top, then click Export.
  3. Choose whether to include all contacts or only those with verified emails.
  4. Optionally click Edit export CSV settings to change the fields.
  5. Click Export records, then Download when the file is ready.

Exporting saved contacts may use export credits, depending on your Apollo plan.

Contacts you have already exported, and contacts without verified emails, do not use credits.

Apollo: Export contacts to a CSV
Step 2Paste into the template
  1. Paste the export at A1 of Paste Apollo.io export here.
  2. Start here checks all 20 columns were found.
  3. Save Zoho Contacts import as a CSV.

Works in Excel for Microsoft 365 and Google Sheets. Excel 2019 and older, Apple Numbers and LibreOffice can't run the formulas this file uses.

Just the 11 headers as a CSV

Step 3Import into Zoho
  1. Open the Contacts tab, click the down arrow next to the Create button and choose Import.
  2. Drop in or browse to your CSV, XLS or XLSX file, set the character encoding if needed and click Next.
  3. Choose Add as new, Update existing only or Both, and the field that identifies an existing record.
  4. Map each column to a Zoho CRM field; for a lookup, choose the field that identifies the linked record.
  5. Set the assignment, approval and automation options, accept the anti-spam policy and submit.
Zoho CRM's importer, screen by screen

Operelio, with the same template

Fixes the capitals in names, formats phone numbers, standardizes countries, removes duplicate and blank rows, which the Excel file leaves to you. On every plan. Email verification from Starter.

Use this template in Operelio

Questions

Where does Apollo.io's export fill Last Name and Company, which Zoho requires?

Last Name comes from Apollo.io's Last Name column; Company takes the first of Company Name or Company that has a value. The checker above counts the rows with Last Name or Company blank.

Where do Person Linkedin Url, Seniority and the other columns go?

Into Description on each lead, labeled like "LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/priya-patel-example | Seniority: VP | Departments: Customer Success, Support | Apollo lists: PNW Logistics Q4".

Why is the Email column filled with email_not_unlocked@domain.com?

That's the placeholder Apollo writes for a contact whose email you haven't revealed. Every locked row carries the same address, so none of them can be emailed. Filter those rows out, reveal the contacts in Apollo first, or choose to export only contacts with verified emails.

Where does Apollo.io's export fill Last Name, which Zoho requires?

Last Name comes from Apollo.io's Last Name column. The checker above counts the rows with Last Name blank.

Where do Person Linkedin Url, Seniority and the other columns go?

Into Description on each contact, labeled like "LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/priya-patel-example | Seniority: VP | Departments: Customer Success, Support | Apollo lists: PNW Logistics Q4".

Why is the Email column filled with email_not_unlocked@domain.com?

That's the placeholder Apollo writes for a contact whose email you haven't revealed. Every locked row carries the same address, so none of them can be emailed. Filter those rows out, reveal the contacts in Apollo first, or choose to export only contacts with verified emails.

Duplicates and undoing an import: Zoho CRM import questions.

Try this template free

Upload your Apollo.io export and download a file Zoho can import. No credit card needed.

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